“If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never [...]
Finding mojo in a church basement
August 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Way back in 2000, when Thom Jeavons and I first sang the praises of abundance thinking, the scarcity crowd accused us of being Pollyannas. Today, the positive high-road is all the rage, despite (or maybe because of) the tough financial times in which we find ourselves. Thom and I made our case for abundance based [...]
Getting boards some respect
August 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It’s humbling for a governance geek like me to confront (again) the brutal truth that board work isn’t much understood or valued by much of anyone beyond the CEO and maybe a few other senior staff. It’s also helpful. Sequestered from the hoi polloi, board members begin to believe they’re the center of the organization’s [...]
Generosity in quotes
August 24, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“I want the last check I write to bounce.” Charles F. Feeney, the 81-year-old founder of the Atlantic Philanthropies, who plans to give away his last $1.5 billion by 2016. Read more about the generous Mr. Feeney here.
For faith and generosity, it’s déjà vu all over again.
August 22, 2012 By 2 Comments
The folks over the Chronicle of Philanthropy have just released a special report titled “How America Gives,” and surprise, surprise, faith is a major factor in the findings. As has been the case in every study ever done of philanthropic activity in these United States, the religious shine. When it comes to the faith and [...]
Reflections at the beginning of an online teaching experience
August 20, 2012 By 1 Comment
“Professors, over all, cast a skeptical eye on the learning outcomes for online education. Nearly two-thirds say they believe that the learning outcomes for an online course are inferior or somewhat inferior to those for a comparable face-to- face course.” So report the researchers behind “Conflicted: Faculty and Online Education, 2012.” The study, a joint [...]
Generosity in quotes
August 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
“One image and symbol in particular brings together the dynamics of mission and stewardship in a fundamental way—the Eucharist table. It’s no wonder that the early Christians gathered daily around table for fellowship and the breaking of bread. It’s around the table that our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs are met. It’s to the Eucharistic [...]
Quiet on the set (of life)
August 15, 2012 By 2 Comments
As regular readers of Generous Matters may recall, in lieu of New Year’s resolutions, I chose to go with three words to guide my steps in 2012. After a bit of pondering, I settled on “be,” “still,” and “know.” If my word-trio has a familiar ring, think Psalm 46, verse 10. From January 1 on, [...]
It matters who’s on the mountain with you (part 2)
August 13, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A few posts back I suggested that for fundraisers, who it is that’s on the mountain with you makes a world of difference. The annual climb to the top of giving pyramid is a grueling, lonely, and sometimes perilous trek. What a blessing to find a hiking companion willing to go the distance with you. [...]
Generosity in quotes
August 10, 2012 By 2 Comments
“As God’s people today, we talk about being a family, but the reality too often falls short . . . It is easy to lose this vision in our individualistic culture. But this kind of living together as a family must shape our behavior because it is how we will be known — by our [...]
