The Little Words Mean the Most

10-year anniversary: Training clients since 2001

Academy for Nonprofit Excellence (VA)
ADAPE Australasia Biennial International Conference
Alberta (CN) Fund Raising Conference
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), international conferences, audioconferences
AFP Alaska
AFP Austin
AFP Calgary
AFP Central Massachusetts chapter
AFP Connecticut
AFP Dallas
AFP Eastern Oklahoma chapter
AFP Fairfield County
AFP Halifax, Nova Scotia
AFP Manitoba
AFP Massachusetts chapter
AFP Memphis chapter
AFP Mid America (KS)
AFP Minnesota chapter
AFP Rhode Island chapter
AFP Tulsa chapter
AFP San Antonio chapter (TX)
AFP Southern Arizona chapter
AFP Southern Minnesota
AFP Toronto (CN)
AFP Tucson
Association of Lutheran Development Executives
Australasian Fundraising Forum
Beldon Foundation (US)
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation (MA)
Boy Scouts of America
CASE/NAIS
The Centre on Philanthropy (Bermuda)
Cheney & Company annual conference for independent schools
Chronicle of Philanthropy webinars
CommA (US community foundations)
The Cleveland Foundation
Community Foundation of Greater Memphis
Community Foundation of Northwest Connecticut
Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts
Connecticut Association of Nonprofits
CRD -- Region III (community colleges)
Essex County Development Group (MA)
FINZ conference (New Zealand)
Fundraising and Philanthropy Australasia annual conference
Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation (CT)
Greater Danbury Nonprofit Resource Center (CT)
Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Hartford Foundation for Public Giving (CT)
International Fundraising Congress (the Netherlands)
Maine Community Foundation
National Children's Alliance
Nebraska, Lincoln AMA (annual training day for nonprofits)
New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy
Nonprofit Management Center (TX)
The Norfolk Foundation (VA)
The Philanthropic Initiative
Philanthropy Midwest Conference
Princeton University
Ronald McDonald House Charities
Sarkeys Foundation (OK)
Seventh Day Adventists
SIDS Alliance (US)
Southcoast Health System
Technical Development Corporation (MA)<
Training Resources for the Environmental Community
University of Arizona Foundation
University of Calgary
University of Colorado Foundation
Utah Society of Fund Raisers
Volunteers of America
YWCAs of the Northeast Region
Valley Community Foundation (CT)

Another empty can on the trash heap of idea history

Registered, trademarked, copyrighted, pinky swear -- me as of right now. I wrote Jonathan: Here's the idea, Jonathan: take a waste material and turn it into something pleasing. The waste material: emails I don't open and read, but have to delete. The pleasing thing: automatically generated sound, that sounds lovely, like a vague soundtrack. It just burbles on through your speakers, soothing you, as it chews through the unwanted emails. Getting unwanted emails would become a good thing, like throwing logs on the fire. Jonathan wrote back: Sounds lovely, like a modified trash pail. Reverb, wind chimes, little snippets of the spam being read aloud, screaming as they descend into oblivion. I think you're onto something.  I replied: Yes, let's make ourselves rich with a stupid idea. What zeitgeist!!! Next step? Can you compose something, maybe an automatic lullaby generator? Have a cocktail....

We were this [ ] close. But bright ideas are like bug hatches.... Few grow up to be 747s.

Best of, yet not much

Click to explode...

Two roads

Take the high road. Or the low road.

Best pic

Fingers go with everything.

Rizzo!?!?!?!

Bob Rizzo. Love his art. A mask by Bob behind the orchid, contributed by Mary Kim and Matt Arnold. What we're up against, weather wise. Welcome.

Week in review: We are amongst...

...the inaugural faculty for a new online university for fundraisers and nonprofit boards, called FundCoaches. It will launch later this summer.

For that, co-founders Mo Lidsky and Sam Rosenberg drove up from NYC with a videotape crew. The RI chapter of AFP graciously hosted (thank you, Cheryl!!!) a taping-and-teaching event at Rhode Island College. Three "experts in demand" (Marc Pitman, Simone Joyaux, me) shot training sessions in front of both bare seats and audiences.

In the morning, we had nobody. In the afternoon, we had staff. In the evening, we had board members and EDs.

During the taping, we quickly grew to love Mo and Sam. Perfectionists; not rabidly so. Simone and I are VERY comfortable with that. Thoughtful: 2 Emily Post All Stars, they are. Simone and I, being the right age, immediately adopted both.

Of course, Mo and his wife have ... what, 2 kids and another on the way?!? He's a millennial. He's a former cross-country rat like me. Unlike me, he graduated with honors, Magna Cum Laude. Sam? Don't get me started; I'll sound like a relative. He's in microfinance. He went to college very young. And he was the student council president.

Mo and Sam start companies. FundCoaches is their latest. We feel privileged to be along for the ride, because they handle things so professionally.

L-r: Videographer Inigo confers with speaker Marc Pitman. Marc uses a bowtie as a trademark. Simone prepares. Drew behind the camera, opposite Simone; he fell alseep (both eyes) during my taping. All together now. We meet Marc for the first time, the night before. We meet Sam for the first time. Marc's a minister. He orders the "bacon ice cream" (not making that up). Sam and Mo eat kosher. They end up with lettuce. Just lettuce. The next day. Click any photo ... to enlarge and see the detail.

The good life, made easy

We needed a tasty, fool-proof, zero-labor Sunday brunch for two visiting adults (one vegetarian) and their awesome 5-year old, William ... and we found it all at the Northeast CT Farmers' Market over two days, on Thursday in Putnam, on Saturday in Danielson. Our homerun-hitting brunch menu (thanks to local farmers):

• crudité to start -- golden, sugar-burst cherry tomatoes from Wayne and a red gem cherry tomato from Betsy;
• served with two different cow's-milk cheeses from Meadowstone Farm (at this point, swooning occured);
• followed by cinnamon-swirl bread (Laura Pailthorpe, Falls Creek Farm) pasted with butter and even more cinnamon, and toasted into volcanic bubbles under the broiler;
• followed onstage by the main course: Laura's homemade broccoli and sharp cheddar cheese quiche, quickly reheated, served with side dollops of Palazzi hot pepper jelly and two other "condiments of summer";
• finished off with (positively, brunch should have dessert) slices of warm, slurpy rhubarb-and-strawberry pie, again from Laura, hiding inside her signature crust. "Yes, my dear tastebuds: butter is our friend."

Red states vs. blue states, in my nostrils

EZ summer cocktail

Sanpellegrino "Limonata." 2/3rds

1/3rd rum (I prefer Gosling's from Bermuda)

a handful of fresh strawberries

ice

mix toss drink enjoy talk expound