Merry Christmas, everyone! Here’s hoping that you and yours have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. May we all remember the reason behind this season and the reason why we all celebrate today.
Why I Donate to Sigma Pi Fraternity
The folks at MSNBC.com finally posted something worth reading. The other day they had an article that talked about how charities are finding it harder to plug the holes in their budgets with donations. As someone who makes a lot of donations each year and also works in and studies the nonprofit industry, I found this article very interesting. For me, one of the best parts of the article was:
It costs more to acquire new donors than to retain them, experts say. But churning through donors also makes it harder to woo benefactors. “Donors don’t want to be funding fundraising,” says Sargeant. “They want to be funding the work you’re trying to do.”
And they’re demanding much more accountability from the nonprofits they bankroll. If they don’t get it, they walk, says Penelope Burk, president of the fundraising consultancy Cygnus and Associates.
This is it – this is what the nonprofit industry comes down to. First, are you asking for someone to make a donation that goes to a cause or goes towards paying for salaries? Second, are you willing to explain your expenses and why money is put in certain places as opposed to others? Third, are you doing what you actually said you would be doing?
The answers to these three questions are why I donate to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation. When I donate to the SPEF, I am giving a tax-deductible donation to two specific funds (both of my choosing) that are managed by people I know on a first-name basis and can e-mail at 1:00pm and receive a personal response by 2:00pm. These funds are under the oversight of a Board where I know many of the members on a first-name basis and have many of the cell phone numbers in my phone.
That level of trust is hard to come by in the nonprofit sector.
I helped put these two funds together and I know where each dollar is spent. I know how much of the fund’s earnings are spent on administrative expenses and I know how much goes back to the overall end-user and it what forms (scholarships for the undergraduate fraternity brothers). At any time I can pick up the phone and call the President of the SPEF and have a discussion with him.
There’s a level of trust and reliability there that you cannot build very easily. Hell, my own company is a nonprofit and I’ve yet to donate or invest any money with them! I’ll be changing that in the New Year, but it has taken me the better part of 16 months as an employee to even reach that level of comfort.
So be sure that you know the places that you’re donating to and be sure that you know where the money is being spent. And hey, if you feel like you can’t make an impact with any organization, then donate to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation! It’s a good group with a good cause which I’d be more than happy to talk to any of you about!
DVD Review: Hatchet (Unrated Director’s Cut)
This movie is fantastic! The other day I had the opportunity to watch Hatchet, the Unrated Director’s Cut. I honestly had no idea what to expect going into this movie and I was ready to be let down (I’m not big into the horror scene and I hadn’t heard of this movie before). Wow – I was completely stunned at how great this movie turned out! Now folks, let me first state that there is a lot of gore, cursing, nudity, and adult commentary on this DVD. Got it? Good, let’s move on.
You have to watch this movie if, for nothing else, to see Joel David Moore as Ben. Hilarious! He plays this quasi-loser who is really excited for a ghost tour down in New Orleans (in the middle of Mardi Gras, that is). He winds up guilting his buddy Marcus (played by Deon Richmond) into coming along with him. I don’t want to tell too much of the story because you really have to see it to appreciate the amazing mix of humor and horror, but let me say this – the work of Moore and Richmond is reminiscent of the Judd Apatow style of dialogue. It was excellent – very impressive!
I also got a good laugh out of Perry Shad who acted as the tour guide and Joleigh Fioreavanti and Mercedes McNab who acted as two, ummm, I don’t know. I guess you’d call them “Girls Gone Wild” type of girls. Absolutely hilarious dialogue between these two!
An example of some of the humor in this film… As the guests are getting ready for the tour there is a crazy man screaming trying to get their attention. The guide (Shad) tells them that the crazy man is a nut case and that they shouldn’t even bother listening to him. Shad mentioned that the guy even drank his own piss! The boat starts up and the tour moves out into the bayou. As the tour is moving out, the crazy man says:
“Y’all gonna die.” With a very remorseful look, like he knows what’s coming. Then he drinks a bottle of his own piss. Hilarious!
