Andrea Ball, Sandra Zaragoza and the nonprofit media

Last week, Andrea (Austin American-Statesman), Sandra (Austin Business Journal) and I attended a meeting organized by Erica Ekwurzel of KDK-Harman Foundation and attended by other foundation representatives and Border Media.
Erica’s goal was to get us talking about what we could do as a team to get more information out about nonprofits, foundations, and the needs [...]

Protected: Download Issue #4 and Win a Wish List Jersey!

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GC4 Cover Preview: John Thornton of Texas Tribune

We’re experimenting with some great photography by Joel Salcido of John Thornton, the founder and chairman of Texas Tribune, the soon-to-launch, nonprofit, news website. He’s our cover story this month, and we’re thrilled to have snagged an interview with this super-busy guy.
GivingCity Austin Issue 4 to come soon. Facebook fans will get the message first, [...]

What’s the #1 reason why Central Texas women are dying of breast cancer?

Today the Austin Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure revealed some alarming breast cancer statistics for Central Texas.
The stats are the results of the 2009 Community Profile report, comprised of breast cancer data and survey information compiled over a two year period from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson Counties. Komen conducts the study every [...]

Not how I remember Sunday school

I attended teacher training for Sunday school at my church today. I had no idea there were such advanced and complicated curricula! What ever happened to rote memorization of Bible verses and horrifying stories of beatings for sin? For this program, we’re going to have to make sure students are engaged and empowered. As opposed [...]

“At least these days when you tell people you’re hurting, they believe you.”

I’ll never forget that quote I read somewhere from someone in the Austin fundraising community. The person was referring to the fact that in a down economy, prospects seem to doubt a nonprofit’s needs less.
A number of organizations – United Way, Greenlights, RGK Center, I Live Here, I Give Here – are conducting surveys to [...]

Congratulations to Lights.Camera.Help., first-ever nonprofit film festival

Austin may have fallen in the ranks of big cities that volunteer, but it should be proud of the people who do step up – especially those who do so in creative new ways.
David Neff, Aaron Bramley and Rich Vazquez deserve lots of credit for the immense amount of work they put into Lights.Camera.Help. The [...]

Watch out for those mystery bins in parking lots around Austin

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas is one of the largest Goodwill’s in the world, and there’s a reason for that, says Gerald Davis, president of Austin’s Goodwill. “Austin donors are some of the most generous in the country.”
But recent donations to Goodwill are down 11 percent. Unfortunately, this drop hits at a time when demand [...]

I don’t write the press releases, I just skim them

I don’t read them, for the most part. Here’s why:
They are structured and written as if I have all the time in the world to read them.
They are an email attachment I don’t want to open.
They include quotes that are obviously made up.
And some of them don’t actually pertain to any real news at all. [...]

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