Easy gift idea that supports a great cause!

I am a proud Steering Committee member of the Tranquil Space Foundation (TSF), a DC-based charity whose mission is to expand opportunities for girls and women to develop their "inner voice" through yoga, creativity, and leadership activities.

A couple of my favorite TSF activites include:

Giving out mini-grants to amazing organizations like Girls on the Run, Nest, and The Women's Collective.

Teaching TranquilTeens workshops for at-risk teenage girls, helping them to positively express themselves and learn relaxation techniques through yoga and creativity exercises.

Now you can support the Tranquil Space Foundation through your holiday giving. Donate a "goody bag" for one of our TranquilTeens workshops in the name of a friend or family member. The goody bags include a yoga CD (so the girls can practice yoga at home), a journal, and creative crafting items.

You can learn more and make your donation by clicking HERE.

Proud of my alma mater, UVA

Everyone who says you can't raise big dollars in this economy, take note:

I was reading my University of Virginia alumni magazine last night, and I saw that the University just reached the $2 billion mark in its 7 year, $3 billion campaign. Not only has the university received some serious "mega-gifts," but more than 77,000 alumni have contributed. That's what happens when you have an outstanding campaign chair, clearly articulated campaign goals, a great development office, and an alumni base that is incredibly passionate about the school.

$3 billion may seem like an audacious goal, but take note: In 1990, state revenues made up 29.9% of the academic division budget and 22.9% of the overall budget. Today, those numbers are 10% and 6%, respectively.

Meanwhile, we're not slacking academically! Far from it. The same magazine reported that in this year's US News & World Report ranking of America's best colleges, UVA is again the #2 public university in the country, tied with UCLA, and tied for 24th among all universities, public and private. UVA has ranked either first or second among public colleges and universities since 1992.

Another secret of fundraising success? Having a great product to sell.

Microlending, American Style

You might be familiar with the concept of "microlending" - making a small loan (or grant) to help would-be business owners start their own businesses and stop the cycle of poverty. For example, when I was in Uganda several years ago I heard about a woman who got a small loan to buy a sewing machine, so she could start a sewing and tailoring business. The money helped her to launch the businesses, providing an income for her and her family, and it also helped her to establish credit so that she could someday approach an established bank for a bigger loan.

Groups like Kiva and Grameen Bank are famous for enabling every day people to make microloans to benefit people in developing countries. (and the founder of Grameen Bank is famous for winning a Nobel Peace Prize). GOOD magazine recently highlighted some groups that are enabling folks like you and me to make microlending-type gifts to people and projects here in the good old U.S.of A. Here are the groups that GOOD highlighted:

Accion USA
Project Enterprise
Grameen America
KIVA
Kickstarter

I love the idea of helping someone in New York, Appalachia, or any poor neighborhood in America start their own business and lift themselves out of poverty. I think this will land on my year-end giving list!

Holiday Shopping to Benefit Lombardi Cancer Center, 12/10

I am a longtime volunteer at the Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University Hospital (I volunteer w/ cancer patients every Wednesday morning), and I want to let you know about a great opportunity to buy unique holiday gifts while supporting Lombardi.

The annual Gift of the Arts event is taking place on December 10 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. You can purchase one-of-a-kind holiday gifts made by local artists. A portion of the proceeds from each purchase will support the the Lombardi Cancer Center's Arts & Humanities program - where artists work with patients on beading, creative writing, painting, knitting, and other artistic pursuits. I have personally seen the great benefits that patients get from these arts programs. There will be everything from oragami gift boxes to handmade wooden flutes (with flute lessons!) to unique knit projects.

Please consider making this part of your holiday shopping this year!

Shakira Geeks Out and Does Some Good

Music sensation Shakira recently wrote an op-ed which was published in The Economist. I have a new found respect for this smart cookie with truthful hips and a passion for doing good! The focus of her op-ed was childhood education, particularly in impoverished nations around the world.

More info on Shakira and her Barefoot Foundation HERE.
Read her article in The Economist HERE.

Great tips for big fundraising events

As a professional fundraiser, I have a bias against big fundraising events. While they may gross a lot of money for a charity, when you subtract the costs of putting the event on, most of them don't actually net that much. And then, when you add up the value of the staff time that goes into putting on the event, they make MUCH less money! My biggest beef is that most charities don't really use their fundraising events well. It's not just about who is in the room that night... it's about how you follow up with those folks throughout the year to make them ongoing friends of, and donors to, your organization.

That being said, I recently read a great column in Fast Company magazine by Nancy Lublin, the CEO of Do Something. She wrote about a big event that Do Something recently had in New York. They raised money, had high-voltage celebrities, and honored "five amazing youths for doing amazing things, from building an orphanage in Nepal to registering thousands of new voters." However, the event did not generate nearly the PR buzz that they had hoped. Her column includes some great tips. Here's my favorite:

At the beginning of an event, most people ask people to turn their cell phones off. We should be asking people to turn their cell phones on! (but, says Lauren, keep them on vibrate). That way, people can tweet, blog, and update their Facebook status during the event.

Read more of her great event tips HERE.

Celebs Gone Good

Vh1, the network for people who still think of themselves as semi-cool (like me), but can't figure out what's going on with all those kids on MTV (like me), recently aired a show I can really get behind: Top 20 Celebs Gone Good.

The show (and web site, and blog, and message board... you get the idea) chronicles the ways that celebrities are bringing their starpower to causes they care about, so that you and I will sit up and take notice.

Check it out to see what the likes of Natalie Portman, Cameron Diaz, will.i.am, Bono, Matt Damon, Alicia Keys, and others are doing to change the world - or to change your mind. I'll highlight some of my favorites in the coming weeks.

Vote on Facebook for your favorite charity!

Chase Community Giving is giving away $5 million to Facebook users' favorite charities. Find info HERE, get onto Facebook, and vote!

3 DC charities left off of CFC

I just read in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that 3 DC non-profits were accidentally left off of the Combined Federal Campaign list due to an error at the the United Way of the National Capital Area. Those three groups collectively raise $70,000 - $80,000 through the CFC. Yikes! The United Way says that they'll make up expected losses to those groups through their own funds, but I thought everyone involved would benefit from a little Facebook/blog shout-out:

Jewish Federation of Greater Washington
Animal Allies
Northern Virginia Resource Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Persons

Please keep these groups in mind when making your giving plans!

Ludacris - my lunch companion

OK, me and about three hundred other people, but it still counts, right?!

I went to the National Press Club last Friday to hear Ludacris (née Chris Bridges) talk about his philanthropic, delivered via his foundation, the Ludacris Foundation.

Highlights:

• Ludacris and rapper T.I. each gave $10,000 to Atlanta flood relief, and then, through a series of phone calls to music industry friends, raised $100,000 in one day.
• The Foundation is involved in some great causes, including helping runaways (he had a song about this), teaching kids about living healthy lifestyles (i.e. obesity prevention), and economic stimulus work in Atlanta.
• Ludacris is very proud of both the money that has been given away and the direct services hours he's given. He is committed to being a physical presence among the people he is helping.
• His diamond earrings were as big as golf balls!
• When asked what the best thing is about being a celebrity is, he said "You have all this money, and people STILL give you free stuff!"

Overall, he was charming, intelligent, and super impressive. Chris, I'm ready for our one-on-one lunch!