Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Moving Comfort & Girls in the Game.... Game On!


I am so excited I can hardly sit still. Moving Comfort is a fitness apparel company for women. I love'm and have been wearing the running attire for years. Started in the late 70's by two young female runners, they saw a need for running shorts for females. Back then, and as a runner of over 35 years, everything was unisex. Their success story is great and I support them.

Just over a year ago, I had the opportunity to work with Moving Comfort (MC) to help structure a giving back program. Well, here is what they created to make a difference! They recently launched their all new "Support Your Girls" campaign. This giving program ROCKS! The t-shirts which have the slogan Support Your Girls on the front gives 33 percent of each t-shirt sale to Girls in the Game. Girls in the Game (GIG) provides and promotes sports & fitness opportunities, nutrition & health education, and leadership development to enhance the overall health and well-being of all girls.

Okay, so here's the thing. The success and power of this program is in:

1. The alignment of mission of Girls in the Game and the vision of Moving Comfort;
2. The mutual values and commitment to those values;
3. The ideal match between a brand and what can boost the target's needs of an organization;
4. The authentic expression of the message which supports both MC and GIG;
5. The opportunity to be creative, have fun, and share an inspiring success story.

To know that thousands of girls between the ages of 6-18 lives will be touched is awesome. I applaud this partnership and what it means for girls now and the impact it will have on their lives in later years.

All I can is "WooHoo!"

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Glitz, Glamour and No Giving


I was so in shock when I read Phil Cubeta's Gift Hub blog post on March 18th: "A Philanthropy Budget for Countess Marie Douglas-David?" Here is exactly what Phil blogged:
"Countess Marie Douglas-David, divorcing a tycoon breaks down her need for $53,000 week: Mortgage and maintenance fees and rent for the Park Avenue penthouse, the Hamptons retreat and properties in Sweden account for $27,300 a week, according to a financial affidavit she filed with the court. And then there's travel ($8,000), clothing ($4,500), a personal assistant ($2,209), horse care ($1,570), domestic help ($1,480), entertainment and restaurants ($1,500), health and skin care ($1,000), dry cleaning ($650), flowers ($600) and a trainer ($250).

The personal assistant at $2,209 made me cringe. I had applied for that job, emphasizing my Morals Tutoring experience, and holding myself out as a specialist in helping families flourish, but I never got past the screening interview. I was willing to do the trainer job, plus chauffeur and would have thrown in the Morals Tutorials, and mucking out the stables, for nothing, but I was assured that her moral well being was well managed, by herself personally. It did not take a moment's thought, I was told, it just came naturally, unlike diet, exercise, personal grooming, fashion, food preparation, flower arranging, and horse care.

In philanthropic planning, we work with clients to figure out "how much is enough for the donor," or for the donor, spouse and heirs, and then we talk about philanthropy for wealth beyond that point. Nice to see that $53,000 a week does not reach that threshold. Zero here for giving, not even a dime for some religious organization, or a passing beggar. Maybe if she got $100,000 a week she might have enough to fund a small charitable gift now and again? A Botox Foundation or something for the poor? I may approach her to propose free morals tutorials for the angry mob outside her door. The riffraff who read the tabloids should know better than to judge their betters. Envy is a sin."

All I can think to say is, "Wow, kind of startling if not all together difficult to imagine that she doesn't give." Now, I don't know if Countess Marie gives or doesn't give." She very well may through another purse of money. And I am not going to judge any one's lifestyle either. Hers is what it is. But, I will say this, $53K for lifestyle a week is a lot of money. If she worked or owned her own business, again, $53K would be an opportunity cost and well, okay I could get that. Yet, to make a conscious decision not to give anything from that amount of money is all together, in some way, well... it's mind blowing. There is an inherent joy, of satisfaction, one feels when they give back. Obviously, Countess Marie experiences joy and satisfaction in other ways. But I can't help but think if one were to extend themselves beyond themselves, how manifold that feeling could be.

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

My BIG Business Giving Program Reveal

So, today is my BIG reveal..... (drum roll)
My 3 New Private Small Business Giving Coaching Programs. The programs are:

1. Grassroots ~ Get Your Giving Off the Ground TM
2. Trailblazers ~ Build Your Business, Legacy and a Better World TM
3. High Impact Day~ Be a Power Philanthropy Partner in this World TM

These new programs offer something for EVERY business no matter where you are in business. You can be 6 months or 6 six years in business. You can be making $50K or $1.5M. "IT DOESN'T MATTER!" You can make a difference for your business's bottom-line and beyond just through giving. The small act of giving when done strategically for your business is powerful for you and the world!

I will be first to say that I understand giving is not at the top of your priority list. I understand if you have an extra $500 months it's going to a virtual assitant or marketing effort. Did you know giving is a hybrid mix of marketing for business. Huh? Did you know that? Did you know there are 5 ways giving can GROW your business? It doesn't matter HOW much you have to give. It's how you give back WHAT you do have that makes the difference. programs.

Click the link to read more about each program http://www.givingadvice.com/coaching.html

Copyright 2009. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.
Note: Program titles are undergoing Trademark protection. All rights apply.

Monday, March 9, 2009

The Science Behind Our Generosity

In Newsweek, 3/9/09 Issue, Peter Singer's article, "The Science Behind Our Generosity", highlights how psychology affect what we give to charities. I don't know if it's science or just basic humanity. In his article, Peter states that "according to UNICEF, 10 million children under the age of 5 die each year from causes that are preventable." They die of diseases from unsafe drinking water, sanitation and malnutrition. These are things that we can take for granted. Most of us buy bottled water because we don't like the taste of tap water, and that wouldn't even be a decision for some children and families. They just want clean water. They struggle with some of the most basic needs to sustain life.

So, why do we give? Peter says that we give because even though in the toughest of economic times most people realize that they are better off than others in this world and it's about making a choice to do what is right for others and our planet. Maybe it's because anyone would lend a hand to someone who is in danger, dying, as it maybe just a part of our human instinct and respect for humanity, life.

On a lighter note, in the article it indicates a survey of Americans found that those who gave to charity were happy people. Now we don't know if giving made people happy or if happy people are more likely to give. From my experience, I'd say it's a balance of both. I've met very wealthy people who are just unhappy folks and actually are not very giving. Unbelievable, but true.

So, here is what you can walk away with from this post and Peter's article, people give because we have instincts to care. When we give, it makes us feel really good.

Monday, March 2, 2009

My Interview on TriplePundit: 3pSeries on Profit Philanthropy

TriplePundit is the "new conversation about integrating people, planet and profits into today's business."Their 3p series is Philanthropy in Five and Gennefer Snowfield, a writer for this series recently interviewed me.

You can catch my interview on Proft-Philanthropy. Feel free to join in on the discussion by leaving a post.

Be sure to bookmark TriplePundit if you are a socially conscious business owner who wants to make a difference while making a living.