The big day, the day we start actually making gifts to local charities, finally arrived on Thursday, April 4.
Eric Hansen, who has done so much to make this program successful, arranged for a bus and for the students to take a field trip. I arranged for the Orlando Sentinel to send a reporter and photographer to join us on our journey. All the students and Eric were wearing their "Longhorn Legion" shirts--I was so jealous.
We first went to the vet clinic at Harmony High to make a gift presentation to "Pawsitive Action Foundation." They do amazing things to teach vet skills to students, to train service dogs, and to provide low- or no-cost vet services to low-income families in the community. We came on surgery day, so there were lots of dogs and cats there being prepped for . . . you know. Kristen Bowen presented her gift, the first one, and it was a new experience for all of us. Good job, Kristen, for breaking new ground for us.
Then we got on the bus and went to the offices of the Osceolas Education Foundation, where we were greeted by the executive director, Kathy Carr. She took us on a tour of the resource center and free store for teachers. Very impressive. Kathy is all about helping students, teachers, and schools in Osceola County, and she can see the impact of Main Street Philanthropy on these kids. I wanted them to see what her organization does to help the community, and I wanted her to feel the enthusiasm these student have for our program. I'm hoping to become long-term partners with OEF and Kathy.
The local branch of Habitat for Humanity was our next stop. I've had a wonderful relationship with Pat Filippone through the years, having orchestrated some very large service projects with them and our church groups. I was so pleased that several of our students chose to donate to them. Pat was very touched by the gifts she received, and pledged to use them for matching funds in her "students for students" program, "This will be multiplied one-thousand-fold," she told our students. That was definitely the tender spot of our field trip.
One the bus, the reporter David Breen made a point of talking with each student, asking them what they were learning and why they chose the charity they did. He had planned to only ride for a stop or two, but ended up going all the way to our final stop, Give Kids the World.
At Give Kids the World, we met with Eric Gray, who we met when he came out to our class a couple of week earlier. He gave us as much of the VIP treatment as he could in the limited time we had there, and I must say everyone was really impressed. Several of our group were trying to figure out how to arrange a group service party to GKTW. It really is a first-class organization and Eric is a first-class guy. Thanks, Eric!
We had enough time on the way home to stop at Cici's Pizza. The manager gave all the kids a discount and let the driver, her assistant, and me eat for free. I wonder if he knew how much a bunch of high school kids can put away? I'm sure he lost money on our group, and his generosity was greatly appreciated. He even gave us some warm cinnamon rolls to eat on the bus--like we needed anything else to eat.
It was a fun and heartwarming crescendo to the class so far. Then we woke the next morning to find that David's article and a huge picture of part of the group at GKTW was on the front page of the Local News section of the Orlando Sentinel.
Fun, food, and fame--and doing good for others--what more could you ask for?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
It's All Coming Together
Our session for Week 6 was amazingly simple and simply amazing. The students reported on their interviews with a family member or mentor who is involved in community service and charitable giving; and then they reported on their choices of organizations to receive their donations.
One of the common themes in the reports of the interviews was "I saw this person in a whole new light," or "I never knew about this side of them." It is a good trait in our society, I think, that much giving and serving is done quietly, without fanfare, and often hardly noticed. The only downside of that trait is that the opportunity to inspire or motivate or encourage others is lost when the stories of service and generosity are not shared. One of our objectives in including these interviews in the Main Street Philanthropy program is to increase our students' awareness of how much good is being done all around them that they may not have noticed. We certainly don't want our students to think that giving and serving are rare or unusual patterns of behavior.
In each case, the interviews served to strengthen the bonds between the student and the person they interviewed. I've found in all my work with story (which is what these interviews are--a chance to share and hear important stories from the interviewee's life) I've learned that when we listen generously to another's stories, it connects us in a deep and heart-felt way. That's what happened with these students. Whether it was a sibling, parent, grandparent, or mentor, loving ties were strengthened as a result of these interview experiences.
From the reports of the students' choices of organizations to receive their checks, one very strong lesson came through loud and clear: once a charitable organization passes the threshold analytical or "numbers" test, it's then all about the sense of connection with the group. All the local organizations chosen to be honored with a donation had excellent analytical scores, because if an organization didn't, it had been weeded out weeks before. That was loudly expressed back in weeks three and four.
But these reports in Week Six focused mostly on qualitative issues. The students' decisions turned on how they were treated when they called the charity for information; on their sense of how committed to the cause they felt the people they talked to were; on the ability of the organizations' representatives to connect the students' concerns with the charities' mission. It was clear that those organizations that went to the trouble to send someone to speak to the class face-to-face fared much better than those who--for whatever reason--were unable or unwilling to do so.
