The Little Words Mean the Most

definitely my problem

 

 

I grew up intellectually on brilliant, disruptive, pivotal "movements"

 

surrealism

dada

ubu roi

 

Rule #17

 

 

 

 

 

BIASES

Rule #14

 

 

 

 

 

OFFERS

Rule #13

 

 

 

 

 

FASTER

Working on my 2018 St. Mary's U. MN syllabus, introducing donor-centricity to US higher ed.

 

Rule #1:

There are no rules, only guidelines

 

Rule #2:

Lifetime Value is your prime metric

 

Rule #3:

You have to invest to make more

 

Rule #4:

It’s about them, not you

 

Rule #5:

Comms are a pleasure-delivery system

 

Rule #6:

Untrained opinions are dangerous

 

Rule #7:

Jargon is not your outdoor voice

 

Rule #8:

You don’t know (yet) why they gave

 

Rule #9:

The more mental nods, the more $$$

 

Rule #10:

Get your mission down to 2 words

 

Rule #11:

Voice balloons on animals are good

 

Rule #12:

Kommittee review kills revenue

 

Rule #13:

Faster

  

Rule #14:

Offers

 

 

 

 

 

In Kansas City, MO, I saw first-hand "the American Dream"

 

 

At 6:45 AM, Arthur picked us up at the Hampton Inn on Walnut St. (highly recommended; wonderful people). Simone and I were headed for the airport after a series of secret meetings meant to change the nonprofit fundraising world (we'll see).

Arthur is outgoing, with a slight accent. Simone wanted more. No problem: he'd come to Kansas City from Albania in his early 20s; he's now 45. Communist rule was falling apart. He'd grown up in a bad period. Your neighbors would turn you in for saying, "I wish we'd had more to eat last night." Police state. Treasonous to say you didn't have enough food.

When Communism fell apart, he found his way to America. A lot of people, he said, drowned trying to escape to the West. He learned fabulous English by working lots of different jobs: dishwasher, construction, driver. He met a woman and married in the US. Has two children just entering their teens. His wife works as a waitress. Both parents take all the overtime they can.

Arthur has a deep, personal, sophisticated, attentive, and nuanced view of the US.

For him, the American Dream is not a cliché nor a rip-off. For him, it's a bargain struck: you work hard, you contribute, you get somewhere. He's happy, by the way. His kids are doing well. They will graduate high school, go on to college, get good jobs.

Here's what I learned I think from Arthur as we drove together to the Kansas City airport: the iconic American Dream is NOT 3 cars in the garage and a lake house.

The American Dream for Arthur of Kansas City is safety from a lawless dictator (Trump qualifies: my view, not Arthur's) and enough food so you don't have to complain about hunger and enough work of any kind so you can buy that food....

Every civics class in the US should ride in Arthur's limo.

816-810-6408

 

or maybe online (any "content entrepreneurs" out there?): Arthur's Civics Lessons from His Kansas City Cab

The World War One Museum in KC & why it's more desperately relevant than ever

 

we assume societies adjust and react to circumstances, events; we actually obey ancient narratives: "Behold a pale horse..." This museum in Kansas City, MO, directed by Dr. Matt Naylor, has been called on TripAdvisor, "...hands down the best museum I've ever visited." I second that notion. Without question, it is the most profound museum I've ever visited. Terrifying (yes, we are easily capable of political stupidities that murder innocent generations and trusting millions). Hopeful (we learn as a species, assuming we never forget). Determined (there has to be a better way).

 

 

 

The secret meeting to increase charitable giving in the US from 2% of GDP to 3% of GDP, applying new psychological discoveries

 

 

Kansas City, MO. April 2018 below  What the science looks like in raw form; down-to-earth translation: a 50% increase in giving sits at any mid- to bigger charity's fingertips, waiting to be harvested; the scientists who made the breakthrough, psychologist Jen Shang & marketing prof. Adrian Sargeant, explaining the breakthrough

 

WISH WERE SO: AFP Ottawa Fundraising Day 2019, May

 

 

short answer, for me anyway:

YES!

 

I'll make a note.

Of course, I can't even BUY online a 2019 calendar to make a NOTE on.

Shall we talk about obsolete mind-sets?

We've known which day will be which since the Western world adopted the Gregorian calendar, more than 400 years ago.

But 2019 calendars aren't yet available at Staples; 2017 calendars are still on sale, though.

 

 

 

 

 

the BIG sold-out Spring event for the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, these two

 

far left: Mary Cahalane; "if you subscribe to her blog, raise your hands"

other: the speakers onscreen and Ms. Suspicious in Planned Parenthood pink