Valentine Gifts Articles Valentines

Cute Valentine Gifts - Gifts BW gifts | gifts Resources | Add URL Wine Gifts & Baskets From the casual wine drinker to the serious enthusiast, we have a gift that will make them smile. Our selection includes premium wine, gourmet baskets, distinctive champagne sets & the very finest California and Northwest wines. Cute Valentine Gifts Articles Valentines Day Gifts making valentine gifts A growing source for finding Valentine's Day craft projects that make great gifts....( Continue Reading ) Very Cheery Valentine's Day Gifts for Cheerleaders Valentine's Day Gifts for Cheerleaders, a Cheerleading squad or Coach....( Continue Reading ) Valentine's Day Crafts making cards crafts games A growing source for finding Valentine's Day craft projects....( Continue Reading ) 10 Gifts Moms of Multiples Will Love Moms of twins, triplets or more are special and deserve special gifts. These gift ideas for moms of multiples are special items that moms of twins or more will love for Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Christmas, Hannukah or birthdays....( Continue Reading ) Valentine's Day Recipes for Your Family Celebrate Valentine's Day with your family with these recipes for cakes, drinks and cookies....( Continue Reading ) Cute Valentine Gifts Directory Links gift baskets in michigan christmas gifts teens gifts for guys for valentines day unique housewarming gifts tiffany baby gifts animal theme gifts ideas for birthday gifts college student gifts birthday gifts for friends handmade wedding gifts bradford baskets great gifts in 30 minutes birthday gifts for woman graduation gifts for men top 10 christmas gifts gifts for mom and dad business promotional gifts do it yourself christmas gifts greek gifts gifts for grooms men wisconsin cheese gifts gifts to minors best gifts for her gourmet coffee gifts birthday gifts for dads test for spiritual gifts fourth anniversary gifts medical graduation gifts crafts and gifts gifts for girlfriends most popular christmas gifts simple gifts midi christmas gifts homemade valentines day gifts for men male christmas gifts specialty gifts personalized gifts for him nascar gift baskets easter gifts children pet gift baskets adult gifts gift baskets south carolina fantasy gifts madison new view gifts and accessories personalized gifts Popular Search Terms: Gifts BW © 2004 Gifts BW All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All Rights Reserved. This site is not related to Brajeshwar or Brajeshwar.com in anyway, shape or form

Anniversary Gifts 25th Anniversary

Personalized Wedding Anniversary Gifts That Celebrate Married Love - Things Remembered Special Occasions Wedding Business Store Locator Cart Account () Search Advanced Search Top Wedding Anniversary Gifts 25th Anniversary 50th Anniversary Clocks Frames & Photo Storage Throws More Gifts Things Remembered Exclusive Articles Best for Bridesmaids Gifts for the Groomsmen Make It Personal Recognition Breeds Success The Perfect Gift for Mom Top of the Class Grad Gifts Father's Day Gift Ideas Need Help? Customer Service Frequently Asked Questions How to Order Shipping Costs & Schedules What is Personalization? Privacy & Security Shopping Services Rewards Club Request a Catalog Email Sign Up iRemembered Gift Announcement Site Map 100% Satisfaction Guarantee Easy Returns About Things Remembered Company Info Become an Affiliate Contact Us Employment toll free: 1-866-902-4438 Anniversary Milestones: Personalized Anniversary Gifts That Celebrate Married Love Help is at hand - check out the official list of gift themes for every anniversary milestone! by Lynne Hayes Whether it's a 1st anniversary or a 50th, each year of a marriage is a milestone, and deserves to be honored with a memorable and meaningful anniversary gift. Of course, you already knew that - which is why you've come to Things Remembered for the most memorable personalized anniversary gift ideas! Read on, and let's see if we can help make your anniversary gift shopping an enjoyable, rather than a stressful, experience. The Milestones: Special Anniversary Years To Remember While a husband and wife may have their own tradition of exchanging anniversary gifts each year of their marriage, it's traditionally accepted for their friends and relatives to give anniversary gifts to the couple only in "milestone" years. These are generally recognized as the 1st through 15th anniversary, and then every five years after. But, of course, how you choose to celebrate a wedding anniversary is up to you. These days, the choice of anniversary gifts is as diverse as marriage styles. The same goes for how much you choose to spend on an anniversary gift. You shouldn't feel pressured to spend more based on the year of marriage you're honoring. It's not the size or price of the gift that matters most - it's the thought that went into selecting it. Another way to make your anniversary gift an especially cherished one is to have it engraved with a sentiment that conveys your feelings about the special day. Adding this personal touch says so much more than an expensive price tag! The Official Gift Theme List - Don't Go Shopping Without It The beauty of anniversary gift giving is that someone has already done the job of giving key anniversary years their own gift "theme" - a big help for clueless shoppers! You may be familiar with the traditional anniversary gifts assigned to bigger milestone years; for instance, paper as a 1st anniversary gift, silver as a 25th anniversary gift , and gold as a 50th anniversary gift . But the good news is, there's both a