The school zones are back, so slowing down should be top of my mind as I head for work every morning. After less than a week of blinking lights, something finally clicked, and I realized as I got to the end of the zone I should have slowed way down. You know the...
While waiting for my next flight, I was scanning through email, focused on the laptop screen in front of me. Ignoring the voices and sounds, I was oblivious to conversations. Then I suddenly became aware of movement behind and beside me. A glance revealed four...
GIVE WELL — Tyler Morning Telegraph
Sometimes when I sit down to write the YP Journal, a philanthropy issue is on my mind. But today there was no such burning issue, so in the spirit of hunting for inspiration, I started looking back at old articles and stumbled across one calling my name. It was titled...
GIVE WELL — Tyler Morning Telegraph
If it’s such a great idea why aren’t they doing it everywhere? Or maybe it sounds like this; it’s an incredible idea. It should be in every school, neighborhood or every community. Sometimes it even sounds like this. I just had a phone call from someone in California...
Is there one right answer to the question, how many programs can one nonprofit organization operate? Of course, the answer is no because every organization is different. Some are single focused on clients and services. Others provide a multitude of programs, serving...
GIVE WELL — Tyler Morning Telegraph
Wait, what? How many times have you been sitting at a stop light, checking your phone, and suddenly you hear the radio announcer say something that causes you to go… Wait, what? I need an easy backup button for my radio; just 30 seconds would do the trick. Or, you’re...
Giving matters, so what's the most important question you should answer? Your answer to WHY is important. Simon Sinek, author of the bestseller, Start With Why, has turned that simple, three letter word into a very deep well. He started digging the well with a sharp...
The weather man predicted 100 degree days are on the horizon. It’s too hot here in Texas for most outdoor activities unless you’re heading for water. It’s hard to even find a breeze. My solution is early morning walks before the thermometer starts climbing. Then I...
She’s almost here. We’ve been talking about Thayer Willis joining us for Dessert and Coffee for a discussion on intergenerational wealth for months. In spite of an unexpected weather event in March that kept her plane from arriving and the rest of us keeping warm at...
On a work trip, I made time for the American Freedom Trail in Boston with a guide dressed as Elizabeth Foster Goose. Along for the history were travelers from Australia, Mexico, England and half a dozen states, plus a mini/petite golden doodle tagging along. Mrs....
It's always a lift when someone says one of these articles impacted their thinking. That happened recently at a local restaurant when a reader stopped by our table to tell me an article changed his thinking. So, it's worth sharing again. How many special event...
I'm serious – the very best gift you will ever give to family and friends is to spend time on your legacy story. Right now, you're telling yourself that no one cares about your legacy – the story behind your flavor of generosity. But I know that's not right because...
With spring unfolding, right now is the perfect time to share something new. Today, The Gift of Giving is available to my friends, followers, and readers. I wrote The Gift of Giving with each of you in mind. After years of listening to your stories about the...
Before I donate to an organization in my community, I like to check out who is on the board of directors. My confidence level grows when I see a name I recognize. After all, I trust the board members to be wise stewards of my donation. Most of us assume only good...
The drive to Dallas allowed enough time to prepare for the meeting with a nonprofit organization in transition. While their mission remained the same, how they delivered services was changing. The direction they were heading was cloudy. So, I had questions and hoped...
Thanksgiving turkey with all the trimmings, brightly wrapped presents under Christmas trees, bicycles, and tricycles – it's supposed to be a wonderful time of year. It's when we find a few hours in our crazy, jam-packed schedules to share Thanksgiving meals and help...
Smart is such a great word. It makes us feel good, as in what great glasses – they make you look so smart. Or, look how fast my dog learned that trick – he's so smart. Today we have smartboards in classrooms. Forget chalk and erasers. We even have the smart electric...
Are we too late? That was the question asked casually by an acquaintance. Too late for what? Too late for one of the most important conversations you can have with your adult children. I understand late. Most days I practice stretching time: I ignore the clock,...
Have you been to a family gathering this summer? Did you hear a story at the BBQ, Fourth of July celebration, reunion, or wedding reception? You know, the story about your sibling, cousin, or grandparent that ends with, "that's a good one.” A story has probably...
