PR stunt or true charity?

Hugh Jackman (yes, THAT Hugh Jackman) has made a giving pledge. 100k to a charity of his choosing that he will pick based on tweets submitted on his twitter site @realhughjackman

It’s an interesting opportunity for charities but many are saying that it’s an even more interesting way for Hugh to get pr. He is getting tweets at the rate of several per minute so the odds of your charity receiving the 100k aren’t great whereas his chances of getting increased pr are.

After looking into it, if this is his way of getting PR I would much rather see this than hear about another scandal, sex tape or trip to rehab. Giving inspires giving and this is a great way to get the ball rolling. It will also become a great forum for charities to showcase themselves by tweeting.

Send your tweets for your charity to @realhughjackman and if you can’t think of one to send, please send this on behalf of Young Adults with cancer:

@realhughjackman FirstDescents.org empowers young adults with cancer to regain control of their lives through free outdoor adventure therapy

Here is an article about it: http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/2338744/Hugh-Jackmans-Twitter-charity-pled

Breaking a sweat to fundraise?

Check out this link:

http://excelstrength.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/local-athlete-uses-strength-for-charity/  (yes I know the link is old but the  concept is timeless)

This guy John is a strongman and is using his talent as an athlete to raise money for cancer research because his brother-in-law’s diagnosis.  John’s heart is in the right place with all of this but he may be exerting too much energy to raise the money.

This is a classic case of working harder not smarter.  He has one part of the equation right and that is doing something he is good at and passionate about to help a cause.  However, he’s not reaching out through a viral component to bring in enough money.  He’s relying on the people who will attend the event to raise the money.  That won’t cut it.  They  can be a part of the success but the easiest way to add money to this muscle event is by sending out a letter to all of his friends and family asking for pledges per pounds lifted (I’m guessing A LOT).  Then you have not only reached the people who physically attend your event but added a viral component to the event allowing anyone to be a part of the cause and donate.  
Events like these take a LOT of work to put on and usually come with some overhead that needs to be offset before any funds get distributed.  It’s a noble effort but could be  stronger with a few added components. The easiest solution would have been for John to compete at existing events and include the viral fundraising component.  This would eliminate the event planning and overhead while still producing a lot of money for the cause.

Is Obama anti charity?

Obama has caused quite the stir in the non profit world.  Lately, I have heard mumblings from several LARGE non profits saying that Obama’s new tax plan will really hurt their ability to fund raise by not allowing the same tax deductions for charitable giving that we’ve had in the past.  In my short readings on this, I have found two things.

1.  The foundations that are more likely to get F-ed are the ones that rely on a few MAJOR donations from a small pool of donors.

2.  Smaller foundations will do just  fine because most of the time the average donation is well below 1,000.  Is that responsible?  It is with Obama’s new tax plan!  

I don’t see this as “terrible” largely because change is good and this is no different.  If you’re going to go out there, sell passion, get a lot of people bought in at a smaller financial level and do what’s right by and for them, then this won’t effect you.  However, if you’re a MONSTER charity providing shelter for rich dollars then you’re probably gonna feel this.  

If Obama taught the world anything about fundraising it’s this:  If you have a strong message fueled by passion and you ask people to believe in that message by giving ANYTHING then you will have the masses on your side and that will amount to more support, money and visibility than any black tie dinner.

Like it or not, the times are changing.  For all of you who are interested in getting involved in or starting a foundation driven by passion, don’t let this stop you.  For all of the BIG foundations out there bracing for impact, I suggest you get a facebook and twitter account and get to work like the rest of us! 

Here’s an article weighing in on the issue:  http://philanthropy.com/news/updates/index.php?id=7244

I dare you

Ok here it is.  Set a goal for yourself today to accomplish in 1 month.  Run a race, do a triatholon, walk 30 miles, ride your bike 100 miles, kayak 100 miles of river…  you get the idea.

Next, send out an email telling your friends and family what you are going to do and ask them to donate 20 dollars each to a charity of your choice with your goal being 1,000 dollars.  It’s only 50 people supporting you.  Be sure to tell them why you chose that charity as well.  Convey it’s message/mission passionately.

