I am in Maine this week on a writing retreat at my family’s cabin on Green Lake.  Though the leaves are not out yet, it is a beautiful and very quiet place as the summer tourist season won’t kick off for a while yet.  Today I stopped by Borders Bookstore at the Bangor Mall on my way to Orono, my hometown, for a Pat’s Pizza.  Best pizza on the planet with plenty of “local color.” 

Anyway, seems like everyone is doing a checkout promotion for charity this month!  The woman at the register in Borders asked me if I would like to purchase one of about 10 pre-selected children’s books that were on display behind the counter as a donation to the local Ronald McDonald House.  She explained the cheapest book was $3.99, several were $6.99, and a couple hardcovers were a bit more.  I bought one for them to add to their stack to deliver to the Ronald McDonald House.

I told her about this blog and that I wanted to be able to write a post about their promotion asking if they had any literature I could have.  She called her supervisor and - no, they did not have anything I could take with me.  They did have color posters tacked next to the cash registers about donating books to children but they did not mention what nonprofit organization was the beneficiary.  I had to ask again who was getting the books and she told me, the local RMH.  Also, the cash register receipt only listed the book, not that it was a donation.

So…my tips for them.  Have a flyer or something a customer can take home, should they want more information.  Also, have the purchased book labelled as a donation on the receipt.  I understand that a book is not the same thing as having donated cash directly, but there must be some way to have the register print that out on the receipt.

Last week I was in Concord, NH to facilitate a board retreat for Volunteer NH!, NH’s premier nonprofit organization supporting volunteerism, Citizen Corps and AmeriCorps.  While there, I went to TJ Maxx to buy a suitcase to replace my old, battered one with zippers mangled by the airlines. During checkout process, the woman at the register asked if I would like to make a donation to Autism Speaks.  Since she did not specify an amount and left it open-ended, so I asked how much they were asking for from folks.  She said I could donate however much I wanted.  I admit, I am definitely not a big fan of such open-ended add-on offers.  It seems easier to say no thanks to me because it requires me the customer to work harder to figure out how much to give.  I personally much prefer the round-up to the next dollar or a set $1 or $5 donation add-on approaches - at least for me, they require less thinking making it easier to say, “sure!”  So I ended up giving $1 - not much but something.  The open-ended approach obviously was working for them, however.  There was a handmade sign next to the checkout line announcing that in 2007, the Concord TJ Maxx raised more money than any other TJ Maxx to support autism.  They had raised $3,400 and were hoping to raise at least that much again this year.  Their sign had a thermometer showing the donations received.  Clearly, the store employees were proud of their efforts.  They also had preprinted flyers providing the customer with a few details of Autism Speaks, its mission and website address to take home.  The dollar value of the donation was also listed as a line item on the sales receipt.  Good job!

Autism Speaks “goal is to change the future for all who nstruggle with autism spectrum disorders.”  They are “dedicated to funding global biomedical research into the causes, prevention, treatments, and cure for autism; to rasing public awareness about autism and its effects on individuals, families, and society; and to bringing hope to all who deal with the hardshoips of the disorder.”

I went to the TJ Maxx website, One for Change page.  The store is partnering with its customers, asking them to donate $1.  Together One for Change has raised $13 million for various charities including Autism Speaks, Save the Children, and Josline Diabetes Center.

I watched part of the NBC’s Biggest Loser last night.  They did a nice segment on “going green” and their involvement with FilterforGood, an effort spearheaded by Brita  and Nalgene to reduce the number of water bottles going to landfills.  They reported that 32,130 plastic water bottles have been saved this season!  An amazing number and really shows that each person can make a difference - add those up and we get big change!

“Brita and Nalgene have teamed up to create the FilterForGood pledge. It’s a simple commitment to reduce your personal waste by giving up bottled water, even if it’s just a few days each week. Together, filtered water and a reusable bottle are an ideal solution for going green at home and on the go. It’s an easy change that can make a big difference.” 

To buy your own FilterforGood bottle, go to: http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/SearchResult.aspx?CategoryID=46.  To take the pledge and get a coupon for a Brita water filer, go to: http://www.filterforgood.com/take_the_pledge.php.

I rented the movie the Kite Runner over the weekend. I had read Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling book last year and was touched deeply and saddened by the story.  I worried the movie would no be able to do justice to it - and I am glad to say, that was definitely NOT the case!  The movie was very good.  I recommend it highly.

