My 15 mintues of fame

OK, if this is really my 15 minutes of fame, I demand a recount! But I'll take what I can get - I think this is the closest I ever will get to the Society Pages. Look for me in the pink top and gray skirt.

http://hollywoodonthepotomac.blogspot.com/2009/02/red-cross-oscar-night-2009.html

The Oscar Night Gala to benefit the Red Cross of the National Capital Area was a blast! Lots of posh folks decked out in their finest, and I met some really fun people. It's so nice to have a fun night AND support a great cause at the same time.

Appalachia

I was blown away by Diane Sawyer's hour-long special on the people of central Appalachia, which aired last night on ABC. So many of us are touched by stories of poverty from halfway around the world - what about the extreme poverty that Americans are dealing with right here, on our shores? Sawyer highlighted several children and families in the Kentucky hills who are battling homelessness, joblessness, drug addiction, and poor or non-existent healthcare. There was the young high school football star who chose to live in his truck, rather than dealing with the poverty and alcoholism in his own home. And the young mother who walked SIXTEEN MILES to and from school each day to earn her GED. And the young girl who desperately hopes that her drug addicted mother will kick the habit. I am definitely putting some of these organizations on my own philanthropic giving list.

15 minutes of fame...

I recently purchased a really great product to help me with my business planning - it's a new, creative approach to the traditional business plan, called the Right-Brain Business Plan. I sent a copy of my business plan - now in the form of a colorful mobile hanging next to my desk! - to the creative guru behind the Right-Brain Business Plan, Jennifer Lee of Artizen Coaching. She posted it in her newsletter - my 15 minutes of fame!

Swanky Oscar Night Soiree

If you're as big a movie fan as I am, you are always looking for something fun and festive to do on Oscar Night. Personally, I'm pulling for Slumdog Millionnaire to take the big prize (the soundtrack also is great!), and I also think Micky Rourke was amazing in The Wrestler...

Through Pamela's Punch (a blog written by a local gal about town), I just found out about a fun, swanky Oscar Night soiree taking place at the Hard Rock Cafe downtown. Oscar Night 2009 will benefit the Red Cross of the National Capitol Area. There will be a silent auction, a "swag bag," 17 big screen TVs to watch the Oscars, good food and drinks... and cheering for your favorite flicks! It's the only Academy sanctioned Oscar viewing event in the DC area.

Party goers are encouraged to dress to the nines! It's black tie, baby.

Anyone want to join me for this fun, philanthropic event?

Tranquil Space Foundation

I had such a great meeting yesterday with the board and steering committee of the Tranquil Space Foundation. What a smart, dedicated, and compassionate group of volunteers! I can't wait to get started on our next project - deciding which women and girl focused nonprofits will be the recipients of our next round of mini-grants. To learn more about the foundation, or contribute to the foundations' work, check out their web site.

A Month of Charities: The Washington Ballet... plus, Inaugural reflections

Whew! Now that the Inauguration buzz is subsiding, I can get back to blogging and sharing some great charities with you for the rest of the month of January. I took part in all sorts of fun events, including an Inaugural concert at the 9:30 Club (featuring Sheryl Crow and the Beastie Boys!), trekking down to the National Mall to witness the main event (had Silver tickets and was DENIED! Secret Service shut down our area. But made up for it by witnessing the event w/ friends and thousands of others on Pennsylvania Avenue, about 3 blocks from the Capitol), checking out the Art of Change Inaugural Ball, etc, etc....

One of the highlights was taking part in a Move For Change yoga workshop the day before the Inauguration with the lovely yogini and activist Seane Corn. Unfortunately, Seane was under the weather and had to step out of her class - a great guy filled in for her. Then I took a wonderful makeup class w/ Seane on Wednesday, which was a fitting "bookend" to the whole Inaugural whirlwind - a great way to get centered after so much excitement and to focus on change, positivity, and unity (rather than the "us versus them" mentality that so much of the election period fostered).

The Move for Change workshops took place at The Washington Ballet. I practiced next to a fantastic yogi who could move and stretch like crazy. His practiced was so focused and so impressive - it's fun and inspiring to do yoga next to someone who can really rock it out like that. I didn't find out until class was over that I was practicing next to none other than Septime Webre, the celebrated Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet! So, to honor him, I am highlighting The Washington Ballet in this post. They have some great community programs, including movement and language arts programs for DC public school students. (plus, I hear that their galas and parties are the place to be!)

A Month of Charities: Goodwill Fashion Shows

I love this trend - places like Goodwill Industries are starting to launch fashion shows that feature the clothes you can get at their stores. You can find some really good vintage stuff, and LOW priced designer wares, at Goodwill! Goodwill Greater Washington has actually launched a Goodwill Fashion Blog. Brilliant! They are even having an Inauguration Donation and Travelin' Trunk Show in DC on January 17, to capitalize on all the Inauguration frenzy. What a great way to be both charitable and fabulous.

The next time a charity calls you to ask for a donation...

... bear in mind this shocking (and kind of depressing) article from the New York Times ("Telemarketers Take Hefty Share of Charity Dollars, Cuomo Says", December 30, 2008):

On average, just 39 cents of every dollar raised by commercial telemarketing companies for charities in New York State actually go to charity, the state attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, concluded in a report issued on Tuesday. The balance, he found, is used to pay fees and expenses associated with professional fund-raising.

I've personally had a very bad experience with a charity telemarketer. I got a call from a local charity that I had donated to in the past, and while I thought the call was from one of the charity's volunteers, it was actually from a paid telemarketer. This person was relentless in asking me for a gift, and when I mentioned that I was having a problem and could actually use some assistance from the charity, he just kept pushing for a donation. Ugh!

Next time you get one of these calls, ask if the caller is a volunteer, or ask if they can mail you some info, or ask if you can donate online. Lots of options for you, the generous donor!

A Month of Charities: American Film Institute

On Saturday night, I saw Slumdog Millionaire in the magnificent American Film Institute (AFI) Theater in Downtown Silver Spring. What a great space! If you love the art of film, you have to be a part of AFI! From their web site:

AFI is a national institute providing leadership in screen education and the recognition and celebration of excellence in the art of film, television and digital media.

AFI trains the next generation of filmmakers at its world-renowned Conservatory, maintains America's film heritage through the AFI Catalog of Feature Films and explores new digital technologies in entertainment and education through the AFI Digital Content Lab and K-12 Screen Education Center.

A Month of Charities: Kiva

One of the coolest ideas out there, Kiva "lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty"

Through Kiva, you can make a small business loan to:

Isiah, who sells electrical parts in Ghana
Anastasia, who sells clothing in Tanzania
Asunscion, (71 year old!) a cook in Peru
Tuilaguila, a fisherwoman in Samoa

and countless other hardworking business owners around the world. Become your own, mini Donald Trump and invest in these worthy businesses!