Why I'll Be Walking

On September 22, 2012, I will be participating in the 2012 Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's, and am committed to raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer research, care, and support. Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.

Beyond the statistics, and the numbers, this is personal. I have seen Alzheimer's take its toll on a number of people, including my grandmother, my wife's grandmother, and now watching the slow decline of my own father.

Walking on September 22 won't be easy for me either. I had foot surgery at the end of June. In August, my foot was still bandaged and I was walking with a cane. Only on September 2nd did I actually walk for a full mile. Sure, I was sore, but that's what ice packs are for. I still have a screw in my foot, but that's nothing compared to Alzheimer's. I'm doing this.

But, I need your support! Please click this link and make a donation to help the Alzheimer's Association advance research into prevention, treatments and a cure for Alzheimer's. For the millions already affected by the disease, the Association offers care, education, support and resources in communities nationwide.

Thank you for your help!

Human Race '09

It's almost Human Race time again in California, coming right up on May 9. The Human Race is a number of different events held by the Volunteer Centers in most California counties as fundraisers for local nonprofits.

This year, I'll be walking in the Santa Cruz County Human Race for Mountain Community Resources, a family resource center in Felton providing a variety of social services and emergency preparedness programs, and where I'm currently serving as the Interim Executive Director.

And, of course, I'm looking for pledges... If you'd like to support me in the Human Race this year, please click this link and then enter an amount and click the donate button. (If it asks for the Agency number, it's #140 - "Mountain Community Resources"). Thank you in advance for your help!

Walking for Early Literacy

On Saturday May 10 I will be taking part in the Human Race, a fundraising event for Silicon Valley nonprofit organizations. I will be doing the 5K walk to raise funds for Grail Family Services (GFS), an organization in East San Jose that I have been working with as a consultant for a little over a year now. And, of course, I'm asking for your support - Click here if you can pledge any amount of money to help our efforts.

GFS "fosters learning and the empowerment of vulnerable families with young children through the delivery of programs that educate, develop leadership skills, and build a sense of community." All GFS programs target parents and their young children ages 0-9, and are designed with community input to address the issues most important to the neighborhood. This approach enriches the child, as well as the parent, and helps them each on the path to success in school, in work, and in life.

Your sponsorship of my Human Race participation could mean:

• $25 – five new books for the GFS Children's Library.
• $50 – developmentally appropriate toys for GFS' child care program.
• $100 – case management services for one parent.
• $250 – four weeks of subsidized child care services for one low-income toddler.
• $1,000 – eight weeks of literacy services to boost the reading skills of one child.

If you can help out, click here - And thank you for your support!

Sponsoring The Human Race

One of my current nonprofit consulting clients is Grail Family Services in San Jose (GFS), California. I am helping them out as the Interim Executive Director while we work on some long-term strategic issues and decisions.

GFS does great work the East San Jose area, focusing on early childhood literacy, parenting, and family empowerment. All the programs are created with community input, and include strong evaluation components to track what works, and what doesn't. It's a fabulous organization that I am proud to be a part of.

This month we are participating in the Human Race fundraising event that is put on by the Volunteer Center of Silicon Valley. The Human Race is your basic pledge walk/run with a 5K walk and 5K and 10K runs. You've seen these before; we have a group of board members, staff, and volunteers who will be walking or running and we're asking for your support by pledging a donation.

If you'd like more information, or to make a donation, please click on this link to go to my pledge page. Thanks for your support!

Body Bags for Charity

In addition to this general/political blog, I also keep a nonprofit consulting blog (and a guitar playing/collecting blog), and sometimes I have to wonder which blog I'm going to post a certain item to. This is one of those items.

This is one to file under "nonprofit fundraising," but it's also going here, in the general interest blog, because it's just that odd.

The Los Angeles County Coroner (office of the infamous Thomas Naguchi and inspiration for the classic TV show, Quincy) was facing a fiscal crisis when the County didn't have enough money to fund the Youthful Drunk Driving Visitation Program (YDDVP) - A court ordered alternative sentencing program for youthful offenders, that takes participants through the Coroner facilities and exposes them to the realistic and traumatic consequences associated with their offense.

Their answer? A web site selling body bags, toe-tag key chains, "Undertaker" boxer shorts, and many other less-odd items, each featuring the County Coroner's seal or a chalked body outline design. They'll get a lot of publicity for the store, and - I believe - a lot of sales revenue as well.

I just wish some of the nonprofits I work with could be this creative, original, and off-the-wall with their fundraising efforts.

(Thanks to the Selfish Giving blog for the lead and link.)