Listening to someone talk about family is always full of emotion – funny, sad, uplifting, surprising. Such a conversation is a gift; there is so much to learn. I had just such a conversation with Carrie-Ann Jasper recently. She shared from the heart their family story and how Jasper Ventures became the success it is today. And especially how they changed a decision to make an anonymous and signif ...[Read More]
How One Family Brings Their Faith to Work and Changes the Lives of Children!
How to Make Wise Giving Decisions When Disasters Strike
We’re right in the middle of hurricane season. Whether it’s a storm in the Atlantic or the Eastern Pacific, August is pretty much the middle of the season. Every year around this time, and especially into September hurricane season seems the most threatening. Perhaps it is because Hurricane Katrina hit August 29, 2005, and I live in a part of Texas that was a significant part of the disaster respo ...[Read More]
How Four Simple Behaviors Improved My Giving Habits
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 all the time. You already know what I’m about to say: Give through-out the year. Be intentional. Gather information about nonprofit ...[Read More]
How Aunts and Uncles Teach the Next Generation About Giving
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 me, the outsider in this family system, had a lot of work in front of us and a deadline only a few hours away. The deadline marked the ...[Read More]
Take the Grandparent Challenge and Let the Grandkids Tag Along
A morning walk triggered a fond memory in early June, mid-sixties. The water was cold as I jumped into the shallow end of the pool. My grandmother, slowly walking down the pool steps, declared it unusually cold for an early June morning. We were up early for her morning swim so we could beat the young swimming students who would be arriving soon. As I think back on it, I have no memory of her swim ...[Read More]
How to Give Well When a Nonprofit is in Transition
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 to safe, stable organizations. I reflected on the hard work of being intentional about the giving list and their next steps. T ...[Read More]