Observations from the Web

As I started kicking around ideas for this month’s blog, I was attracted to the notion of what others have to say about concepts that are important to what Community Foundations do. For example, I’ve previously written in this blog space about the language of a foundation, like the term “giving back.”

So, I opened up Google and entered the search term “giving+back” to see what would return. My initial reaction to the search results was that there is a lot of giving back going on! Individuals, groups, corporations – almost any type of combination that you can think of are actively engaged in giving back to their communities. As I scrolled down the list, my eye caught the “Giving Back Project” and a TED Talk from Charlotte on reframing philanthropy. Take a look at the video at www.givingbackproject.org – very inspirational.

My next stop was with the search term “making+a+difference.” As expected, there are lots of efforts at making a difference. Many have been documented by You Tube videos (www.youtube.com). You may also want to take a look at the Make a Difference series in the Christian Science Monitor – profiles about individuals making a difference in their communities. Not unlike many individuals in our own community.

The final stop for this blog was with the term “charitable+goals.” The search results identified numerous organizations that are willing to help with your charitable goals, just as we are at the Sonora Area Foundation. Sometimes, having charitable goals and finding the way to get there can be a challenge. That’s why I was attracted to a short article on the Salvation Army USA blog site (blog.salvationarmyusa.org). Look for the article presenting 6 budgeting tips to reach your charitable goals. Check out these simple, common sense tips for helping to bridge the gap that sometimes exists between goals and means.

The benefit of this exercise is a reminder that reading an article or watching a video about what others are thinking or doing in the giving community that can be very educational. There is a whole world out there that is “giving back” and “making a difference” in their communities through “charitable goals” established to address particular needs.

For over 23 years, we at the Sonora Area Foundation have worked with generous donors like you and would be happy and honored to further explore charitable giving with you.

Who knows – there may be a You Tube video on making a difference in your future!