Quote of the Day

Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present. – Albert Camus

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Quote of the Day

May your charity increase as much as your wealth. – Proverb

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Small is all

I am inspired by little things.

Poems.
Paper clips.
Shots of espresso.
Pastel crayons.
Smart cars.
Hyacinth bulbs.
Twinkle Lights.

Small acts of kindness are as powerful as any Grand Gesture. COA student Brooke Welty’s senior project is about kindness. She’s interviewed dozens of people from around the world, asking them to share with her a memory of kindness – given or received. People are moved to tears years after a stranger gave them a coat, a dollar, a cup of coffee.

Who hasn’t had the experience of feeling wonderful after giving something to others: A compliment. A hand-me-down sweater. A meal in time of need.

It’s so easy to make a big difference in someone’s life. Start small.

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Postcard from the Island

Green grass on Kebo, but still there’s a lot of snow
on Beech Mountain. Snowdrops, crocuses, buds on
rose bushes but leaves are a month away
yet. Forty-five degrees in the morning. When the sun is out, we think
it’s gorgeous. It’s been a long winter.
But the light is back.
Students eat on the red bricks as if it were high
summer. Tree frogs are the status of the day.
Peepers follow. Migrating birds announce their arrival
like banners behind airplanes. Frenchman Bay
lights up. You can smell soil. You can smell water.
You can smell spring.

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Quote of the Day

I was fortunate to get a scholarship when I went to Lehigh University and Princeton. They were both wonderful schools. Somebody was kind enough to spend their money to educate people that they would never get to know. That’s what I think philanthropy is about. – Lee Iacocca

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Giving USA 2010 Report on Philanthropy Statistics

Total estimated charitable giving in the United States dropped 3.6 percent in 2009 (-3.2 percent adjusted for inflation). This reflects the continued recession in 2009, which particularly affected charitable recipients that otherwise receive contributions for new buildings, endowment campaigns, and long-term planning. These include education, arts, foundations, and freestanding donor-advised funds (which are part of public-society benefit).

The types of charities that showed estimated growth typically provide immediate services, such as human services, health, international aid, and even environment. Religion showed a very slight decrease.

Individual giving fell an estimated 0.4 percent in 2009 (no change adjusted for inflation). Many reports suggest that individual contributions increased toward the very end of the year, as stock market indices rose and as media coverage highlighted the needs faced by charitable organizations.

Foundation grantmaking by private, community, and operating foundations fell by 8.9 percent, according to the Foundation Center (-8.6 percent adjusted for inflation). This is a less severe drop than foundations anticipated when the Foundation Center surveyed them early in 2009.

Giving to education declined an estimated 3.6 percent in 2009 (-3.2 percent adjusted for inflation).

Giving to human services rose an estimated 2.3 percent (2.7 percent adjusted for inflation). This seems to reflect efforts that donors made to continue emergency aid services as an increasing number of people suffered from the continuing recession.

Giving for health also shows an estimated increase, with growth of 3.8 percent (4.2 percent adjusted for inflation).

Giving to arts, culture and humanities organizations dropped an estimated 2.4 percent (-2.0 percent adjusted for inflation).

Giving to international affairs (which includes aid, development, and relief activities) increased 6.2 percent (6.6 percent adjusted for inflation).

Giving for environment/animal-related organizations also rose 2.3 percent (2.7 percent adjusted for inflation).

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Raining Cats and Doggerel, Two

Campaign Couplets, April 2011

The last time that we celebrated was way back in July

We’d reached the half way mark up the Lighthouse’s side

Well, here we meet again; nine months gone by in a zip!

We have our pink flamingoes and a fresh new set of strips.

Each strip represents a million raised. Sixteen we’ve had so far.

We’ll ask the trustees present here to help us raise the bar.

But first a toast to a couple of friends who could not be here today

Thank you so much to Peggy and Henry and to Jen and Jay!

A million thanks to Ron our dedicated scribe

Here’s a million to Martie whom we welcome to our tribe

A million for John Kelly who has friends in high places

A million for Tom Cox who gave us open spaces

A million to Paul and Joanie we welcome you with pleasure

A million to Casey Mallinckrodt whose friendship we do treasure

A million to George Hambleton for his enthusiastic presence

A million to Cody for her endless effervescence.

A million to Dianna for taking the Champlain Society chair

And a million to Andy Griffith for his grace and humble air

And now the lighthouse reaches twenty-four

Thirteen left to raise in two years – less or more.

So, to celebrate your efforts and all the time you take

All we have to offer this time, no bubbles, just the cake.

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Raining Cats and Doggerel, One

 Back in the day, Henry Sharpe would mark certain occasions at the Board of Trustee meetings with really, really bad poetry.  This post and the next are then self explanatory.

Couplets, July 2010

At 5 in the evening just last night Sam Hamill said to me,

Oh, we need Henry Sharpe for situations such as these!

His rhyming couplets – doggerel!- as corny as they come

Yet exactly the light touch that make meetings less hum drum.

Every so often we come to these meetings,

Of bylaws and budgets and minutes and greetings,

But rarely take time to celebrate our successes

Why always focus on process and messes?

But here’s a moment in COA history

That should be savored like a Le Carre mystery

The capital campaign is half way there

To the lighthouse! The task of lighting her we share

A million for Tony who got us in gear

A million for Sam who took the lead with no fear

A million for Bill for his work as board chair

A million for David to mark his 4^th year

A million for Amy who throws the best parties

A million for Lissa who knows all the smarties

A million to Brewer who proves Les is more,

A million to Phil for his committees galore

A million to Schmelzer for strategic design

A million to Suzanne for her materials divine

A million to Will for managing dollars

A million to Nina for her commitment to scholars

A million to Sarah for her legalese

A million to Philip and his love of humanities

A million to Helen for transforming the grounds

A million to Bill Newlin whose enthusiasm abounds

There are others to thank who are with us today

Who we’ll get to recognize when the next 16 is raised.

So let’s lift a glass and give thanks to our friends

And in a couple of years we’ll do this again!

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