So here's a powerful lesson for charitable organizations: keep your numbers clean, but after that, the most important thing you can do is treat potential donors and volunteers with respect, kindness, and appreciation. Develop strong relationships with them because in the end, most people give because of relationships and the way the people in the charitable organization made them feel.
One of the common themes in the reports of the interviews was "I saw this person in a whole new light," or "I never knew about this side of them." It is a good trait in our society, I think, that much giving and serving is done quietly, without fanfare, and often hardly noticed. The only downside of that trait is that the opportunity to inspire or motivate or encourage others is lost when the stories of service and generosity are not shared. One of our objectives in including these interviews in the Main Street Philanthropy program is to increase our students' awareness of how much good is being done all around them that they may not have noticed. We certainly don't want our students to think that giving and serving are rare or unusual patterns of behavior.
In each case, the interviews served to strengthen the bonds between the student and the person they interviewed. I've found in all my work with story (which is what these interviews are--a chance to share and hear important stories from the interviewee's life) I've learned that when we listen generously to another's stories, it connects us in a deep and heart-felt way. That's what happened with these students. Whether it was a sibling, parent, grandparent, or mentor, loving ties were strengthened as a result of these interview experiences.
From the reports of the students' choices of organizations to receive their checks, one very strong lesson came through loud and clear: once a charitable organization passes the threshold analytical or "numbers" test, it's then all about the sense of connection with the group. All the local organizations chosen to be honored with a donation had excellent analytical scores, because if an organization didn't, it had been weeded out weeks before. That was loudly expressed back in weeks three and four.
But these reports in Week Six focused mostly on qualitative issues. The students' decisions turned on how they were treated when they called the charity for information; on their sense of how committed to the cause they felt the people they talked to were; on the ability of the organizations' representatives to connect the students' concerns with the charities' mission. It was clear that those organizations that went to the trouble to send someone to speak to the class face-to-face fared much better than those who--for whatever reason--were unable or unwilling to do so.
So here's a powerful lesson for charitable organizations: keep your numbers clean, but after that, the most important thing you can do is treat potential donors and volunteers with respect, kindness, and appreciation. Develop strong relationships with them because in the end, most people give because of relationships and the way the people in the charitable organization made them feel.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Looking Inside the Non-profit World
During our Week 5 session, we had two visitors who come from two different sides of the non-profit world, and that gave our students a delightful opportunity to compare and contrast. Sherry Dombrowski from Pawsitive Action Foundation and Eric Gray from Give Kids the World both faced a barrage of questions from 21 inquisitive philanthropists in training.
Sherry's organization is small, local, and constantly pushing to provide a lot of wonderful services to pets and their owners on a shoestring budget. Eric's organization, on the other hand, is large, well-supported, and has a national reach while being located just down the road in Kissimmee. Eric said Give Kids the World has one of the largest volunteer organizations in the country.
We took away some excellent understanding about how non-profits large and small operate, how they use volunteers, what stresses and strains they feel, and how they try to improve their communities.
One thing that came out in both cases is the passion with which these two pursue their respective missions. I love it when people discover where their hearts are, and then commit their time and resources to following their hearts.
I love how our students are learning to follow their hearts while at the same time using their heads to give intelligently. That's a powerful combination!
Sherry's organization is small, local, and constantly pushing to provide a lot of wonderful services to pets and their owners on a shoestring budget. Eric's organization, on the other hand, is large, well-supported, and has a national reach while being located just down the road in Kissimmee. Eric said Give Kids the World has one of the largest volunteer organizations in the country.
We took away some excellent understanding about how non-profits large and small operate, how they use volunteers, what stresses and strains they feel, and how they try to improve their communities.
One thing that came out in both cases is the passion with which these two pursue their respective missions. I love it when people discover where their hearts are, and then commit their time and resources to following their hearts.
I love how our students are learning to follow their hearts while at the same time using their heads to give intelligently. That's a powerful combination!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Looking Beyond the Numbers
In Week 4, the students reported some of their findings from analyzing Form 990's. I was very impressed with how thoroughly they dug into the data. A deep check of the numbers caused a few to shift gears, deciding for example that a charity spent too much money raising money or had too much overhead. It was clear they are taking their assignment to make a wise investment in a good charity very seriously.
We then started talking about how to look beyond the numbers. I explained how most non-profits are structured, and what kind of information they could expect to get from talking with different people in the organization. The "23 Questions" exercise and the ensuing discussion opened their eyes to the kinds of things to look at when they contact and visit charitable organizations.
Next we had the great pleasure to welcome Kelly Armstrong from Osceola County Habitat for Humanity. Kelly knows more of the inside of the business but she presented herself and her organization admirably. She was humble and easy to talk to, and definitely has a big heart for the issue of homelessness and affordable housing.