classic and modern gift theme for the 1st through the 15th anniversaries, and for each five-year milestone after that, up to the 60th anniversary. The themes are specific - i.e. wood, diamonds, leather, china, crystal - but there are countless ways to interpret them as gifts. Take a look at our Anniversary Gift Theme Table . Between Couples - Express Your Love With An Engraved Anniversary Gift No matter what the anniversary year, most couples put a lot of thought into finding just the right anniversary gift. Something with deep meaning or symbolism, or something they know their spouse has always wanted. So before you shop, take some time to browse and think. Surf the Things Remembered website for starters. Here, you'll find some wonderful anniversary gift ideas for both husbands and wives. If you two are into jewelry, his and hers personalized ID bracelets or watches make wonderful and cherished anniversary gifts, especially when they're engraved with your personal messages of love. Combination gifts are also a nice way to go. For a wife, a gift including a beautiful engraved musical trinket box with Swarovski® accented jewelry tucked inside makes a wonderful gift. For a husband, consider some handsome and useful wardrobe accessories, like a pair of cuff links tucked inside an engraved valet box for his dresser. Remember, if you're really stuck, look to the anniversary gift themes list for ideas. You'll be amazed at what you come up with to rekindle the romance on your special day. Tried & True - Popular Anniversary Gift Ideas For Friends And Family So what are today's most popular anniversary gifts? For starters, you can't go wrong with a clock. Glass domed, engraved clocks (with a special anniversary sentiment and date) are among the most popular of all, but there are many beautiful clocks , executed in wood, and in metal, that make perfect anniversary gifts. Personalized picture frames , crystal items , and engraved trinket boxes are also high on the list. However, other types of wedding anniversary gifts are also growing in popularity. For instance, decorative throws embroidered with the couple's names and their wedding date. Or, if the milestone year calls for a diamond theme, consider an engraved picture frame or trinket box adorned with sparkling Swarovski® crystals. These amazing stones achieve the drama and the flash of fine diamonds at a much more affordable price. Celebrating Everlasting Love - A Time To Be Sentimental When it comes to choosing and giving anniversary gifts, it's OK to be as sentimental and sweet as possible! After all, this is a celebration of love. So whether you're a spouse shopping for the love of your life, or a friend choosing a special gift for a special couple, you'll definitely want to tap into your romantic side as you contemplate your gift. And keep in mind, to make your anniversary gift truly personal, you'll definitely want to have it engraved with a message straight from your heart. Don't forget, at Things Remembered, every gift is engraveable, or may be embroidered, with your personal words of congratulations. So shop now, or stop in a store, and see what we can wrap up for you to make that upcoming anniversary the most memorable of all. Traditional & Modern Anniversary Gift Themes Tradition tells us that each year's anniversary gift should follow a specific theme. Over time, a list of modern themes has been added. Use the table below for some inspiration when choosing your next anniversary gift. Year Traditional Gift Modern Gift First Paper Clock Second Cotton China Third Leather Crystal; glass Fourth Fruit; flowers Appliance Fifth Wood Silverware Sixth Candy; iron Wood Seventh Wool; copper Desk sets Eighth Bronze; pottery Linens; lace Ninth Pottery; willow Leather Tenth Tin; aluminum Diamond jewelry Eleventh Steel Fashion jewelry Twelfth Silk; linen Pearls Thirteenth Lace Textiles Fourteenth Ivory Gold jewelry Fifteenth Crystal; glass Watches Twentieth China Platinum Twenty-Fifth Silver Sterling silver Thirtieth Pearl Diamond Thirty-Fifth Coral Jade Fortieth Ruby; coral Jade Forty-Fifth Sapphire Sapphire Fiftieth Gold Gold Fifty-Fifth Emerald Emerald Sixtieth Diamond Diamond Sign up to receive email updates, sales alerts, and special offers from Things Remembered. Site Map | Customer Service | Contact Us | Store Locator | Company Info | Employment | My Account © 2005 Things Remembered. All rights reserved. Privacy

Great Gifts to Support

Great Gifts to Support Multiplication  You are here: About > Homework Help > Mathematics Homework Help Mathematics Essentials Grade By Grade Goals Math Formulas Multiplication Fact Tricks Glossary **Free Worksheets** Articles & Resources Math Help and Tutorials Math Formulas Math Lesson Plans Math Tutors Books, Resources, DVDs Arithmetic Math Stumpers Calculators Math Worksheets Organizations Competitions Mathematicians Recreational Math Reference Software Buyer's Guide TI-84 Plus Graphing Calculator Pre-Algebra Resources Algebra Resources Calculus - For the New Student Multiplication Games/DVDs/Resources Articles Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Mathematics newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Mathematics Great Gifts to Support Multiplication Mathematics Blog « So You Have to Teach Math? | Main | Are You Ready for Calculus? » From Deb Russell , Your Guide to Mathematics . