Community Foundation of Acadiana will be holding a workshop on Thursday, July 23rd. Acadiana organizations are encouraged to attend to learn about ways to partner with CFA. For more information and a registration form, visit the CFA website.
Archive for June, 2009
Canine Philanthropy by Scott Brazda
I’m proud to say that the Brazdas are a “philanthropic” family: I’m the executive director of The Stuller Family Foundation; my wife volunteers plenty of her time to our church and my daughter’s school; and our daughter often encourages the parents of members of her singing group “Forever Angels” to donate to various charitable causes. Even my 17-month-old son goes above and beyond to support such “nonprofits” as Pepperidge Farm, Nabisco, Jello-O, Enfamil and Gerber.
However, the family philanthropist with the purest motives for his community involvement hasn’t been listed.
He’s “Lucky”, our 5-1/2 year old black labrador.
Think about it…. and in all probability, Lucky’s “no bones about it” attitude (no pun intended) can be applied to your own pup as well. Among other things, my 80-pound, 4-legged dependent is:
*A PHYSICAL FITNESS ADVOCATE.
—(not just for himself, but for me as well… throwing a tennis ball 100 times a day?…. shoveling dirt to fill in holes?… chasing a canine who’s scooted out when the back gate is left open?…. that’s Lucky–thinking about me and my need to get in a little physical activity. Lucky knows, even if I don’t, the importance of my longevity).
*A STRONG BELIEVER IN HUGS.
—(warmth, empathy, physical contact, caring about the other guy…. all good things. Aren’t those qualities we’d like to see in any good donor?).
*A GOOD LISTENER.
—(Lucky seldom offers any advice… never throws out a “you know, what you SHOULD’VE DONE is…” He knows that what a nonprofit often wants is for someone to just sit, wag his or her tail, and LISTEN… And when he does offer advice, it’s usually done through adorable body language).
*A BELIEVER THAT HUMANS WILL EVENTUALLY DO THE RIGHT THING.
—(He’s the eternal optimist, one with faith in the purity of the human spirit. Someone will feed the hungry/((Him))… Someone will provide health care for the sick//(Him)…Someone will greet the lonely with a “Hey, buddy!! How’s my pal?”….)
*A VITAL COG IN FUELING OUR CITY’S, OUR STATE’S, OUR NATION’S AND OUR PLANET’S ECONOMY.
—(Lucky goes to the vet for a shot. I pay my bill. My vet deposits the check. The bank processes the deposit. My vet can put food on his table, so can the bank employees. The grocery store can stay in business. And so on. This simple exchange of dollar signs sets in motion a fall of dominoes whose impact is far-reaching).
*A VOICE FOR THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATIONS AND MERGERS AMONG OUR CITIZENRY.
—Throwing the squeak toy football requires a thrower and a retriever. But as much fun as THAT is, ever notice how much more excited your dog gets when 2 or 3 people are throwing the ball? Or better yet, when 3 or 4 little kids, preferably with food your dog can borrow, are in the backyard? Teamwork & Partnerships at their best).
*A RESPONSIBLE, HANDS-ON, SELF-MOTIVATOR.
—(Before bringing in any outside funder, Lucky examines the problem himself. He tries to solve the problem himself. He’s like nothing better than to catch to catch that pesky squirrel in the pecan tree WITHOUT having to run to me and say, ‘I don’t know what to do, Scott. He’s up there, I’m down here… Don’t worry; I’ll come up with a solution…”).
So let’s see here: Health conscious. Sympathetic & empathetic. A good listener. An optimist. A creator of positive economic impact. A believer in the “it takes a village” concept of initiating positive change through teamwork. A self-starter.
All good things to look for when you’re in search of a donor. All good things to internalize when you’re planning to enter the world as a philanthropist.
Sure, Lucky’s not perfect…none of us are. But his fundamentals are pretty darn solid.
And he’s pretty realistic in his requests:
“One dog biscuit, that’s all. You don’t HAVE TO empty the whole box. Sure, if you WANT to give me more than I’m asking, I won’t say ‘no”, but…..”
Scott Brazda is the Executive Director of Stuller Family Foundation.
Big Brothers Big Sisters announces cast for 2009 Murder Myster Dinner Theatre
In what has become a community favorite, Big Brothers Big Sisters recently announced their cast for this summer’s murder mystery. The cast features local celebrities including Representative Fred Mills and his wife Debbie and Lafayette Consolidated Government’s Ben Berthelot.
Above is a photo of the 2008 event which was a great success for the organization. This year’s additional cast members include Dan Hare, Allyson Pharr, Kenneth Toups, Susie Brunet, Rose Hoffman Cormier, Cookie Bacque, Erin Spisak, and Kayla LeMaire.
This year’s play is called “I Buried an Idol” and promises to bring lots of laughs for a great cause.
For more info or to purchase tickets, visit the Big Brothers Big Sisters website.
YOU CAN BE A PHILANTROPIST, TOO!!! by Scott Brazda
When it comes to charitable giving, I’m in the same boat as many of you: Limited capital, limited funds, limited dollars…. which means, I’m limited in my ability to help out and make a difference.
Or am I ??
You see, class, the point I’m going to come right and make is this:
You don’t have to be a billionaire or a millionaire to contribute. Heck, you don’t even have to be a “thousandaire”, or a “hundredaire”, or a “tens-a-naire”, or even a “ones-a-naire”.
(I believe I’m one of the first to use the previous four “–naire” words, but I digress).
A more finely-tuned version of my message is this:
Giving to charity isn’t solely defined by writing a check or handing over some cash.
“In-Kind Donations” as they’re called, can carry just as much weight (and sometimes more) as a monetary donation. And when I say “in-kind donation”, I mean giving a nonprofit organization (social service group, church, school, etc.) a gift of your time, energy and abilities.
*Can you use a hammer or a screwdriver? Offer to assist during a charity’s “fix-up” day and —- boom– you’ve just become a philanthropist.
*Can you push a lawn mower? Bring it to the nonprofit, tell them, “I’ll cut the grass, you keep working for your cause”, and—boom—you’ve become a philanthropist.
Do you have a conference room or empty warehouse you can offer to a group so it can hold its annual awards ceremony (and not have to spend money to rent a facility)? Do it, and— boom— you guessed it, you’re an instant philanthropist.
There are plenty of other examples, such as paying members of your company’s accounting staff to help a nonprofit balance its books….. driving children at a summer camp to a field trip…. or making meals to feed staff at group’s fundraiser or retreat. Providing any of these services converts little ol’ you… in a big ol’ donor.
And here’s my own most frequent “in-kind donation”: Since I’m an old broadcaster, who loves to show off and is somewhat comfortable behind a microphone and in front of a crowd, I offer to provide groups with an “instant emcee”. (Afraid of making a fool out of yourself? Let’s let Scott do it !!). Or I click away at my keyboard and try to help them hammer out an effective, call-to-action press release.
So the next time you’re asked to give, don’t let your bank account be the only determining factor.
Look in the mirror, and make the donation that really matters.
Give your favorite charity…. YOU.
Scott Brazda is the Executive Director of Stuller Family Foundation.
Hospice televent this weekend
Tune into KATC TV 3 this Sunday for the Hospice Televent from 9 AM to 5 PM. Support Acadiana’s nonprofit hospice program, and learn about the important services the organization provides.
Buy a raffle ticket for your chance to win an SUV or truck (you choose!). Watch on Sunday to KATC TV 3 for more information about how you can support Hospice of Acadiana.
