Food drive! Beyond the can

First off, thanks for that can of cream of chicken. And the jar of pimentos always helps. Really!
But there are lots of other things in your pantry – or things you can throw in your cart at Costco! – that can help make the 2008 food drives a success. See this list of food drives [...]

What’s Spanish for “donor?”

At the El Buen Thanksgiving event last month, I spoke to one of the “super volunteers,” a woman who organizes others to form a volunteer team that performs good deeds all over Austin. For some reason, it came up that we don’t see many Hispanics volunteers in the community, and she wondered aloud about that.
Hispanics are [...]

Two sides to United Way story

I’ve been trying to get my head around the United Way Capital Area story. The gist is that the local United Way will change the way it supports local nonprofit agencies in 2008. Accoring to Andrea Ball, the new focus will be “less on basic needs and more on education, financial stability and health programs,” [...]

But I don’t want to grow up

Editor’s Note: Sometimes it sucks to be an adult. We’re all busy this time of year, but this time it kicked my ass. A big, family Christmas, work, my father’s hospitalization, my son’s pneumonia, my pregnancy… my productivity was shot. GoodCause – and lots of other things like eating and bathing, for example – was put [...]

Turns out data-entry volunteers are cool after all

Last week I blogged about a volunteer opportunity with Special Olympics Texas that I thought … well, that I thought would be hard to find volunteers for. To prepare for the Winter Games in San Antonio next month, Special Olympics Texas is enlisting volunteers to perform … yawn … data entry.
Erika Corbell, the director of [...]

Know any millionaires?

So here’s the way I think sometimes. Any of you who know a millionaire might have come across this.
The reality of a millionaire’s life is so different from everyone else’s. To him, $300 is nothing. It’s the walking-around money in his wallet, which he’ll replenish the next day at the ATM. It’s so little, that he doesn’t [...]

On Jan 19: Got a project? Mando’s got your volunteers

Mando Rayo, at Hands On Central Texas, sent word about the MLK Day of Service, “King for a Day,” coming up on January 19, 2008. That’s a Saturday, so there’s no excuse not to participate.
MLK Day of Service is an annual event during which nonprofits and community groups offer projects for volunteer groups and individuals [...]

Bad to the bone? Try data entry

I’m not going to lie to you. I’m just not that good of a writer, at least not one who can make this volunteer job seem interesting.
You’ve heard or Special Olympics, right? Pretty rewarding stuff – the volunteer coaches, trainers, and event supporters who clock the runners or ref the games… they all come away [...]

Spark: The next generation of philanthropists

Some nonprofits are just lucky. They get calls from corporations asking how they can help. From restaurants looking to host free events. From ad agencies looking to do some pro-bono work.
Of course, it’s not luck, really. Chalk it up to longevity, success at meeting its mission, and over the years becoming a vital and well-recognized [...]

Hands On, Greenlights, more this week

Had a useful, provocative, and fun lunch with Mando Rayo of Hands On Central Texas last week. As usual, he’s given me much to think about. Lots of new leads to follow and new ideas to track down. Again, he’s such a good resource – and a positive one – it’s hard to come away [...]