The final piece.  Send hand written thank you letters to all who donated. 

This is easy, a great goal for you and a lot of money to someone/something in need.  It’s the least you could do.

Looking for a good R.O.I?

I was in NYC recently and had the pleasure of meeting with an incredibly bright man who is very well known in the pharmaceutical world.  If you were to ask him about me, he would would probably say, “Oh, you mean the young man who wasted 1 hour of my time and actually left me dumber than before I met him?”  Yup, that’s me!  

My goal with our meeting was to set up a pharmaceutical sponsor for First Descents. Most of you probably know but for those of you who don’t, First Descents is a free outdoor adventure program for young adults with cancer ages 18-39.  We chose this demographic for several reasons but perhaps the main reason was that they receive very little support.  

Before I could finish telling my goal of getting in with a pharma company, he informed me that I was wasting my time.  He said that our demographic is not big enough (70,000 young Americans are diagnosed every year) to have a big enough return on a pharma’s investment.  He’s right.

It was then that I realized that moving forward I only want to partner with causes or demographics that don’t attract the attention of the big companies.  Reason?  Because they are the ones in true need of help and it is there that I will see the biggest R.O.I on my own investment of time and passion.  

“whenever you find you are on the side of the majority, it is time to reform.” -Mark Twain

Tiki Barber- More than an athlete

I had the privilege of meeting Tiki in person recently.  Before I met him I decided it was fair to know a little bit about his background besides just being a helluva football player.  A quick glance at his wikipedia page showed some charitable involvement (no, not in the form of “the TIKI BARBER foundation” but instead I saw what appeared to be some genuine charitable work.  

Shortly after meeting him, I brought up his charitable involvement and it went something like this.

Brad: I saw that you were involved with the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Tiki: That’s not all I do.
Brad: I know.   You’re one of the most famous athletes in the world as well.
Tiki: No, I meant that’s not all I do for charity.  I’m also very involved with The Fresh Air Fund, the Children’s Miracle Network and the Robin Hood Foundation.
Brad: I have a dog… (this is really all you can say in this situation and just hope that Tiki’s dog isn’t cooler than yours)

We went on to talk about the difference between really giving and just creating tax shelters with your name on them.  He agreed that there is a difference between giving because you think it’s right and giving because you’re passionate about it.  Tiki certainly doesn’t lack passion.  

Huffington Post article. Give to get.

I was on a kayaking expedition in Madagascar at the end of 2008. Before heading out into the wilds to kayak, we were in the capital city of Antananarivo and watching the news about the financial markets collapsing around the world, and of course at home in America. I remember calculating how much money I was losing based on the falling markets and having a distinct sinking feeling. The only silver lining I could find was that I was as far away from the mess as possible. The next morning we packed our things and headed out to spend two weeks challenging ourselves on never-before kayaked class V and VI rapids of the Betsiboka River with hopes that, when we returned, things would be better.

By about day 10 on the river we had become well-acquainted with our porters (25 of them), or at least as acquainted as we could be given the fact that our Malagasy was non-existent. In the evenings they asked us questions in broken English about our new president and told us how excited they were. They asked what it was like living in America. We told them that, at the moment, times were tough with the failing economy. Were we naive? Yup. Our head porter Joe, told us just how “tough” times could be. He was orphaned as a young child and left to die. He was cared for by other young orphans, slept under awnings and got his food from the overflowing dumpsters around the city. At 12, Joe was taken into a local orphanage and the head-man taught him trade skills that led to his first job. From there he was able to work his way into his current position of “guide” for a local adventure tourism company. Joe does “well” now; he makes 20 dollars a month and in a country where minimum wage is 7 dollars per month. That ain’t bad. While all of this was amazing, the part that really knocked the wind out of me was when he very proudly told us that he gives 10 of those dollars back to the orphanage so that, “other orphans can be as fortunate as (him).” My sinking feeling suddenly disappeared.