I was most impressed with the quality of questions the student had for Kelly. Their questions showed a real depth of understanding, and a strong desire to get to the bottom of how to recognize a strong and successful non-profit. They did themselves proud.
They took home an assignment, which was to interview a parent, mentor, or someone else in the community who donates to charity and/or give community service. I'm curious what they will learn from discussing reasons to give and serve and lessons to be learned. I'm sure Week 5 will be just as engaging.
We then started talking about how to look beyond the numbers. I explained how most non-profits are structured, and what kind of information they could expect to get from talking with different people in the organization. The "23 Questions" exercise and the ensuing discussion opened their eyes to the kinds of things to look at when they contact and visit charitable organizations.
Next we had the great pleasure to welcome Kelly Armstrong from Osceola County Habitat for Humanity. Kelly knows more of the inside of the business but she presented herself and her organization admirably. She was humble and easy to talk to, and definitely has a big heart for the issue of homelessness and affordable housing.
I was most impressed with the quality of questions the student had for Kelly. Their questions showed a real depth of understanding, and a strong desire to get to the bottom of how to recognize a strong and successful non-profit. They did themselves proud.
They took home an assignment, which was to interview a parent, mentor, or someone else in the community who donates to charity and/or give community service. I'm curious what they will learn from discussing reasons to give and serve and lessons to be learned. I'm sure Week 5 will be just as engaging.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Running the Numbers--Week 3 at Harmony High
For a non-numbers guy, a whole class period spend talking math was surprisingly exhilarating. That's because we learned how to use numbers--in particular the numbers from charities' IRS Form 990--to evaluate how well they use the dollars they have to work with.
Most people don't know that every non-profit organization's tax return is a public document, and that it is a treasure trove of information for the intelligent, discerning philanthropist. Fortunately for participants in the Main Street Philanthropy program, we show them how to locate those returns and then which numbers to look for and how to crunch those numbers to evaluate just how many dollars are actually put to work and how many are spent paying officers, raising money, or on general overhead.
Every organization must spend some of its funds to operate and to solicit donations. It's only when those things get out of balance that there's a problem. So quantitative analysis is an important part of smart giving.
I was impressed at how quickly the class grasped the concepts and understood why it's important to run the numbers. I've also been impressed at how much and what they're learning, as evidenced by the very astute blogs they've been writing. They are an ideal group for this early application of the Main Street Philanthropy principles.
Most people don't know that every non-profit organization's tax return is a public document, and that it is a treasure trove of information for the intelligent, discerning philanthropist. Fortunately for participants in the Main Street Philanthropy program, we show them how to locate those returns and then which numbers to look for and how to crunch those numbers to evaluate just how many dollars are actually put to work and how many are spent paying officers, raising money, or on general overhead.
Every organization must spend some of its funds to operate and to solicit donations. It's only when those things get out of balance that there's a problem. So quantitative analysis is an important part of smart giving.
I was impressed at how quickly the class grasped the concepts and understood why it's important to run the numbers. I've also been impressed at how much and what they're learning, as evidenced by the very astute blogs they've been writing. They are an ideal group for this early application of the Main Street Philanthropy principles.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Who Are You? Purpose, Vision, Mission
The second week of the Main Street Philanthropy program at Harmony High was another barn-burner. After a check-in on last week meeting and their out-of-class assignments (sounds a lot nicer than homework, doesn't it?), I announced the six teams that had been organized based on their choices from the Make-A-Difference (MAD) card activity during Week 1. The six areas they self-identified were:
After everyone got into their teams, they did a really great get-to-know-you-better activity called "Your Life in a Brown Paper Bag." The assignment was simple: find three small objects that tell something about who you really are and put them in a brown paper lunch sack. Then in their teams, they took turns pulling things out of their bags and explaining why those chose that object to symbolize something about themselves. There were some wonderful, unusual, and sometimes curious things coming out of those bags. One girl brought a pair of 1940's pilot goggles, explaining that she loves adventure and she likes to see ahead clearly. More often than not, the objects were mundane, everyday objects that came alive with meaning when the student who brought those objects explained what each object said about himself or herself.
Next the teams had to think about their team purpose, vision, mission, and name. Here's how we picture that in Main Street Philanthropy:
Each teams had to roll up their sleeves and hammer out a purpose statement--why does our team exist? To serve our community by __________ __________.--a vision statement--what do we imagine our little group might be able to accomplish if we really went at it?--and a mission statement--how do we make this happen? They also picked a team name, a name that "said something" to themselves and the community about what they stood for. I was really impressed with the diligence and passion they had as they wrestled with these really significant questions.
The last step was developing a list of organizations the team will be investigating to see if they would be good candidates for their service and their donations. They will be bringing back lots of information for our next session. Then I'll teach them how to crunch the numbers, to see if that charity is using wisely the funds they have been given.
