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 and resource a nonprofit could ever have, Dawn Franks. I was told that not only did she understand the nonprofit world but she also was very immersed in the philanthropic side as well. So I r ...[Read More]
Changed By A Glimpse Through A Donor’s Eyes
Fred Smith: Obstacles or Opportunties
As a percentage of all charitable giving in the United States ($316 billion), the religious sector continues to collect the lion’s share – 36 percent. While that is considerably less than the 50 percent of religious giving represented 10 years ago, it is still true that the largest share of our giving is to religious institutions and organizations. Nothing works quite as well as a week ...[Read More]
Fred Smith: The First Leaf of Fall
The Velvet Revolution, or Gentle Revolution, was a non-violent, student-led revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 to December 29, 1989. Dominated by student and other popular demonstrations against the one-party government of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, it led to the collapse of the party’s control of the country, and the subsequent conversion from Czech so ...[Read More]
Fred Smith: My Fair Lady
In 1931, Judge Sam Lindsey donated a plot of land on South Broadway to the Tyler Women’s Forum for their new building – the Tyler Woman’s Building – with the stipulation that the building be completed within one year. That was quite a challenge in 1931, but it was dedicated one year later and has served Tyler as a meeting place not only for women’s groups but the enti ...[Read More]