Joe taught me a very valuable lesson. He taught me that everyone, no matter what they don’t have, does have something to give. There are no excuses. If a man who makes 20 dollars a month can find it in himself to give 10 of that back to people who have zero, we can all find something to give, even if it’s not money. There’s someone out there who has it worse and you’re their salvation. And funny enough, they’re also yours…

10 years ago, in the midst of my professional kayaking career, I started First Descents, an organization that provides free outdoor adventure programs for young adults (18-39 years old) with cancer. We chose this demographic for several reasons. First of all, it’s the fastest growing demographic of cancer with the lowest cure rates. Last year in the US alone, 70,000 young adults were diagnosed. It’s also arguably the hardest time in a person’s life to hear “you have cancer.” At these ages, you’re usually in debt from college, just trying to start a job or family or networking socially to meet new people. You’re at the beginning of your adult life with new independence. Cancer puts a hold on all of these things. You often move back in with your parents, lose your self confidence, identity and feel lost and alone. That’s where First Descents comes in. A week of challenge in the mountains with other people who have lived through what you live through restores so much of what cancer took.

The FD experience is free and is that way because so many people donate to the cause. Many people these days experience this same “sinking feeling” when they turn on CNN or CNBC in the morning and realize that much of their wealth just disappeared. They don’t give because they can, but because they have to. Like Joe, they recognize that the only way for them to “get back in the black” is to give more. Give to people who need it a hell of a lot more than they do. The wealth that is gained by giving far surpasses any amount of dollar signs and replenishes your “soul” account. So, if you’re looking for a good investment in the midst of this financial storm, start by looking within. Find out what it is that you have and can give to someone in need. I can promise you that it will bring a sense of wealth to your life that even a miraculous financial recovery couldn’t do.

“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” –Dalai Lama

Joe passing on his good fortune yet again.

How far will you go for a cause?

Before I go into this rant, I want to clarify one thing.  According to Nike (and I agree), “if you have a body, you’re an athlete.”  Thus, when I pose questions about athletes or refer to them in general, I’m talking to you!

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s get to it shall we?  I have always said, “I will do anything for charity.”  Well, back in 2003, standing in 40 degree water, holding my kayak and paddle and trying to ignore the small crowd of jeering onlookers that had formed on the opposite shore who I couldn’t hear because I was too busy eating my words.  You’re probably thinking, that doesn’t sound that bad.  Well, it wouldn’t have been had I been wearing any clothes.  That’s right, I was in the buff and let me just say that it would have taken a pretty big lens to capture ALL of my features. (hence the jeering crowd).  It was like being depantsed at recess in the 3 grade, but colder.

Fortunately, I’m not alone in my nudity-for-charity ways, actually, just the opposite.  Posing nude to raise money is almost a right-of-passage for an athlete.  It means a couple of things 

1.  You have the body of an athlete. 

2.  Your name is big enough that people can discern you from “just some random naked wall art”.

3.  You have something to talk about at your next gala.

In a nude photo shoot, there is a fine line between art and porn, vanity and charity, attention seeking and cause promoting.  I toed this line and feel as though I did ok, but still question my decision.  One thing that is constant, your friends will never let you forget it.  

The question is, would you be willing to show it all for a good cause?

For more information on my reason for showing it all, please visit www.vvcf.org Their mission is below:

The Vail Valley Charitable Fund (VVCF) helps people who live and work in Eagle County who have overwhelming financial needs due to medical crisis. To date, the organization has assisted six hundred individuals and families in Eagle County, and has raised and dispersed more than $5 million dollars.

The Ripple Effect…

When the Board of Directors of First Descents was tasked with figuring out what our “vision” or most far reaching success was through our programs, a lot of ideas were thrown out there. From curing cancer to changing the world, we all had very grand ideas of what our purpose as an organization is. It was then, amidst the think-tank chaos that our Vice Chair Rob Mitchell spoke up with some of the wisest words I have ever heard. He asked “Has any participant told us that we have changed their life?” The answer was of course, yes. He then asked, “Why look further?” His question was met with blank stares like a 3^rd grade math class after their teacher just explained multiplication tables for the first time. He kindly went on, “If you set out to make change and at the end of the day know that you changed one life, you have succeeded. There is no need to look any further. Just keep changing one life at a time.” It makes sense. If you can’t change one life, you can’t change 1,000. That is where the ripple effect begins and when it begins, there is little you can do to control or predict how far it will go.