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! September 07, 2005 Great Gifts to Support Multiplication If learning is made fun, more students will succeed. I've compiled a list of multiplication games, DVD's and activites that help students learn their multiplication math facts. Research clearly indicates a stronger academic performance for those students committing the math facts to memory. Email to a Friend Display Latest Headlines | | | Read Archives powered by Movable Type Advertisement Most Popular Area and Surface Formulas Worksheets in PDF and Word multiplication table tricks Facts to 20 - PDF Multiplication Chart, Multiplication Table What's Hot addend definition trig identities Algebra Printables second grade math A Beautiful Mind Related Topics Physics Chemistry Teen Advice Homework / Study Tips Homeschooling        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Poll: What would you do with $10 million? 1) Spend it 4) Pay bills 2) Donate 5) Save 3) Invest 6) Not sure Is New York City Safe? Tips for Women Travelling What's Hot addend definition trig identities Algebra Printables second grade math A Beautiful Mind Headlines Telling Time....Counting? These early concepts often require additional support at home. Try... Fraction Action! Here's a series of Fraction worksheets for those struggling students... Brushing Up On Algebra? I receive numerous requests about my favorite books to help... Are You Ready for Calculus? Don't let Calculus scare you - just make sure you're...

Baby Gift Guide >

Baby Shower Gift Ideas - Gifts for Baby Showers - Ideas for Baby Gifts  You are here: About > Parenting & Family > Baby Products > Baby Gift Guide > Baby Shower Gift Ideas - Gifts for Baby Showers - Ideas for Baby Gifts Parenting & Family Baby Products Essentials Choose a Baby Shower Gift Basic Baby Needs Checklist Find Toddler Potty Training Products Current Baby Products Recalls Before You Buy A Baby Crib Articles & Resources Baby Gift Guide Preparing for Newborns Car Seats Strollers & Travel Gear Swings, Saucers & Bouncers Toys & Games Books & Videos Feeding & Drinks Baby Clothes Diaper Bags & Baby Carriers Baths, Diapers & Potties Cribs & Nursery Products Best Infant Products Best Toddler Products Recalls and Safety Articles Forums Help FREE Newsletter Sign Up Now for the Baby Products newsletter! See Online Courses   Search Baby Products Stay up to date! Email to a friend Print this page Related Guide Picks Top 5 Books for Babies More Baby Gift Ideas Ten Classic Baby Toys for Fun and Learning Most Popular Top Lightweight Baby Strollers Best Designer Diaper Bags Best Convertible Car Seats Toys for One-Year-Old Babies Basic Baby Needs What's Hot Choose Your Best Car Seat What is a Onesie? 10 Classic Baby Toys LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Baby Product Recall Search Related Topics Pediatrics Parenting: Babies & Toddlers Child Care Parenting of K-6 Children Children's Books Top 5 Favorite Gifts for Babies and Baby Showers Guide Picks From Heather Corley , Your Guide to Baby Products . FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! A baby shower is a happy time where friends and family give gifts and well-wishes to the parents-to-be. Baby gift registries are very popular today, and offer nice baby shower gift selections that are hand-picked by the new parents. If the parents don't have a gift registry, or you want to choose something on your own, this list can help. I received the following thoughtful, useful items as baby gifts for my daughter. When I am choosing a baby shower gift, these are the products I look for! 1) Baby Einstein Videos or DVDs From birth to toddlerhood, babies can enjoy the bright pictures and interesting sounds in the Baby Einstein videos series. You might not think that a young baby would watch a video, but the Baby Einstein company has found a way of making these movies interesting to babies as young as one month old. Many parents, myself included, consider these videos a must-have for entertaining baby when mom or dad needs time for other projects. Manufacturer's Site 2) Your Favorite Baby Story or Picture Books Do you remember the books you loved as a child? A selection of your own favorite books for babies is a personal and thoughtful gift. Experts say reading to babies is an important part of boosting their development. Help parents-to-be build their library by choosing books with bright, bold pictures, rhyming text and interactive features like counting and touching. 3) Over the Shoulder Baby Holder - Baby Sling Baby slings are quickly becoming a popular choice for new parents. These versatile baby carriers offer many carrying positions to suit a parent's style and a fussy baby's whims. From cradling a tiny newborn to holding a toddler on your hip, parents will find many uses for a sling. To say the least, being able to grocery shop and hold a fussy baby and still have hands to pick up items is a wonderful thing. 4) The Baby Book by Martha Sears and Dr. Sears This common-sense guide to baby parenting covers babies from birth to age two. From wearing baby in a sling to whether or not you're spoiling your child, parents can find useful information on almost any baby parenting topic. Stressed-out new parents may also appreciate the more relaxed parenting style promoted in this book. Manufacturer's Site 5) Luxury Baby Bath Products from Weleda Consumable baby products like bath soaps and lotions are always useful for new parents who may want to experiment with several varieties before settling on a favorite standard. Weleda natural baby products are made with soothing botanicals and delicate oils that turn a baby bath into a spa-like experience. Babies and parents alike will enjoy the wonderful scents of these products. Important product disclaimer information about this About site. Most Popular Video Movie Review: 'Broken Flowers' Movie Review: 'Four Brothers' Movie Review: 'The Dukes of Hazzard' Movie Review: 'The Aristocrats' Movie Review: 'Hustle and Flow' See other videos at About.com        Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | Help User Agreement | Ethics Policy | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy | Kids' Privacy Policy ©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company . All rights reserved. Around About Poll: What would you do with $10 million? 1) Spend it 4) Pay bills 2) Donate 5) Save 3) Invest 6) Not sure Is New York City Safe? Tips for Women Travelling What's Hot Choose Your Best Car Seat What is a Onesie? 10 Classic Baby Toys LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Baby Product Recall Search