What was especially interesting to me (and something I had not seen before) was that when the DVD started, I had a choice of either playing the movie or playing the movie with a PSA.  A PSA on a DVD…???  Huh!?  So I chose that option to see what that was about.  Up comes the author briefly talking about his book but then moving on to highlight what is happening in Afganistan today and the important role NGOs (nongovernmental organizations = aka nonprofits in the U.S.) are playing.  Then the kicker…he goes on to say how the viewer can get involved to support this vital work and a web address appears on a black screen.  www.takepart.com.  What a great idea!  Caught my interest immediately!

So of course I had to investigate.  Seems there is a whole organization called TakePart that I had not yet heard of.  My Google search of the book title and take action…came up with a link.  When I got to this attractive web site, I read “The Kite Runner is a compelling and inspiring story that provides an opportunity to explore the political, cultural, and social dynamics of Afganistan.  TakePart is proud to privide a platform to both affest and discuss these dynamics.”

I started digging around on the site and really like what they are up to.  TakePart is a social action network for education, entertainment and social change via awareness, action and activism.  Their tag line is “Inspire. Connect. Act.”  They offer a free membership: ”Real change starts with people passionate about nurturing an action and dedicated to growing and spreading it. That’s what takepart is all about.  As a member, takepart gives you the action tools to make change:

• Organize and grow with like-minded individuals
• Connect actions to videos, blogs and media
• Add your own voice and content to the community
• Expand your resources with our action dashboard
• When you take part, your actions make a difference. Join today!”

The Kite Runner is only one of the movies they are featuring on the site.  All together, there are eight listed including: An Inconvenient Truth, Darfur Now, and the Visitor.  What a great way to learn and be able to DO something constructive to make a difference.  Check them out and sign up!  Learn more and be a part of the solution to our world’s problems!

I have been writing on a book about business philanthropy for a couple years now and the end is finally in sight!  The book should be published in the early fall finally.  I can’t tell you how pleased I am with its progress recently.  What a project though - I am a bookoholic myself and have a whole new appreciation for authors.  This has been really hard mental work!  I interviewed 50 inspiring business leaders including Gary Hirshberg - Stonyfield Farms, Gary Erickson - Clif Bar, Leslie Sheridan - the Added Edge, Amy Hall - Eileen Fisher, Jessie Newman - Rock Bottom Foundation, just to name a few.  I am so grateful to everyone that gave me their time to talk about their company’s approach to community involvement.  They were all so inspiring.

Here is the overview of my book:

Giving back to local communities is a growing expectation for businesses coming from both outside and inside company walls. Community involvement is no longer a “nice to do” but a “need to do.” Don’t be one of those companies that just tosses dollars at issues for a tax write-off. Instead, use this proven, step-by-step process to maximize your company’s give-back efforts.  Business Giving shows you how to create all-win solutions that demonstrate your values, benefit the causes you care most about, and boost your bottom line. Your company can be engaged in heartfelt ways that positively impact your business goals, operations, and profitability.

This lively, accessible how-to resource guide will give you:

• Best practice examples, tips, and insights on effective community involvement from over 50 business thought leaders;
• A self-assessment tool to audit the status and effectiveness of your company’s give-back efforts;
• The 8 essential steps of effective community involvement to take your strategy and organizational systems to the next level;
• A menu of dozens of proven ways to engage with nonprofits and NGOs through contributions and commerce; and
• Food for thought suggestions to help generate even more ideas about ways to support the causes you care about—regardless of your company’s age, size, or profitability.

So that is what I am up to.  Choosing a title is driving me nuts!  I want this book to be really accessible and easy to read - so want to stay away from something too academic as then it sounds like a snoozer.  So wish me luck - I think I am finally close…

Send me your email to get notification when the book is released so you can be one of the first to get a copy. Let Me Know!

It is so exciting to be at a computer keyboard again today.  I finally broke down and rented a computer to use.  My Sony Vaio laptop has been with the Geek Squad (AGAIN…).  About 6 weeks worth this year alone.  The geek boys run diagnostics and say it is all fine and then are baffled when I come in to pick it up and show them it is still doing its weirdness.  They don’t like to see me coming…

Yesterday I went to Trystan Photography’s new Denver studio for some new business photos.  (They also have a studio in Colorado Springs.)  My old headshot is a little too old…and I have been told the self timer shot I have been using makes me look like my older sister…??? (Hmmm…I only have a younger sister so I think that means the photo is bad…?!) 

Charlotte (Chance) Bundgaard took my shots - she was great!  Fun, made it very unintimidating!  The new studio is amazing.  Their studio is set in an art gallery with other studios - they have the run of the place for photo shoots.  There are many great places in the complex that Char used for backgrounds - both inside and outdoors.  I haven’t seen my shots yet, of course, but I would hihly recommend them anyway.  Their work is great, as you can see from the website.  I am excited to see what she was able to do!

