Monthly Archives: November 2010

Tacky plastic

Posted on November 30, 2010 by

Some thoughts for the upcoming holiday season. A few years ago my wife and I bought my son a beautiful, wooden, ecologically friendly, made-in-Thailand-from-recycled-materials airport set. Guess who they’re selling that product to?  Me. Guess who never played with it?  … Continue reading →

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Thankful

Posted on November 25, 2010 by

To my kids for their wide-eyed, wide-grinned, bright-eyed, PJ-clad good morning smiles. To the internet for telling me how to keep the iPhone from skipping songs when I run or walk – something that had been bugging me for ages. … Continue reading →

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Philanthropic milkshake mistakes

Posted on November 24, 2010 by

Thanks to a reminder from Katya on her Nonprofit Marketing Blog, I finally went ahead and bought Clay Shirky’s most recent book, Cognitive Surplus: Creativity and Generosity and a Connected Age, which is about the digital age, the demise of … Continue reading →

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Frankly my dear…

Posted on November 23, 2010 by

I saw a woman today ringing her bell for Salvation Army holiday collections – mostly what I noticed was her big yawn and the fact that she was texting while ringing her bell. She’s just doing a job.  But you’re … Continue reading →

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Hunt for thank you opportunities

Posted on November 22, 2010 by

Ari reminded me of a study I’d heard about but forgotten.  Donors to nonprofits were divided into three groups: A group that was called and personally thanked A group that was called and personally thanked and invited to a subsequent … Continue reading →

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NextGen:Charity mini-roundup

Posted on November 21, 2010 by

Here’s my completely non-exhaustive and non-definitive mini-roundup of  the 2010 NextGen:Charity conference where I had the chance to speak last Thursday (with a heavy bias towards the talks I was able to attend). Some things I’ll keep thinking about long … Continue reading →

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NextGen:Charity talk tomorrow

Posted on November 17, 2010 by

For those in the NY area, I’m speaking tomorrow at the NextGen:Charity conference.  It’s an exciting line-up of speakers including so many people I admire and respect…too many to list them all, but folks like Seth Godin, Scott Case (Malaria … Continue reading →

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Generosity arbitrage

Posted on November 16, 2010 by

Here’s a nifty transaction for the economically-minded among you (and for everyone else too): I bought lunch at the local Thai restaurant for $8.55 I got $0.45 change that I dropped in the tip jar, for which I got a … Continue reading →

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No resumes

Posted on November 10, 2010 by

I recently learned from an old friend who has a soon-to-be college-age son that, in addition to the test-prep tutors, that kids who now want to get into the best colleges have life tutors.  These are people who tell the … Continue reading →

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Run and hide! (nonprofit hiring)

Posted on November 9, 2010 by

File under: you can’t make this stuff up. I was asked to fill out a survey about salaries and hiring trends in the nonprofit sector, and one of the questions is: What is the determining factor in hiring staff for … Continue reading →

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