At twenty-five, I frequently lamented that I couldn’t wait to be thirty-five years old. That might seem odd, but I was sure I would be taken seriously by thirty-five. My ideas, opinions, and suggestions would carry more weight. Of course, by the time I reached...
At a family reunion, I learned my father paid his younger siblings a nickel for their chocolate pudding when he came home on military leave. He was the oldest of nine, so I imagine there was as much opportunity to purchase one of his favorite desserts as his siblings...
By Margie Boyd, Executive Vice President, Your Philanthropy Sitting in a recent foundation board meeting listening to the wealth advisors give their financial forecast was a bit unsettling. Fear crept into the room and pulled up a seat. With inflation at a 40-year...
If I say $3.99 or $4.05, you already know what I'm talking about – the fast-rising cost of gas at the pumps. It's suddenly such a common conversation that most folks can quote the exact gas price on their daily route within pennies. My husband and I needed to stop for...
Early this year, I set a goal to make at least one charitable gift every month. As I thought about the year, I realized it would be easy to give in April, thanks to East Texas Giving Day. So, I was not disappointed when I sat down to look through the list of...
Not too long ago, just a decade or so, action required considerable movement by using large muscle groups like glutes, quads, and hamstrings; we got out of the recliner and off the couch. Action burned calories; it was substantial, even consequential. Now we burn...
Tears filled my eyes Wednesday morning, March 9, reading accounts of now 2 million refugees fleeing Ukraine. My heart aches from the images and stories. War is not an unfamiliar experience for me. Like many children in the last nineteen years who waved goodbye to...
If you’re a glass-half-full sort of person, then a room full of donors might be just the opportunity you’re looking for. In October of 2019, I wrote about special event fundraisers and the hidden potential of a room full of donors. Several readers liked the idea of...
Have you helped a stranger today? Helping a stranger is immediate warm glow generosity. You feel it all over when you’ve helped simply because you could. Held the door open for a stranger carrying an armful of grocery bags Picked up the keys for someone slow to bend...
YPJ Note: After reading Cathy's article in our local newspaper, we thought she asked some very interesting questions. As we have shared many times in the YP Journal, learning to ask questions can make us better givers. Be sure to let us know your thoughts about...
Now, two weeks into the new year, we're back into our routines, meeting daily demands and business as usual. If you're the resolution type, you've either already fallen off that wagon or fallen behind on the goals you set a few weeks ago. I applaud the tiny percent of...
Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cakes arrived on shelves on time this year. Move over Zebra Cakes for those golden cake layers, smooth crème, classic white frosting with red stripes, and red and green sprinkles. Hardcore Little Debbie Cakes lovers might argue there is...
On the first Friday in October, the Nobel Prize Committee will announce the winner of the Peace Prize as well as prizes in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and the economic sciences. Laureate nominees are not made public by the Norwegian Nobel Committee or...
How does it feel to be a philanthropist today? It might be tempting to assume that question only applies to the wealthy donor who can write large checks year after year. When in fact, the question is for you. Comparing ourselves against others who give more or less...
"She's a bookworm," a frequent description used to explain why I didn't hear my mother announce dinner or remind me of chores. As a teen, I occasionally found myself in a waiting room with magazines strewn around on subjects of no interest. However, I was drawn to...
If I could be queen of a certain land, it would be the land of Intentional. We would welcome all who love the exploration of ideas to the point of purpose, to be closely followed by a plan. My preparation to be queen of Intentional started at an early age. Moving...
Your Philanthropy works exclusively, and confidentially, with donors at any stage of giving.Foundation ManagementConsulting and Support ServicesIndividual and Family EngagementFoundation Management for Private & Family Foundations A well-run foundation is...
My childhood memory of the Big Eddy Bridge, now under Lake Palestine, is not accurate. But the memory is real. My brother and I would convince my dad to drive over the old, rickety bridge every chance we got. Every board in the old wooden bridge slapped the...
A few years ago, we called them the Next Generation. Now, they are the Rising Generation. They are no longer simply waiting their turn; they are rising to the occasion, and it is changing philanthropy. It is a revolution of sorts with a bullet blender effect. The...
