15. “ We are here to make a difference - by driving social change, returning benefits to communities, supporting social and economic progress and environmental sustainability, inspiring changes in the way we impact our world.” - Kevin Trapani
16.
Notas do Editor
Community Program Officer at Triangle Community Foundation
Started with $3,000 26 years ago We help individuals, families, and business meet their charitable goals, make a high impact difference with their money. We using giving as a tool to address community issues We think regionally about the big issues that we’re facing and we help find creative ways to address those issues
We all know that the Triangle tops many “Best Of” lists: #1 America’s smartest cities #1 high tech region #1 region for biotechnology #1 business climate #1 city for education #1 city for business and careers #1 best place to live We wondered how the Triangle would rank in terms of giving: How generous are we? How many of you have volunteered with an organization in the last month? How many of your have donated money to an organization in the last year? TCF commissioned a study in 2008 to learn how the Triangle compares to peer communities across the country when it comes to giving We were surprised by the results
We lag behind Most charitable giving comes from individuals Individuals in the Triangle give less than the state average (4.4% of annual income), less than other NC regions, and less than peer regions like Austin and Portland. People who have less give more Shallow pool of business giving Many companies are engaged in our community – but all companies need to do more in order to ensure the long-term economic vitality of our region We all have time, talent, & treasure to give The good news: We all have the ability to give TCF encourages you to think of the time, talent, and treasure that you can give to make the region a better place for all that live here. Cash donations, volunteer time, board service, advocating on an issue that matters to you, giving of products & services Change is in our hands This is our time, it’s no one’s responsibility but ours. TCF has tools to help and we hope you’ll join us.
One of those tools is TriangleGivesBack.org TGB.org is our local social networking community connecting people like you with nonprofit charitable organizations that need your help. It’s Facebook meets Match.com for local giving. At TriangleGivesBack.org you can: Learn about giving in the Triangle Join a local community of online gives Connect with causes your care about Find ways to give your time, talent, and treasure in ways that make a difference.
Let’s take a sneak peak at the updated TriangleGivesBack.org, which we’ll be launching at the end of this month. Homepage Create a profile Watch videos about giving needs and high impact nonprofits
Search among hundreds of charitable organizations in the Triangle area based on your own individual interests.
Follow the profiles of charitable organizations to stay up to date on their work and opportunities to connect See who else is following organizations working in the areas you care about
Received tailored information via the news feed on your personal profiles about opportunities that match your interests. To-date more than 600 individuals have profiles on TGB.org * * Triangle Gives Back is one tool we have to help build a stronger culture of giving in the Triangle. This resource provides information about where to give back, but perhaps we should step back and ask the larger question: why should you give?
Time, Talent, Treasure Time: Volunteering once a week Talent: Serving on a nonprofit board, offering your professional expertise Treasure: Cash, company products & services Create a plan Give and involve others Stay informed
Obligatory, Episodic, & Strategic Giving Different types of giving and they are all important Obligatory Giving: Church, university, United Way campaign, a friend asks you Episodic Giving: Volunteer day organized by company Strategic Giving: Thinking you what you want to change in the world and aligning your giving with that intention Identify personal interests and community needs Where have you given in the past? What stories in the news speak to you, make you laugh, cry, get angry? What specific skills do you have to offer? Budgeting, communications, food prep Budget for giving What resources do you have available? Build your giving activities into your budget and calendar just as you would any other obligations Ask about matching gifts or paid time off from your company Build relationships Use TriangleGivesBack.org to identify areas where you’re your charitable dollars and volunteer time can immediately be put to use Take time to find the right fit for your time, talent, and treasure Be clear about your availability and expectations Listen and know what you don’t know Be an informed giver Don’t be afraid to ask questions: What are the organizations greatest areas of needs? How will money be used? How are volunteers trained and supported? How much of your gift goes to operating expenses vs. program expenses? Think about joining with others Pool resources to have a larger impact Integrate giving into emerging leaders or other work- based affinity groups Investigate Giving Circles as a tool for your charitable giving