While Char was getting to know me and what I was looking for in my shots, I told her about being a business philanthropy coach.  She was clearly confused and asked me to explain more about what I do.  When I talked about giving back and community involvement for businesses, she got it.  It was the word “philanthropy” that she had trouble relating to - which was interesting food for thought for me. 

Bigger companies google “corporate philanthropy” online to find info but many smaller companies don’t relate to that.  So I have to be careful what words I use in my book that will be out this summer.  Guess I need a conversation with my “Get Your Book Done” coach and publisher, Christine Kloser, as one of her specialties is Conscious Business.

Char told me that she and Trig have been discussing ways to give back. She is interested in supporting something with children and had some preliminary ideas for some events they could sponsor.  However, when I mentioned they could do their give back in ways that matter to them which ALSO could increase their company visibility and the new Denver studio, her first reaction was…oh, but we wouldn’t expect anything back.  Almost felt like Char thought that would somehow be a “bad” thing.  She also expressed concern about how to find and then choose a cause to support. Anyway, we said we would talk more about it.  I still think they can do double duty with their give back - contribute to a children’s cause in alignment with their values AND start getting better known in the Denver market.  I look forward to helping them think it through!  I am a new fan of Trystan Photography and Trig and Char.  Check them out!

Do you track employee time spent volunteering either on company time or on their own time because it was encouraged/supported by your company ?  If not, you should. It is an important part of your overall contribution to the community.  I believe that companies should value that time, add it to the value of other resources they provide in a year and report it all as part of their overall philanthropic efforts to give a more accurate picture of their level of involvement.  Marc Benioff of Salesforce.com, in his book Compassionate Capitalism, reflects a similar sentiment by encouraging companies to think about donating three percent annually - one percent each from cash, in-kind donations, and employee volunteering.

Some companies, like Motorola, however, choose not to include their employee volunteer time valuation in their annual dollar figures.  Eileen Sweeney, Director, Corporate and Foundation Philanthropic Relations for the Motorola Foundation told me that Motorola has decided that their other philanthropic numbers from cash and in-kind donations are very strong on their own — so while employees do engage in volunteerism, they choose not to report the value of those hours.

I also went to the Macy’s website to see what they had to say there about their community involvement and was surprised to see not the $17 million number given in a newspaper ad I had seen but the figure of $74 million!  Turns out the number given on the website does include employee volunteer time: “Macy’s encourages its employees to be active volunteers through the company’s award-winning Partners in Time program. Approximately 130,000 hours were volunteered through Partners in Time in 2006, which is valued as a $2.4 million contribution by the charities we benefit.”  

At first glance that seemed high to me but it comes out to $18.46 per hour which is a bit less than the value for volunteer time published annually by the Independent Sector .  “The dollar value of volunteer time for 2006 is estimated at $18.77.” 

This figure is used by nonprofits and business to estimate the value of general volunter time such as painting a shelter or doing trash cleanup.  Independent Sector’s website states: “It is very difficult to put a dollar value on volunteer time. Volunteers provide many intangibles that can not be easily quantified. For example, volunteers demonstrate the amount of support an organization has within a community, provide work for short periods of time, and provide support on a wide range of projects. The value of volunteer time presented here is the average wage of non-management, non-agricultural workers. This is only a tool and only one way to show the immense value volunteers provide to an organization. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does have hourly wages by occupation that can be used to determine the value of a specialized skill.

It is important to remember that when a doctor, lawyer, craftsman, or anyone with a specialized skill volunteers, the value of his or her work is based on his or her volunteer work, not his or her earning power. In other words, volunteers must be performing their special skill as volunteer work. If a doctor is painting a fence or a lawyer is sorting groceries, he or she is not performing his or her specialized skill for the nonprofit, and their volunteer hour value would not be higher.”

How many hours do you or your employees volunteer for organizations on behalf of your company?  Does the $18.77 figure help you value those hours?  Or…are your people providing more specialized skills valued at a higher level?

The title of this article written by Randolph E. Schmid, Science writer for the Associated Press in today’s Denver Post caught my attention.  He writes that a report in Friday’s issue of the journal Science states that “those who spend more on others and charity rate themselves happier, regardless of income.”  A study conducted by Elizabeth W. Dunn, associate professor at the University of British Columbia showed that how people spent their money made a difference on their level of happiness.  Schmid states that Dunn “was struck by how big the effect was and that how people spent money was more important than how much they had….and there’s nothing special about money.  Giving can involve time or special skills to help other people.”  The study found “Personal spending was unrelated to happiness…but higher social spending was associated with significantly greater happiness.”