Walking into Mr. Anderson’s eighth-grade physical science class on the first day of school, I expected it to be like all the other classes. New teachers, lots of new kids, books, class rules, etc. But Mr. Anderson wasn’t like the other teachers. Mr. Anderson joined...
Do you need a laptop, notebook or tablet? That was the question Sid asked when helping me sort out what kind of computer replacement I needed for my work. Gone are the days when all I needed was a Big Chief tablet, freshly sharpened #2 pencils and a three-ring...
Helpers come in all sizes and forms. It has been such an odd year. I can't imagine what things might be like at the North Pole. What would Santa Claus do without his helpers, elves in green suits with pointy toes, to prepare for the all-important worldwide delivery of...
Are you feeling down about the future? Join the crowd. Let’s create our own crowd – let’s hang together and give together so that others, including our families and friends, will find help when it is needed. I’m sure you’ll fit right in. Giving is different this year,...
Have you made a gift online this year? Chances are the answer is yes. A growing number of donors respond to a Facebook post or a Tweet to give but ask few questions about the group or nonprofit making the ask. A few clicks and it's done. Gift made. Endorphins surge....
The everyday life you live is the legacy you leave. Yes, the stories of our lives become our legacy. We have no choice in the matter. Others look at the trail we walked, the life journey we are on and see a legacy. The very nature of a legacy is storytelling....
The PARADE Magazine has been a part of my Sunday newspaper reading for more years than I can remember. Tucked in the largest paper of the week with advertisements and the comics, it was my earliest introduction to many things cultural. Started in 1941, PARADE magazine...
It is a big day when the home you’ve had on the market for eleven months finally sells. In fact, for days leading up to the closing and the hours and minutes before, I was afraid to let myself get excited in case something, anything unexpected, went wrong. It did...
What will the great nonprofit leaders of today look like? What actions will they take that encourages us to look forward to a new future? Right now, all over this country, we are among nonprofit leaders being made – not born. To truly understand what to look for in...
The conversation went something like this: “I’m sure you’ve heard they have a new Executive Director. What do you think is happening over there? Do you think they will survive?” The answer is yes, they will survive. In fact, my guess is they’ll still be going strong...
How do nonprofit organizations you support get better at what they are doing? How do they learn their way into new, better, or improved services? The big question is how do you help them change the world? Can you expand your services? A state agency asked the local...
The question is, who is watching and listening to you? No, I don’t mean in the way that Alexa or Google Assistant is tracking your words and making suggestions. I don’t mean how a drone tracks you down and finds your address to deliver the Amazon package to your front...
It started this way, “The questions that loom large as you navigate a college education are: What’s next? What career, what advanced degrees, where to start?” That was the opening paragraph of a very short piece I contributed to my alma mater for A Patriot’s Guide to...
Will the next generation give as much as their grandparents and parents? And which generation is “the next generation”? Well, of course, the answer is relative. Every generation wonders about the one that follows. Baby Boomers have been wondering about Generation X,...
How many special event fundraisers have you attended – this year, last year, the last decade? I’ve been to so many that it would take all the fingers and toes of a roomful of friends to count them all. None stand out; they blend together in my...
What keeps you reading when you open the envelope and find a fundraising letter? Do you scan for the client numbers – people served, sheltered or fed? Do you look for program costs – how much the program costs per client? Or do your eyes catch the story and pictures?...
A friend shared that he planned to have a conversation very soon with his wife about some of the finer details of their financial situation. He described it as getting a meeting on their calendar. The need for such an appointment came just weeks after several...
Once July 4th rolls around, I begin to anticipate another year rapidly coming to an end. The list of things I intend to accomplish this year looms larger and longer as I realize how little time is left. Year-long giving is always on my list. It’s a habit I talk about...
The day started normally. Two generations of family members gathered around a table for the annual meeting, intent on making giving decisions for the small family foundation. While only six of us, we represented many roles. Sisters, husbands, daughters, a niece and...
A recent five-hour drive to my dad's home was more than enough time for thoughts to drift in and out about work over the last several weeks. First, there was a phone conversation with a couple exploring a list of nonprofits and navigating how to make large donations...