There are funny moments like this littered throughout the movie. But one of the biggest draws is obviously the story of Victor Crowley (played by Kane Hodder). The story is told – brilliantly – by Marybeth (played by Tamara Feldman). I don’t want to tell the story here because it’s pretty much the meat and potatoes of the movie, but you won’t be disappointed. In fact, this entire part of the movie is excellent. Not to ruin this part for anyone, but two older tourists are killed and it is absolutely hilarious!
Take my suggestion here, folks. Buy, rent, or borrow this movie now! The subtitle on the DVD Box says “Old School American Horror.” Not only is this movie made in the old school horror movie style, but it’s got the perfect mix of humor to go with the gratuitous gore. I highly recommend Hatchet, the Unrated Director’s Cut! I even went out and got a copy as a Christmas gift!
Book Review: The Citizens’ Manual
This really should be titled as a “Pamphlet Review,” but it’s no big deal. Also, please remember that this manual is written for New Jersey citizens! This manual is a product of the Center for Civic Responsibility and is authored by Harry S. Pozycki. I believe that this manual is an important read for anyone who intends on or is thinking about becoming engaged in local politics. Some of the points addressed in the manual are extremely relevant given many of the town meetings that I have attended.
One of Pozycki’s best points is about how local citizens can act for change in a community or a region. He details the need to be well-versed on the subject area that you seek a change in and he talks about how one must show respect to those in elected positions. In other words, don’t storm into a council meeting and demand that a business be condemned because you think they are too loud in the morning! Instead, speak with the business and try to handle the problem yourself. If that does not work, then speak with neighbors to get their views and – if support exists – prepare a petition that asks the town council to sanction the business unless certain guidelines are met. And at all times, be very respectful to everyone around you because remember – most of the people who are in positions of power are not paid to be there.
Pozycki also does a nice job of explaining how the planning board and school board has a great deal of power to make significant changes in local municipalities. Many times people overlook these two entities and make all of their judgment calls based directly on the town council. That’s not only not fair to the hard working men and women on the planning and school boards, but it does not do much to accomplish and real change in an area.
One of the best pieces of this manual is that it tells people about party committee seats. These are seats that are elected locally and election district-specific. The folks who serve as committee seat-holders are the ones who get to help decide a specific political party’s slate of candidates and who will fill the holes left by retirements or elected officials stepping down. This is a great way for a local person to become engaged in the political process, though you usually only find Republican and Democratic party committee seats…options that not too many of New Jersey folks may find appealing!
There are a variety of other topics covered in this manual. The manual is written in a way that cuts through the BS and gets right down to business. You can download this manual download as a PDF by clicking here. I highly suggest giving the manual a read if you are into this type of stuff!
Book Review: The Millionaire Next Door
One of my co-workers read this book last spring and she was very high on it. I picked up a copy around April because it was in the bargain bin and I admit, it’s a good read. Most of the information is dated (the book was published in 1996), but the core financial principles are universal in scope.
The authors of this book, Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko, have been studying millionaires for decades. They study everything about millionaires from their automotive decisions to their shopping habits to how they treat their children, where they live, where they work, and a multitude of other variables. The end results are fascinating. Most millionaires are the people living next door to you!
Stanley and Danko make some large, common sense generalizations about how to become a millionaire: spend frugally, research large expenses before they are made, be ware of get rich quick schemes, teach your children to be careful with money, don’t spoil your kids, don’t spoil your adult children, save for the future, etc, etc. All of these are basic principles that we each know (whether you realize it or not), but sometimes hearing real-life stories that back-up these principles can be very powerful. Stanley and Danko create a very powerful book by using excellent examples.
I highly suggest reading this book if you are interested in money or growing wealthier. It’s a quick, easy read that you will find hard to put down once you get to reading it. And hey – you never know…you might learn something about money!
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