gifthub excepted) posted beneath

Gift Hub Gift Hub Blogging Philanthropy About Giving Blogs Charity Governance Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Friends of the Commons PlaNetwork Journal Vermont Nonprofit CommunIT Philanthropy, Weblogs, and Democracy Wired Community Advance Sustainability Julie Evans Ted Ernst Indigo VT Non-Profit Community Lisa Tracy Lucy Berholz Lenore Ealey Chris Corrigan Info-Commons Philip Cubeta The Happy Tutor Mad Monk ACTA The Giving Blog Social Jedi Supporting Advancement The Philanthropic Enterprise Gang Blog Phil Anthropoid Wealth Bondage: Philanthropy Archives Philanthropy Beat Council on Foundations Emerging Issues: Philanthropy Jane King Foster Freiss Resources Acumen Fund Advance Sustainability American Institute of Philanthropy - Charity Watchdog Helping Donors Make Informed Giving Decisions Association of Small Foundations Blog of Social Wave Communities Project Blueprint Research and Design for Philanthropy: What's New Capital Missions Company -- Networking Socially Responsible Investors Catalogue For Philanthropy Center on Wealth and Philanthropy - Boston College Charity Governance Civic Reflection CivicSpace Labs Collect money for group purchasing, fundraising. — Fundable Community Development Venture Capital Association Community-Wealth.org: Wealth-Building Strategies for America's Communities Conceptual Guerilla's Strategy and Tactics Democracy in Action - Software tools for organizers Dialogues on Civic Philanthropy: Perfecting Our Grants Disinfopedia Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Evolve Foundation FASTEN - Faith and Service Technical Education Network Fetzer Institute Fourth Sector Network Friends of the Commons GivingGlobal Global Giving GovBenefits GreenMoney Journal Groundspring.org Home - GlobalGiving Hudson Institute Idealist.org Independent Media Center Miles V Smith Philanthropic Advising MobileActive | Cell Phones for Civic Engagement Movement Strategy Movement Strategy Center National Center for Family Philanthropy Net Impact Ocean Foundation PACE - PHILANTHROPY FOR ACTIVE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT Participatory Culture Foundation Partnerships Online PlaNetwork Journal Rockwood Leadership Program Social Edge Stanford Social Innovation Review The Future Of Philanthropy The Interra Project The small Change News Network Tides Underdog Ventures Wired Community WorldChanging: Another World Is Here Worth Living civiblog.org - global community The World We Want Community-Wealth.Com Who owns a community's or a nation's wealth? How can the benefits of an ownership society be spread around for the greater good? Community-Wealth provides the web’s most comprehensive and up-to-date information resource on state-of-the-art strategies for democratic, community-based economic development. Community Development Corporations, Community Development Financial Institutions, Employee Stock Option Plans, Community Land Trusts, Co-Ops, Social Enterprise, and Program Related Investments are among the topic areas. A great resource for those, across the political spectrum, who are interested in using market models for producing sustainable and positive social results. September 12, 2005 in Resources | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Foundations and Government: Who is Responsible for Social Progrms? Philanthropoid , " Is it the proper role of foundations to plug the gaps created by retreating public funds?" Assume they do fill the gaps in the safety net, what programs must then be defunded by the tapped out foundations? Advocacy for social change? You can hear Bill Schambra chortling. Let the bleeding hearts fund the losers, while the wealthy bear it away. Continue reading "Foundations and Government: Who is Responsible for Social Progrms?" » September 09, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Mennonite Disaster Service A knowledgeable friend suggests Mennonite Disaster Service as a credible provider of relief to the very poor in disater areas. September 01, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (1) Writerly Do you find yourself collaborating on documents long distance? Grassroots organizations might find this online document collaboration tool worth a look. September 01, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Websites for Coordinating Disaster Relief? A reader writes, I was curious if you have come across any websites that facilitate collaboration for disaster recoveries. For example, are there places that allow local recovery efforts to post their needs (ie: lights, cranes, machinery, tools) that corporations could respond to. The idea is similar to donorschoose.org but is focused more focused on needs that only businesses could meet. Have you come across anything