Is time your friend or foe? One moment it crawls at a snail’s pace and the next minute rushes by like a rabbit in a race with a dog. In my experience, the rabbit always wins the race and my snail-paced moments are rare. As I write today the year is one-twelfth over, 8% gone, and halfway to Christmas. Well, I know it’s not quite that far gone, but it sure feels that way. Since we can’t slow the cal ...[Read More]
How to Get Started on Being an Intentional Donor
How to Give Bill Gates Style
Make it fun! That’s how Bill Gates tells us he gives. If your first thought is “oh, sure, with all that money, of course, he can have fun,” stay tuned. Before we jump into what Bill says, let’s start with what it must have been like to be his parents. Do you suppose that Bill and Mary Gates had any inclination their son Bill would start a company and become mega-wealthy after dropping out of Harva ...[Read More]
How Looking Back Can Fuel Tomorrow’s Change
January usually begins with resolutions for the future. But before resolutions can be made we need time to reflect on the past. I asked the question: what have we accomplished in the last five years at Your Philanthropy? A little math was in order. Just how much good had seven foundations and several major donors accomplished? Thirty-seven million. Yes, that’s what I said; actually, it’s $37,323,7 ...[Read More]
How a Thankful Heart Inspires Generosity
What comes first? Thankfulness or generosity? A.W. Tozer said, “Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.” Start with a definition of thankfulness from a tenth-grade student who described it in a 2004 essay on WriteWork titled, “The Importance of Being Thankful.” The writer tells us “Thankfulness is being able to ha ...[Read More]