A friend of mine recently posted a video (see below) that he made about four First Descents alum who are teaming up to compete in an adventure race (it will be a first time for all of them) to raise money for FD so that others may have the same life changing experience they had. The video he made brought proud tears to my eyes. I’ll be honest, I was sobbing like one might when watching Rudy for the first time. This video illustrates an outer ring of the ripple effect that I could never have predicted. These young adults were challenging themselves physically, as a team, because of their experience at FD. They didn’t know each other before attending, had never kayaked before, never done an adventure race…you get the idea. Over the course of one week, they faced a new challenge, created new bonds and took that message forward with them into their lives after FD.

After seeing the video, I proudly posted it on my Facebook “status”. Within minutes comments were pouring in about how inspirational it is. One message in particular demonstrated yet another ripple that I would have never guessed. Here it is,

“Hey Brad,

Just wanted to say thanks for everything you’re doing and for sharing tid bits of inspiration like that video today. I was in full self-pity mode trying to battle some personal daemons about my less than optimal personal health. I had actually just finished writing an email to a friend about how knowing that there are people out there who have made it through much worse doesn’t always help me to get things in perspective. Watching that video completely helped me to snap my head back on straight.

Seriously, thank you.

I’m still working to get to a point financially where I can do more. If you ever need any help in the Bay Area, I’m here.

I hope all is well with you and yours,

J.

Giving doesn’t have to be complicated, planned out or understood. Focus only on changing one life. Throw that one stone and the ripples will follow.

www.the-YOURNAMEHERE-foundation.org

For those of you hardcore outdoor types lucky enough to receive Outside Magazine every month (Yes, I have a lifetime subscription because that’s what happens when you’re on the cover) your reaction was probably similar to mine when you saw March’s cover.  “ARE YOU F#*$&@ KIDDING ME?!” or something like that.  Steve Nash on the cover of Outside?  A basketball player on an outdoor magazine?  Seriously, that guy gets paid, and paid well, to be INSIDE.  I know the economy is bad and print media is right above philanthropy on the list of things NOT to get money in a recession but this was a total SELL OUT!

 I immediately called my good friend who is an editor at Outside and expressed my concerns.

Brad: “Just because a black man is finally president doesn’t mean you can put a basketball player on the cover of an outdoor magazine.”

Editor: “Relax buddy, he’s one of us.”

Brad: “I have never won a game of P.I.G. in my life, been to a basketball game or played even 1 period of basketball.  How am I anything like him??”

Editor: “He’s a good guy.”

Brad: “That’s what they said about our last president when he was elected.”

Editor: “Have you read the article.”

Brad: “….”

I figured I couldn’t argue with a clear conscience until I read it so I sat down, looked at the pictures in the article, read the first page, looked at the pictures in the rest of the magazine, read the first page again, glanced at a Playboy and finally finished the article (it’s called self diagnosed adult ADD).  Aside from Steve naming his foundation after himself, a common occurrence among celebrity athletes, I was reasonably impressed and concluded he did in fact deserve the cover.  Like all Canadians, his heart is in the right place, but like many celebrity athletes he seems to lack focus.  Too often, foundations are started “because it’s the right thing to do” or even worse, as tax shelters.  Foundations need to grow from an idea that sprouts from passion.  Too much money too soon is death-by-dilution for so many foundations.  Until you have mastered one thing or service and grown it organically for awhile, money can be dangerous.  The other negative by-product that I see in these situations all too often is that they rely on the celebrity status of the person who started them and when that name goes away so does the funding and thus the ability to continue creating change. 

Ok, that’s enough griping.  At the end of the day Steve is creating more change in this world than most and that can’t be argued.  The take away here is that, “wanting to make change” is the first of two very important steps in the giving process.  The second step, which requires some serious thought, is “What do you have to give, how are you going to give it and to whom?” 

On a personal note Steve, welcome to the “cover club”, you’ve earned it. J