like this in your work? Does any reader have a site that would provide such collaboration between those in need and those providing disaster relief? August 30, 2005 in Resources | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (0) Blogger Conference Call on Estate Tax From OMB Watch What: Blogger Conference Call on Estate Tax When: Wednesday, August 31, from 2:00 - 3:00 pm EST Where: By Phone (Dial-in at 1.800.820.4690; passcode: 2022348494) - RSVP to blewis@ombwatch.org August 30, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Informed Giving Great post by Phil Anthropoid on the great wealth transfer boom and how philanthropy might capture a larger piece. How might advisors, donors, and nonprofits collaborate more effectively to that end? My sense, having worked towards it with some wonderful people, including Phil Anthropoid himself, The Philanthropic Initiative , Lenore Ealy , and Tracy Gary , is that we, collectively as a a nation, have many "stereotypes" and old habits to break if we are to meet as allies and fellow citizens to advance philanthropy and our communities. Values-based planning is a step in the right direction, though values are what cultural wars are made of. Raising awareness, as through Leave a Legacy via National Committee on Planned Giving is a piece. Encouraging all people to have a will is a piece. But perhaps the most important is to find the poetry, the pathos, the energy and the vision - what Tracy Gary calls the "inspiration" - that can lift the process of planning beyond the financial to the ethical, aesthetic, civic and spiritual. People are hungry for a life of more than production and consumption. The market feeds us but not our hungry hearts. So many of us feel that, rich or poor, liberally educated, or fundamentalist. It does not matter. We all raise families, live in communities, and hunger for a life and legacy that speaks well of us, invigorates our children, and leaves or passes on what we most love. Beyond the money is huge well spring of volunteer effort and pent up desire to find a means of engaging our world's many challenges. Maybe as we reach out to one another in the blogosphere, and in the real world settings, we can create that hub or web of relationships that enable each of us to give of her or his best. Philanthropoid - thank you for bringing the subject into focus. August 30, 2005 in Advisor's Role | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Philanthropy Blogs Noted at Council on Foundations Natalie Ambrose at Emerging Issues in Philanthropy has just posted a great overview of philanthropy blogs. She has "outed" me as the author of Philanthropoid's blog . Actually, it is an honor I don't deserve. The real Philanthropoid is far better informed than I about giving, and a far better writer. Great to see Council on Foundations , through Emerging Issues, is now following the giving blogs. I am somewhat surprised that Wealth Bondage made the list, but I suppose Dumpster Dwellers can talk among themselves about Philanthropy if they wish. It is a free country. And after all, Candidia's Rooster Foundation, Crowing in the New American Dawn, is a respected member of COF as is Tigg Montague , Senior Wealth Bondage Fellow, representing the Heritage of Wealth Bondage Foundation, a Think Tank devoted to Excellence and Human Flourishing among the Natural Aristocracy. August 27, 2005 in Philanthropy Folks | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (2) Blogging Philanthropy - Why the Masquerade? A year ago I was interviewed by The Chronicle of Philanthropy on the theme of "where are all the philanthropy blogs?" Today the scene is far more interesting, as evidenced by the growing list of giving blogs listed on our left hand side bar. Now, here is a good question for future articles: "Why are so many of the most outspoken and interesting philanthropy blogs (gifthub excepted) posted beneath a mask? Iconoclasm and philanthropy, or even humor and philanthropy, seem not to go together very well. There is something about big money that brings out the Golden Calf worshipper even in Moses. I mean what is one Commandment more or less? Everything is negotiable. What blogs provide is a back channel in which the pomposity and hypocrisy, so much of the hackery and flakery, of so much philanthropy talk can be exposed, satirized, and sent up. Solemn or ingratiating is not the right tone for discussing the role of money, whether in business, government or philanthropy, in setting our country's course . Money is smart and has learned in our time how to filter its agenda through strategic giving for hopelessly partisan ends . Who will discuss or expose this, except an insider under an alias ? Far easier to put ideologues in charge of philanthropic associations, treat them with the respect due their high office, and carry on as usual - as a Fool among Knaves. Rageboy , one the first bloggers and still one of the most vehement used to talk about "ripping the fucking lid off" corporate discourse, which talks to us, not with us, as if we were dunces who admired their flakery and hype. Maybe the time has come to rip the lid off strategic philanthropy ? If so, probably best to do it under an assumed name - since giving is an unforgiving field, and what goes around comes around. Omerta! my friends. We are all one big Family. Thinking of Publius and the masked pamphleteers among our Founding Fathers, what begins with carnival, ends with revolution and democracy. After awhile the mask slips and we appear in the public square, not as consumers or servants of wealth and power, but