Here comes 2013…….Now what?

This is a question as the President and co-founder of Orchid I ask myself virtually every day. I have mountains of notes and digital “to do” lists everywhere in my database. A day seldom goes by without my adding to them as I learn another nuance to what it takes to survive as a non-profit […]

The Cost of Philanthropy

I do a lot of reading of other professional blogs that keep me up to speed on what successful foundations are doing. Theses blogs  focus on a variety of non-profit topics including social media, fundraising, celebrity charities, tax issues, and sometimes the causes themselves. Inevitably there is always an article on how a certain organization […]

It’s About Control…….and an Invitation

  Let’s face it we are living in a desert that can claim us at any moment. We just don’t have any real control over the outcomes of our lives. I have also come to the conclusion that desire and control are at the root of all human sorrow. When we can not have or […]

When Hot Chocolate is Pregnant with Consequence

What stirs our heart to Give of ourselves comes in many shapes and sizes and like vintage clothing or toppings on a hamburger it is different for each of us. Some are energized by women’s rights and empowerment, others by reducing our carbon footprint, there are pet people and some of us are determined to […]

What does Inti; the Incan sun god and Philanthropy have in common?

For those of you who have never heard of Inti don’t feel bad. He is the benevolent Incan deity of the sun who married Pachamama; the earth Goddess. The Incan people believed them both to be benevolent and compassionate. The Incas were a civilization of great architects, artisans, and builders. If you have ever been […]

The Sun always sets

As the month of November draws to a close, another Orchid campaign ends, and out partner profile prepares to change I am reminded that the Sun always sets. It sets if it is obscured by clouds, rain or snow and whether or not we can see it’s fiery departure. In Nepal I saw a lot […]

Namaste

When I went searching for the translation of the word “Namaste”; a word I used repeatedly a year ago while volunteering and traveling across Nepal, I came across the definition that Mohandas Gandhi offered Einstein in response to a letter of inquiry Albert sent him after seeing silent TV footage of the hands in prayer […]

Are you in over your head?

When someone asks us that question a lot of considerations come to mind. The answer is in fact different for each and every human being on the planet. In the West we would likely consider how many things we have purchased on credit like a home or car or new TV or private school. We […]

Lincoln Said it best

When Thanksgiving became our national holiday there were no Black Fridays or Cyber Mondays although the skies were indeed black with the smoke and gunpowder covering the fields of the civil war. Lincoln knew that in spite of his stand with the Union in the military conflict the hurt and sorrow being inflicted across the […]

Himalayan Thanksgiving

For the longest time I gave America credit for being the only nation in the world that celebrated Thanksgiving. After all where else are you going to find cranberry sauce, yams, baked potatoes, turkey and gravy, and of course the crowning glory “Moms Apple Pie” all on one table at the same time? Thanksgiving has […]