What if today is the beginning of the last one-third of your life? How will you define success for that last one-third? Generosity or zeroes in the bank? I recently read an article about giving in the last one-third of a lifetime. The writer, Bruce Deboskey, a...
As I sit here in our NEW Your Philanthropy office space surrounded by boxes needing to be unpacked, it is hard for me to believe this journey started five years ago. And now I’m looking to the next five and what’s next for Your Philanthropy. Today, I looked back and...
Paul Harvey might have left us ten years ago, but the rest of the story has never gone away. Growing up on AM radio meant that I listened to Paul Harvey talk about the news of the day and heard his fascinating The Rest of the Story segments almost daily. I learned...
Walking to the front of the room I knew I had one job to accomplish. I needed to thank officers, welcome new board members and especially turn the reins over to the new board chair. But as I turned to face the audience, it separated into the faces of spouses,...
This story captured my imagination. I’ll tell you why shortly. First, the story. A certain farmer had become old and ready to pass his farm down to one of his two sons. When he brought his sons together to speak about it, he told them, "The farm will go to the younger...
Are you familiar with the idiom, “he puts his pants on one leg at a time,” often followed by “just like everyone else.” Well, that’s what I thought about as I read an article detailing a study of the wealthiest donors and how they make giving decisions. The study...
Remember Phone a Friend on the hit TV show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Well, it’s a donor hack I recommend to anyone who wants to make a better, smarter, more impactful (put your favorite word here) gift. When it’s time to do giving right, Phone a Friend. Imagine...
What does the act of giving look like for you? What happens in your mind between the time you hear or read a story that describes a need and when you make the contribution? Is the desire to contribute a heart response or a mind response? Most likely it is both. Dr....
I know my childhood memory of the Big Eddy Bridge, now under Lake Palestine in Texas, is not accurate. But the memory is real. Every chance we had my brother, and I would convince my dad to drive over the old and very rickety bridge. It seemed like every...
The recent three-day weekend afforded extra time for my gardening habit, what I call the green monster in my yard. It takes a lot of my free time and is the source of both pleasure and pain. Recently, I experienced some of the pain while trimming bushes. Close by is a...
The daffodils are fading and the weather warming. I planted a few tomato plants and moved several potted plants to the back porch, and then the temperature dropped. Once again, misled by the inexact science of weather predictions. So, I check the Old Farmer’s Almanac...
"How about oatmeal for breakfast?" That was the question I asked my dad during a recent visit to his home. He was preoccupied and assumed I would make it like, well, just like it’s supposed to be made. "Sure," he responded while passing through the kitchen. I busied...
If you could invent one thing to make the world a better place, what would it be? That’s the question we put to eleven-year-old Jack during the game Phil and His Family’s Adventures in Giving. Joined by his thirteen-year-old brother and another friend of the same age,...
“The two best interview subjects are children under 10 and people over 70 for the same reason; they say the first thing that comes to their mind. The children don’t know what they’re saying, and the old folks don’t care.” He should know; Art Linkletter was at the...
Start any new endeavor, learn a new skill, or explore an unknown subject and you should have more questions than answers. The more interested you are in learning about that one thing, the more questions you will have. So, when a donor who had recently made a...
Disasters have been coming at us, roaring across our TV’s. There is little rhyme or reason and even less sensible explanation for why now, why there, why here. Texas, Florida, California, Puerto Rico and even Las Vegas. With so much loss of human life, personal...
I didn’t think much of triangles in the tenth grade. They were just sides and angles. They were consistent, always a base with two sides leaning against each other as they came to a point. Sides might be equal, or not. The space inside the triangle is larger at the...
I paused the television briefly to catch the week’s weather prediction. I was trying to figure out exactly what to expect. It said 30% hit or miss showers. I’m often confused about the percentages for the rain forecast - will the rain hit me or miss me? Years ago, a...
My recent trip to the sunshine state was missing the yellow stuff as I drove in the blinding rain up the coast of Florida from St. Augustine to Jacksonville. Driving a rental car, listening to directions from my tablet, and not being able to see more than the lights...