as citizens speaking freely in our own new found voices. Blogging will revolutionize philanthropy in that way, by restoring its accountability to ordinary citizens - the public in public good. The public philanthropy serves. August 27, 2005 in Philanthropy Folks | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (2) Ads and Acknowledgements I have added ads to see how they work. The revenue will offset the cost of the site. Any net revenue will go to charity. I have also acknowledged my debt to Candidia Cruikshanks and the good people at Wealth Bondage for their tireless efforts on behalf of a better world according to money. Links to the most recent 10 posts are now displayed on the right hand sidebar. My hope is to improve communication between those in Wealth Bondage and the world of philanthropy. We have The Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal at Hudson leading the way for humankind. And we have the Philanthropy Round Table facilitating giving within the enlightened worldview of wealthy business people. But, in my estimation, the best role model for Stragegic Philanthropy on behalf of the interests of wealthy people (and therefore the world at large) remains Candidia Cruikshanks. Her social venture, Wealth Bondage, is both self sustaining and self serving in a major way. I may be biased, though, since Candidia sometimes throws me a bone from her table. So, when Candidia asked for a little recognition on Gifthub, I was happy to sit up and beg, rollover, fetch, and lick her boots. You would do the same in my position. Who are we kidding. Giving is all about getting ahead. It is what makes the world go round. August 20, 2005 in Geeting ahead in giving | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBack (1) Allianz Study of "Legacies" Fascinating fact sheets on what the Boomers mean by "legacy," via the Council on Foundations Blog . August 19, 2005 in Values and Planning | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Phil Anthropoid on "Pewgate" Philanthropoid patiently dissects Bill Schambra's ebullient polemic against Pew for its work on campaign finance reform. At issue is Wealth Bondage , whether the rich can purchase democracy, and whether their hired hands in the Think Tanks will be able to intimidate those funders like Pew who stand up for ordinary voters. Schambra himself is all in favor of grassroots giving , as long as the poor give to each other, and the tax cuts keep on coming for the rich so they have the extra cash to buy the next election. so they can get the next tax break, to buy the next election with propaganda made to order by hired hacks. The culture wars are now being fought on the ground of philanthropy . The right sure does stay on message . Who put the hit out on Pew? And what does it pay ? Bradley Foundation's name sure keeps popping up . And why not? Shouldn't both sides be able to fund their views, and encourage their allies and proxies? Throwing money around to influence politics is free speech after all. And on that basis, the rich, not just Pew and Bradley Foundations, are certainly being heard. I hope through blogs those like Phil Anthropoid who think without being paid to follow a party line will finally be heard. We need real free speech, not just the boughten, think tank, kind. Continue reading "Phil Anthropoid on "Pewgate"" » August 17, 2005 in Philanthropy Folks | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Phil Anthropoid Excellent news for all who are interested in philanthropy. We now have a knowlegeable, witty, and good humored insider who is putting his thoughts on line. Mr. Phil Anthropoid is one I will be reading carefully to see just how much he is willing to share. He is the first philanthropy blogger, other than the scurrilous crew at W*eatlh B*ondage who is willing to take an irreverent but kindly poke that the dignified world of upscale giving. Two places you don't laugh: During religious observances and in conversation about philanthropy. Money, or the chance of extracting some from the wealthy, makes us all as pious as heirs around a deathbed. Mr. Anthropoid has a jaunty way about him that spells trouble for the established decorum. August 10, 2005 in Philanthropy Folks | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0) Philanthropic Enterprise Blog Congrats to Lenore Ealy on her new Philanthropic Enterprise Gang Blog . She shows great courage taking on the Happy Tutor in one of her initial posts . As a mild mannered honest broker, I can see merit on both sides, and will move out of the way as quickly as possible. This is not your Dick Minim style philanthropic conversation any more. It is all about wealth, power, and politics - one person promoting the ideology of Wealth Bondage , the other, subverting it. (But which is which you ask? Take AP English and report back.) August 06, 2005 in Tooterisms | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBack (0) Mobile Active Org Via email from Marty Kearns, of Green Media Toolshed , Oh did you see 26 million people use cell phones to engage in Live8? www.mobileactive.org is going to be huge! July 08, 2005 in Resources | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Changemakers, Troublemakers, Courtiers and Clowns (Below is an open letter to Tracy Gary , who asked how, beyond my dismal professional bio , she should introducing me to her progressive funder friends.) Dear Tracy, Yup, been thinking because you asked, about how I see myself beyond my corporate self. The answer is not "financial advisor," nor "trusted advisor," but teacher in a certain very