The article also mention another study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science in 2006 by Jorge Moll et al. that studied the brain and the good feelings that are produced when a persons gives to someone else.  I looked it up: “Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation” - what a title!!

Science is a highly respected journal produced by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (with whom, by the way, I had a two year AAAS Science, Engineering, and Diplomacy Postdoctoral Fellowship to the U.S. Agency for International Development in DC in the early 1990s).  The current Science article, The Secret to Happiness? Giving was written by Elsa Youngsteadt in the March 20, 2008 issue and cites an earlier 2005 article in Science NOW.  I couldn’t get to the original ScienceNOW article without wangling an online pass or getting a subscription so I did not read it.

So…creating opportunities for your company and your people to be engaged with philanthropic activities can make for happier employees.  If employees are happier and credit you with having given them those opportunities to give back, they will like your company better increasing morale and retention, they will be more productive, and provide better customer service - all which directly relate to a stronger bottomline!!. 

I was at Metafolics Salon in Denver today for a hair cut with owner Jason Linkow.  I am a big Jason fan - he gives a fabulous hair cut AND he a smart, insightful business person.  I interviewed him for my forthcoming book, The Business Handbook of Strategic Philanthropy, because I felt he was a great example of a small business committed to doing good in the community and at the same time growing the salon’s business.  Metafolics sponsors an annual event to raise money for melanoma which is very impressive.  But I digress - I’ll write more about that in another post. 

While I was “in the chair,” Jason and I got into a discussion about Oprah’s Big Give Show.  Because I really value his perspective, I now will go to http://www.abc.com and watch the two episodes I did not watch as I was underwhelmed with Show One.  Jason told me several things about the Big Give that I had not gotten from watching the first show.  He watches the Oprah Show regularly so he saw the episode where Oprah set the stage for the Big Give and gave more details about who the judges are and their amazing personal philanthropic activities.  I wish I also had seen that Oprah Show to give me a better context when watching the Big Give. Had there been a few more of those details given during the Big Give premier show itself, I probably would have been a little less harsh in my critique.

Jason felt the “tapestry of the show” was being woven with each new episode exanding and deepening the overall message of the series.  I trust him to get such things “right” - he has never steered me wrong on a big screen production and always adds a layer of analysis that I somehow missed.  So I’ll write more after I watch the next episodes.  Check back later this week! 

I ‘d love to hear what your thoughts are about the Big Give, as well.  Is it just another tear jerker way to get viewers or is it really moving us all to more heartfelt and generous action?

Through my work with the Corporation for National and Community Service, I attended the annual conference for Executive Directors of Governor’s Commissions on National and Community Service in DC in December.  (NOTE: For those of you who don’t know, each state (except SD) has a Governor appointed nonpartisan board that selects and oversees the AmeriCorps programs in the state and serves as a catalyst promoting service as a strategy to address critical local issues.)  At the conference, there was a session presented by Shannon Maynard, Executive Director of the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, and Michelle Pullaro, East Coast Regional Director of the Taproot Foundation on the Pro Bono Summit being held in New York City in February.

The Pro Bono Summit brought together more than 150 top corporate, government, and nonprofit leaders, to:

• “Create a new definition for pro bono service that directly addresses nonprofit groups’ most pressing needs, including:
  • financial management
  • technology
  • organizational development
  • communications and marketing
  • human resource management
  • fundraising assistance
• Identify the benefits to companies of providing pro bono services, and expand the pro bono ethic among the corporate community
• Share best practices in providing pro bono services

Participants at the Summit also kicked off The Pro Bono Challenge, a three-year campaign to leverage $1 billion in skilled volunteering and pro bono services from the corporate community. To date, more than 18 companies have become Pro Bono Champions, collectively pledging to provide more than $118 million in professional services to help nonprofits address critical social needs.”

The Pro Bono page provides links to some great resources:

• Making the Case for Pro Bono Service (762 KB PDF)
• Pro Bono Examples (653 KB PDF)
• Spotlight Your Pro Bono Story – If you are a company or nonprofit who would like to highlight your successful pro bono partnership, e-mail Julie Proulx at jproulx@cns.gov. Please provide a brief description and contact information (phone and e-mail) so that someone may follow up with you.
• Profiles of Recipients of the 2008 Pro Bono Awards (59 KB PDF)
• What Corporations Are Saying about Pro Bono (12 KB PDF)
• Related Research and Readings (2 MB PDF)

Check out the Pro Bono Junkie’s Blog by Aaron Hurst at Taproot Foundation for current updates.