- Family Youth, & Children
- Health Research & Education
- Public Health & Hospitals
- Religious/Spiritual
- Physical & Mental Disabilities
- Arts & Culture
After everyone got into their teams, they did a really great get-to-know-you-better activity called "Your Life in a Brown Paper Bag." The assignment was simple: find three small objects that tell something about who you really are and put them in a brown paper lunch sack. Then in their teams, they took turns pulling things out of their bags and explaining why those chose that object to symbolize something about themselves. There were some wonderful, unusual, and sometimes curious things coming out of those bags. One girl brought a pair of 1940's pilot goggles, explaining that she loves adventure and she likes to see ahead clearly. More often than not, the objects were mundane, everyday objects that came alive with meaning when the student who brought those objects explained what each object said about himself or herself.
Next the teams had to think about their team purpose, vision, mission, and name. Here's how we picture that in Main Street Philanthropy:
Each teams had to roll up their sleeves and hammer out a purpose statement--why does our team exist? To serve our community by __________ __________.--a vision statement--what do we imagine our little group might be able to accomplish if we really went at it?--and a mission statement--how do we make this happen? They also picked a team name, a name that "said something" to themselves and the community about what they stood for. I was really impressed with the diligence and passion they had as they wrestled with these really significant questions.
The last step was developing a list of organizations the team will be investigating to see if they would be good candidates for their service and their donations. They will be bringing back lots of information for our next session. Then I'll teach them how to crunch the numbers, to see if that charity is using wisely the funds they have been given.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Drinking from a Fire Hose
The very first session of the Main Street Philanthropy program at Harmony High School was like a 50-minute adrenaline rush! I couldn't believe how fast the time flew by, and it was all good.
It was apparent from the minute the class started that these are exceptionally bright and energetic folks, every single one of them a leader. My guess going in was that they would have little trouble taking on the role of "philanthropists in training," and I was right.
A big thank-you to Eric Hansen, the teacher, for explaining the program in advance. His preparation made it possible to jump right in with a minimal amount of time spent on the mechanics. It was obvious that the class really respects him and appreciates him for reaching out to bring important and exciting opportunities to them--including Main Street Philanthropy.
After a brief question and answer session, a quick pre-course assessment, and a short look at the history of philanthropy, we got to the meat of the first session: using the Make a Difference ("MAD") cards to discover each student's areas of passion and concern. (I have to say that I am so proud to share those cards with people because my daughter Elisabeth Farnsworth Cohen of Wilson, NC, painted the beautiful cards for us. Thanks, Elisabeth, great talent.)
Now back to the class. Working in pairs, the students had to zero in on their top 6 areas of concern, and then narrow that to their Final 3, then explain to their partner why they chose those. I could tell that for many of them, they wanted to make a difference in so many areas and their hearts are so big and generous and it was very difficult to choose one over the other. But what a valuable life lesson: sometimes we must make hard choices in order to make the greatest difference.
These choices will allow these budding philanthropists to focus their efforts on those areas of need and concern that are most important to them individually. They will also be used to help form their small groups in which they will do much of their work for the next seven weeks.
It was, in short, a wonderful start to what is shaping up to be a exceptional experience for all. Thanks, guys.
It was apparent from the minute the class started that these are exceptionally bright and energetic folks, every single one of them a leader. My guess going in was that they would have little trouble taking on the role of "philanthropists in training," and I was right.
A big thank-you to Eric Hansen, the teacher, for explaining the program in advance. His preparation made it possible to jump right in with a minimal amount of time spent on the mechanics. It was obvious that the class really respects him and appreciates him for reaching out to bring important and exciting opportunities to them--including Main Street Philanthropy.
After a brief question and answer session, a quick pre-course assessment, and a short look at the history of philanthropy, we got to the meat of the first session: using the Make a Difference ("MAD") cards to discover each student's areas of passion and concern. (I have to say that I am so proud to share those cards with people because my daughter Elisabeth Farnsworth Cohen of Wilson, NC, painted the beautiful cards for us. Thanks, Elisabeth, great talent.)
Now back to the class. Working in pairs, the students had to zero in on their top 6 areas of concern, and then narrow that to their Final 3, then explain to their partner why they chose those. I could tell that for many of them, they wanted to make a difference in so many areas and their hearts are so big and generous and it was very difficult to choose one over the other. But what a valuable life lesson: sometimes we must make hard choices in order to make the greatest difference.
These choices will allow these budding philanthropists to focus their efforts on those areas of need and concern that are most important to them individually. They will also be used to help form their small groups in which they will do much of their work for the next seven weeks.
It was, in short, a wonderful start to what is shaping up to be a exceptional experience for all. Thanks, guys.
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