specific tradition. Education comes from "educere" to lead out. Socrates saying that he was (incongruously) the "midwife" to his interlocutors, helping them (male though all were) give birth to what is already within them, latent. Also, as model (in humility) I follow the Trickster Jesus of the Gospels. And also, Diogenes, the naked man in the barrel who accosted the wealthy of his day, including Alexander the Great, and helped them, as would a Zen monk, to awaken, often by setting them paradoxes, or rousing them to fury just short of violence. I do not believe any more than you do that philanthropy will save democracy. It cannot, obviously. The rich are blessed in their own way, but the truly gifted/accursed are the artists, the poets, the prophets, the holy fools. That is the role to which I most deeply aspire, or better yet, am most deeply stuck with. So, I play the fool and the courtier both. But the fool is for keeps. The courtier "financial services professional" is an IQ Test for the client, my various bosses, and colleagues. Most flunk. Diogenes naked in the streets with his lantern in broad daylight, seeking the honest wealth holder, the honest power broker, a "trusted advisor." That is me. The Trickster who teaches by getting the other off balance. Beware. Of course, I do know sprezzatura , the style you suggested some well bred donors expect. (You know it is from Castiglione's Book of the Courtier ? A handbook on how to prosper at Court among the knaves?) I will be as gracious and deferential with your friends as would any courtier to Queen or King. But you asked for an account of who I am. That is it: Troublemaker, as Peter Karoff once said to me. Troublemaker for democracy, maybe not unlike you and your cousin George Pillsbury when you were then as I am now, just a beginner. Haymarket - wasn't that a labor riot ? As an ex-college professor, let alone a financial services trainer, I am reconciled to misreading. Even at Yale many a future ruler of the universe could not follow an agile writer. So, instead of being hard to read, I am very easy. As easy as a billboard or a children's sock puppet. Unless you understand me. At which point I am nothing but trouble. In me as in a raven is the grapeseed. Shat out, it grows to the intransigent vine of Dionysus and democracy. The red wine of the grape, spilled from the Cross, drunk as blood from a chalice - believe me, I meditate on that, as a good lapsed Catholic with a humane education. I have about as much choice in this as does a man or woman in being gay. I can be in or out as one called to foolishness in the public square, but I can't change, only be broken. With you, and through your example, I am finding the courage to be my strange self, Harlequin in patches, "a Socrates gone mad," as Diogenes said. Philanthropy is teaching, but the payoff is activism. For me that means the liberal arts, the arts of freedom, not a passive thing to watch and admire, but to imitate, among the Pharisees, in the public square. What stands a chance of saving us is someone like Martin Luther Kind or Vaclav Havel. And people like that are not waiting around for permission or a grant. Some of us aren't even waiting for real artists. We just shit out what we can and pray that it contains here and there a fertile seed amidst the dung. You know all this. Or are the carrier of it. It is not a blessing, but a calling. And the call is not to peace of mind. The reason you can't shake my support is that I was going where you are going long before we met. You are an optimist by temperament; I consider that wisdom and caritas come with "brokenness and surrender." You and your cousin George have learned moderation in maturity. I have been driven half mad. We inherit a tradition, and we pass it on. It no more cares whether we live or die than do our genes. We are the carriers, the dead husk; the living germ courses through us. We pass it on as we received it, as a gift, the dangerous gift of knowledge, the apple Eve gave Adam. We spit the seed from our mouth. Hence the orchard. The garden run always to weeds. We live among snakes. And the fool should be as wise as the serpent. Extinct? Not yet. Nor Born Again, but Rapture Ready. Be well! Phil July 06, 2005 in Tooterisms | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (2) Omidyar on Carpe Diem Philanthropy Just ran across this very interesting article, from BusinessWeek Online, in 2004, by Pierre Omidyar on philanthropy in the internet age. Not only does he want to give now, rather than "leave a legacy" at death - 50 or so years from now - but he also sees giving as happening within a community of self-actualizing individuals, in which each and every person is a giver. He also sees giving as a kind of investment in a social capital network (as was EBay) that grows in value as it scales (as did EBay, or the telephone, or the English language), and that pays back in real dollars (as did EBay). The role of big givers, or social investors, is to raise up and equip the smaller givers, so they too can discover their own power to do good in the world. This is a profoundly American democractic vision, fusing freedom of speech and assembly, with entrepreneurial zeal, and Emersonian optimism. You can join the Omidyar community, or call it a renewal of the great American experiment, at http://www.Omidyar.net/home. Many of the people who attended the Open Space Giving Conference a year ago in Chicago are members. And many of them are getting together again in Chicago (as I am) with new friends from Omidyar July 29-31 . I have been a member of