Dollar Philanthropy

Good Cause: Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation

About 6 months ago, I got a call from a very close friend. "So Carol, tell me what I need to know about Juvenile Arthritis."

My heart sank.  I developed JRA when I was 12.  My friend's eight year old daughter had an appointment with a rheumatologist and was beginning to experience the telltale symptoms of arthritis.  It just zapped me back to those early days of arthritis and knowing with some certainty that my life had been hijacked.

The problem with feeling that one's life has been hijacked is that over time such feelings begin to eat at one's feelings of self-confidence and self-efficacy.  In a nutshell, I felt like I would always have to look at my limitations before being able to do something.  I certainly didn't like that feeling so I rebelled against it, sometimes (my mother would say oftentimes) in unhealthy ways. 

So yesterday, I hear of another friend's daughter who will likely soon be diagnosed with arthritis.  Thus, today, I have decided that they way I will help is by drawing attention to a fairly new organization that is working to put a smile on the faces of kids with arthritis and hopefully giving them a springboard toward developing the skills and outlook that will enable them to reclaim their hijacked lives.

Jeffrey Gottfurcht Children’s Arthritis Foundation

Jeffrey Gottfurcht was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 27.  His reaction... jump in and do something for kids with the disease. "Jeffrey wanted to share his determination to fight Rheumatoid Arthritis while bringing joy, strength and support to others afflicted with this lifelong disease. Jeffrey chose to focus on fulfilling the dreams of children suffering from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis because as a father of 3, he understands the importance  of creating positive memories in a child’s life. The Foundation hopes to inspire, educate and generate awareness while those suffering with this lifelong disease optimistically await a cure."

Jeff's foundation arranges and funds "dreams" of kids with JRA, similar to the Make a Wish Foundation.  These experiences demonstrate that 1. people care and 2. asking for something/help is not always a bad thing (something everyone with arthritis needs to learn because there will be some jar or container somewhere who will defy all your efforts to open it).  I know these two lessons have served me well.  It wasn't but just three days ago, I asked a random stranger to open the gas cap on my car when I needed to fill up (BTW: you get weird looks, but no one ever says no).

To date, JGCAF has funded 7 wishes with more to come.  Click here to read about them.  In a press release, JGCAF says: 

"Dream requests received in late 2009 and early 2010 as the Foundation was being formed reflect the quiet spirit of many of the children afflicted with juvenile arthritis—the majority of the 100+ requests received to date are for assistance with educational costs, followed by help with medical costs and assistance to offset household hardships, like the loss of a car or internet service that resulted from hardship brought on by the family’s escalating health costs. Other wishes asked for help in obtaining computer equipment that would provide the child with better visibility or mobility, such as a big screen computer or Wii system. 

Frivolous dreams are certainly a possibility and we’re open to those—but the reality is kids with arthritis are sensitive and self-aware. We’re working hard to raise funds to be able to grant as many wishes as possible,” added Gottfurcht."

Click here to read more about JGCAF.

Send Your Dollar

Directly on the JGCAF site:  Click here

Via Snail Mail to:  9440 Santa Monica Boulevard - 8th Floor  Beverly Hills , CA 90210

Research on The Richness of Living With Less

I talk a lot here about claiming your abundance.  For me, that means resting securely in the notion that I really do have all that I need.  Yea-- I would like a swanky new redesign of my kitchen.  Yes, I would like hardwood floors.  Yes, I would like to wear cute outfits everyday.  But the fact that I don't have those things in no way diminishes my contentment.  

An August 7th article by Stephanie Rosenbloom documents how one couple in Oregon have whittled down their posessions to 100 each and now have found a new kind of abundance.

"Emboldened by a Web site that challenges consumers to live with just 100 personal items, Ms. Strobel winnowed down her wardrobe and toiletries to precisely that number.

Her mother called her crazy.

Today, three years after Ms. Strobel and Mr. Smith began downsizing, they live in Portland, Ore., in a spare, 400-square-foot studio with a nice-sized kitchen. Mr. Smith is completing a doctorate in physiology; Ms. Strobel happily works from home as a Web designer and freelance writer. She owns four plates, three pairs of shoes and two pots. With Mr. Smith in his final weeks of school, Ms. Strobel’s income of about $24,000 a year covers their bills. They are still car-free but have bikes. One other thing they no longer have: $30,000 of debt.

Ms. Strobel’s mother is impressed. Now the couple have money to travel and to contribute to the education funds of nieces and nephews. And because their debt is paid off, Ms. Strobel works fewer hours, giving her time to be outdoors, and to volunteer, which she does about four hours a week for a nonprofit outreach program called Living Yoga."

The article goes on to discuss research on the effect of spending behavior on levels of happiness.  This is definitely worth a read.  Basically, there is a fair amount of research that money that allows you to meet basic needs significantly impacts levels of happiness.  Money that is spent for extras--- loses its bang for the buck. 

