by Dawn Franks | Dec 14, 2016 | Family, Giving, Millennials, Next Generation
A large wooden crate seemed to hold all the decorations needed for the Christmas tree trimming I remember from my childhood. My dad would produce the crate each year, and my mother would supervise the opening and unpacking. The box held all kinds of treasures –...
by Dawn Franks | Nov 15, 2016 | Donors, Nonprofits, Philanthropy in Action
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...
by Dawn Franks | Nov 1, 2016 | Donors, Giving
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...
by Dawn Franks | Oct 19, 2016 | Donors, Nonprofits
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,”...
by Dawn Franks | Oct 3, 2016 | Family, Millennials, Next Generation, Wealth
Storytelling is a skill we learn very early in life. Before we can read and write; we make up stories. We entertain ourselves and others with our stories, and we fill in gaps for what we don’t know. As a child, I regularly used the three blocks from home to school to...