Omidyar.net since, virtually, the inception and have been staggered to see Pierre and Pam joining in the day to day conversations, not as conveners or owners of the site, but as fellow seekers and citizens. They are the least patronizing of patrons, the least selfish of owners. You could call them hosts, maybe, or cordial role models. They also learn fast and don't mind principled disagreement, in fact they seem to thrive on it. July 06, 2005 in Case Studies in Giving | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Dialogues On Civic Philanthropy Great papers from diverse and distinguished sources on the legitimacy, effectiveness, regulation, and accountability of foundation philanthropy. Comes with an open discussion board. What makes the relatively unregulated exercise of economic, intellectual and political power through "philanthropy" legitimate in a market/democratic culture? Can givers (and the stingy) choose their own moral framework, as they might an automobile, nose job, or Halloween Costume? What are the obligations of wealth in a just society? The papers here raise those issues, in the bland style of successful, well-socialized, intellectuals and functionaries. The same questions raised from the scaffold upon which sits a pillory would be far more interesting to me, as having an outside chance of breaking the polite smile that seems always to accompany discussions of philanthropy. What is human speech for, if not satire? The rich can choose their own ethical systems, as can we who toss the tomato from the crowd. Hudson's site is open to riffraff (the demos) at least for now. Mind your manners! You are in the company of your betters. Do not be surprised if the discussion of legitimacy and accountability remains inconclusive. July 02, 2005 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Gifthub as More than Conversation The original hope behind Gifthub is still alive and I would welcome comments, if this note finds interested parties. Assume estate tax is repealed or greatly reduced. Imagine a world where the rich get vastly richer and pass their wealth on unhindered in a new (at best) aristocracy. Imagine government programs cut back, and chances for advancement for working people and poor people reduced except for those who have an aptitude for going along to get along with the ideology of those who have "made it." Imagine philanthropy as both the offset to such a world, and also its adornment or ornament. I would like to imagine a "hub" where wealthy people of good will, advisors to wealth, and talented people from all walks of life can meet as in some ways equals - as citizens. We would meet to advance shared ideals, including the ideals of open society, pluralism, caritas, justice, and passionate disagreement within an atmosphere of mutual respect. I believe there is a "business plan" or social venture plan that might support or undergird such a hub. Advisors want clients. Donors need advisors. All require education, tools, and processes that enable them to work together more effectively for shared ends. All today hide out talking mostly to others in the same professional or sociological silo. Major donors do not attend the conferences of professionals. Professionals are conspicuously uninvited to donor forums. Either group talks about the other in stereotypes. That is vastly dysfunctional for the givers, advisors, and the talented people who might volunteer. With my friend and hero, Tracy Gary , I am mooting about ways we could make this hub come into being as a nonprofit enterprise or association. She has uptake from donor friends. I have some from advisors. If anyone has thoughts, I would welcome comments or emails. Beyond that, onwards! By the way, I recognize the "liberal" slant of my remarks, and acknolwedge a rooting interest in progressive causes. But liberalism to me means risking my views in open contest with those to disagree. Therefore, the hub has, or should have, spokes into conservative, libertarian, and religious networks. The point of open society is precisely that it is inclusive. Someone like Lenore Ealy , for example, or Bill Schambra , or Amy Kass , who are associated with conservative viewpoints would be considered valued colleagues if their networks were enlisted. The point is not to agree on ideology but to second one another's practical efforts for a common good. I have known many compassionate conservatives, as well as many Evangelicals, whose passionate and self-sacrificing efforts for others set a high example. A true Gifthub would network the best together, and welcome the war of ideas, within a shared regard for one another and for those who are less fortunate. July 02, 2005 in About Gifthub | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0) Supporting Advancement Supporting Advancement weblog. Slowly, slowly the fundraising community seems to be getting online to share ideas and best practices. I hope over time that the conversation of philanthropy draws us together across our many specializations, professional affiliations, and "silos" so that we see ourselves, along with donors and volunteers, as fellow citizens engaged in a great wave of giving of which our specialized efforts, and institutional affiliations are just one tiny part. Can we begin to see ourselves as making common cause, across our institutions and - for want of a better term - jobs? June 29, 2005 in Planned Giving | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0) Recent Comments Phil on Websites for Coordinating Disaster Relief? 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