Hugged a philanthropist today?
A few we
eks ago I had the privilege of speaking with an amazing group of people at the 17th Annual Nonprofit Conference on Sustainability Strategies at ASU’s Lodestar Center. If you aren’t familiar with Lodestar, check them out – they are like a giant think tank for philanthropy.
The conference topic for this year was surrounding what’s around the corner and how can we move boldly into the future. This alone should tell you volumes about our thriving non-profit community in Arizona.
No mopey “woe is me” attitude about what to do in this recession and no complaints about how they are all losing massive amounts of funding thanks to cripplingly deep cuts in the state budget.
Why, because philanthropy is about improving lives, not about bitching about what we don’t have. Someone always has it worse off than you so don’t dwell, roll up your sleeves and get to work. Make do with what you have.
I am always amazed at the can-do attitude of our own non-profit clients here at OMA such as Valley of the Sun United Way and Southwest Human Development. They do some amazing things with the same budget that some for-profit companies spend on pens.
They feed our hungry, they teach our children to read, they make neighborhoods safer, they are helping to end domestic violence, they bring art into our lives - in short, they make our community a better place to live.
So the next time you meet someone who works in the social sector, salute, say thanks or give them a giant hug. They are our superheroes and they deserve our undying love and gratitude.
And while you’re at it, peel off a few bills and send them their way – you will be amazed at the return on the investment in your own community.
About the Author: Carol Klimas
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2 comments so far
Heather says:
I agree Carol- the return on investment is huge!
Jane Reddin says:
Thanks for the post Carol, and for your support of Valley of the Sun United Way. It's important that people realize how much they do for the community.