Henry sits patiently at the back door every night. He parks in the middle of the metal threshold, so it's hard to avoid stepping on him in the dim porch lights. He's consistent, every night, from dark till, well, whenever he gives it up, which is after I've gone on to...
Listening to a book about listening is a challenge. Now I question my listening skills, and as the narrator speaks my mind drifts between memories of failed listening with family, co-workers, friends and even donors. For example... Donor Offers – No One’s Listening...
I love the colors of early spring. They make me happy, lift my spirits and make me want to share my happiness. Here’s how you can be happy, experiencing pleasure and contentment. Warning donors, it requires spending. It requires giving of and beyond ourselves. If you...
When does a question matter? Of course, that leads to what questions matter and to whom do they matter? Recently, I had the opportunity to help a donor think through the critical questions that needed to be answered by a nonprofit organization in hopes of a...
By Margie Boyd, Executive Vice President, Your Philanthropy As an executive director of a newly formed nonprofit, I had a lot to learn and I knew it. My passion far exceeded my experience level. I needed help so I reached out to someone I had heard was the best friend...
When a reader takes the time to comment on something I've written it gets my attention. Did I hit my target or miss it all together? Then there are comments like the one Phedra Johnson recently left on “The Benefits of Humble Inquiry between Donors and Nonprofits."...
It's the chicken and egg dilemma. Which came first, the effective donor or the effective organization? In 2010 British researchers announced they solved the chicken and egg problem that dates back as far as Aristotle. They reported the chicken must have come first...
Are we speaking the same language? Seriously, when a nonprofit says here’s a list of items our organization most needs are you moved to make a phone call and take something off the list? When a donor says “I’m excited about what you do and would like to learn more,”...
A thread of embarrassment runs through donor stories. So much so that donors seldom share their giving experiences. For some it’s about too little to give, others too much too late. Other stories hint at long-held family beliefs that it is shameful to talk about...
It’s just me and the pinto beans. Whether dry or fresh, one spice or five, quart pan or crock pot – all have been a part of my quest for a recipe with just the right flavor. Even after many years of cooking, tasting and testing I haven’t’ nailed it. I’ve studied...
Three organizations gathered around two tables. There were at least ten of us. I was there to help everyone discuss an issue of grave concern to a major donor. The discussion was necessary and in the end, reinforced what the donor already suspected. One organization...
I have a friend who served as the chief fundraiser at several different nonprofit organizations. Recently, he penned an open letter to donors to share what feels like a divide between nonprofits and donors. He posed the question, "Is there a way around what seems...
It happened several times before I left on a trip recently. Visiting with friends the subject of vacation would inevitably come up leading to my answer that I would be going to Orlando on Memorial Day. It was met with smiles and comments like “what fun…., we had a...
The time difference is eight hours between Tyler and Rome. For several days, we were on long-distance phone calls and emailing back and forth in an attempt to make an immediate international crisis donation. A passionate and deeply concerned donor was searching for a...
You’ve begun to think of yourself as a philanthropist, a donor to causes and organizations you care about. You know others see you as a philanthropist because overnight your mailbox has filled with fundraising letters, newsletters and invitations to events. You’re on...
When the board president called and asked to drop by later in the day to go over the proposed budget I didn’t think much about it. When he arrived his copy of the budget had a column of neatly written numbers all the way down the page. I had a sinking feeling I was in...
Most mornings you can find me walking early with my dependable old dog and two curious cats. Yes, the cats do go with us on the walk. It is quite the sight! Watching them interact one day, I realized you can trust the next generation. I’ll explain. I’ve wondered more...
Donor joy is elusive. If there’s a recipe for donor joy it is hard to find. In my experience the donor tries to get there by throwing a little of this and a little of that into the bowl, leaves out critical ingredients, and doesn’t bake it long enough. The entire time...
Add one thing.....write donation checks. Think. Plan. Do in 2016. Do you find yourself writing most of your donation checks in December? Do you know why? Here are answers most of us would have to that question: I like to wait until all the requests come in so I can...
Disappointment The conversation was right after Thanksgiving. The topic was Thanksgiving dinner at the Salvation Army Lodge. There were questions about whether everyone who came through the line was really in need; evidently several were overdressed for a free meal...