"One major finding is that spending money for an experience — concert tickets, French lessons, sushi-rolling classes, a hotel room in Monaco — produces longer-lasting satisfaction than spending money on plain old stuff.  ...Another reason that scholars contend that experiences provide a bigger pop than things is that they can’t be absorbed in one gulp — it takes more time to adapt to them and engage with them than it does to put on a new leather jacket or turn on that shiny flat-screen TV. "

I spent a number of years buying whatever I wanted and spending money in whatever way I saw fit.  Our family's decision that I should work from home to take care of our Doodlebug until she got into school has been a challenge for me.  I personally derived a fair amount of self-worth and self-efficiency out of earning a substantial salary and paying for things with my own money. Who I was as a person did not depend solely on my salary and stuff, however, I would routinely choose to forgo investing in people in favor of making sure my income was secure.  The light went off for me a few years ago when I looked back, to a luxury shopping spree I worked and saved for.  Strangely, I don't remember much about the clothes I bought on my Sak's shopping spree.  I do remember the nice clerk,however. 

The thing about this that resonates with me is that the experiences that the researchers talk about usually involve other people.  So at some level, you have to listen to and relate to others.  For me, I now understand that this creates a richness and just adds to my sense of feeling blessed and having more than I truly need. 

So, if we are going to have a silver lining from this recession... then I hope it is that we all will re-learn what our grandparents knew.  Time on the front porch, laughing, and having a beer with family and friends is better than diamond earrings.  Furthermore, finding simple ways to help those who don't have the basics will help you feel like and rest in the idea that you live abundantly.

The Nonprofit Consultant Blog: What's Better than 40 Billionaires?

There's been a lot of media attention this past week for the Giving Pledge, an effort organized by Warren Buffett and Bill & Melinda Gates "to encourage the world's wealthiest individuals and families to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to philanthropy." The publicity and many of the news stories focused on the first forty billionaires to sign the pledge, and the approximate dollar value of those pledges (at least $120 billion).

via nonprofitconsultant.blogspot.com

Quotation of note: "Individual donations (like yours) currently make up 75% of U.S. philanthropy while foundations make up only 12%. Collectively, individual donations are more than six times larger than those of our friends in the billionaires' club."

Surprise!!! I never thought I'd think Larry Ellison was cool

To this very day, every time I see the word "Oracle" I get annoyed.  I think it started in the mid 90's when I traveled a lot for work.  In every city I visited, I would fly in and before I could even land, I would see a building with "Oracle" plastered across the top in big letters.  Then when I got on the ground, I would be required to drive by said building.  I seemed like the buildings were built just a little bit taller than their neighbors (mostly Oracle competitors). The architecture was just a little bit more flashy and the window sparkled just a little brighter.  I know it sounds judgmental, but combined with the news of the day it seemed that these buildings were just tangible evidence that Mr. Ellison might just fit Wilhelm Reich's definition of a phallic narcissist.

However, Mr. Ellison's curmudgeon-y response to the ultimate the curmudgeon, Mr. Buffet, made me appreciate him in a new way.  Perhaps it is my cynicism that is raising its ugly head again, but I can't help but wonder if this calling all billionaires out on the carpet maneuver of Gates and Buffet isn't some sort of ploy to 1. draw attention to their philanthropic agendas, 2. garner some competitive advantage over other agendas so that people will see their charity as more credible (read: worthy of a donation, attention or volunteer time) than others or 3. both.  Mr. Ellison's response seems to have supported those notions.  And I appreciate what it took for him to take that leap of faith and I'm just amused with his style and his seemingly unwavering sense of self.  With that said, I don't think that this personal Gates/Buffet rolodex Telethon is a intentional endeavor for personal fame or added personal fortune (however, it doesn't hurt).  However, I don't think that publicity stunt to draw attention to billionaires giving away billions has any real meaning to the people suffering injustice or those of us who are working daily in small ways to make our world a better place.

Perhaps a recent editorial in the Mercury News says it best... "It isn't just the wealthy that should be philanthropists."  I would add that being a philanthropist doesn't have any thing to do with the percentage of your wealth you give away.  Instead, I would pose that being a philanthropist has everything to do with putting your best gifts toward making the world a better place.  Obviously for some, it is money.  However, for others it is time and effort, remembering, for without the trench workers, all the money in the world would make no difference.

So Mr. Ellison, despite the fact your stock just went up in my eyes for taking a gamble to publicly join the Mr. Gates and Mr. Buffet cause... I want to call your "'setting an example' and 'influencing others' to give'" and raise you a "volunteer and get your hands dirty to alleviate some suffering" or at least do your best to heap accolades on those who do.

<off soapbox> Other comments welcome.