If you're looking to indulge yourself in some learning this weekend, come attend my panel discussion at the annual GenTN conference downtown.

I'll be speaking in the session: "From the Ground Up" from 10:45-12:15 on Saturday. Here's the description:

This session is focused on what it takes to take an idea for a business, organization or effort and turn into a reality and a success. This panel will focus on your experiences, challenges and lessons learned throughout this process and give you the opportunity to share advice and guidance to those attendees interested in following in your foot steps.

Come and say hi and I'll give you a sweet CoolPeopleCare car decal.

The spring kickball season wrapped up last night. I was on a team as part of the Nashville Sports Leagues. While the people running this thing had their head up third base most of the time, it was fun to kick the inflated red ball around alongside some of the finest folks I've ever set foot on a kickball field with.

We made it to the final four, but didn't have what it took to make it to the championship. There's always next year, they say, but since incompetency rules at NSL, we'll save our money for beer.

Here's to Catch It With Your Face:

A new study by Johns Hopkins cites the following as the biggest challenges to the nonprofit world:

• Charitable fundraising (68% of organizations)
• Health benefit costs (58%)
• Government budget cuts (47%)
• Generating fee income (46%)
• Board recruitment (46%)
• Public understanding (41%)

It doesn't surprise me that fundraising is first on the list. Whenever I meet with a nonprofit leader to talk about CoolPeopleCare and ask them what their biggest need is, it usually boils down to two:

• Money
• People

Money is needed in the form of donations or grants in order to continue operating and serving a core constituency. People are needed as volunteer, attendees, donors, and ears.

Coming in third is awareness, which is number 5 above.

But can it all be this simple? Does the future of the nonprofit sector rest solely on the amount of cash an organization can generate?

If so, then expect your executive directors to have to know less about managing change or overseeing staff. The only interview question they'll be asked is, "How much money can you raise?" And after the parade of candidates is complete, whoever said the highest number gets the job. Then, they'll have 18 months to keep their promise. It's like some sick version of "Name That Tune."

Of course, it really doesn't matter who can raise the most money, but who can raise money the best. While nearly any nonprofit will gladly take a check (depending upon the strings attached), some nonprofits need better strategic partners. For some, an alliance with a key media outlet is equally as good as raising money to print new brochures. For others, a core of dedicated volunteers is as good as a staff position.

What is needed more than money is creative strategy.

Creative strategy can raise money and awareness, but it can also get people on board. Creative strategy can tell the right story to the right person to get the right response. Creative strategy breaks rules and makes new ones. Creative strategy thinks and dreams big. Creative strategy grows an organization at just the right speed. Creative strategy addresses the concerns of money and people in a way that meets those needs like never before.

Because you've got to be creative if you're going to get someone to open his or her wallet or purse.

Sadly, there's very little training for this type of leader. Thinking outside the box is rarely a chapter in a college textbook. For most people I know that fit this description, they've got something deep within them that makes them unique and inspiring and interesting to be around.

But, you need more than a great top dog to weather the winds of change in the charity world. So here are (what I feel) are the biggest needs to meet the challenges discovered in the JH study:

• Creative leadership
• Innovative fundraising
• Storytelling
• Strategic Partnerships

I'll unpack each of these in upcoming posts.

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced that if elected, he'd donated his annual salary of $400,000 to charity.

I appreciate seeing this kind of altruism in a politician. It's not a trump card that makes me want to vote for him on this single promise, but I do like it.

$400,000 is more than lots of annual budgets for some nonprofits in the country. So, that kind of money, while not the millions Romney is worth, can make a huge difference. No doubt, if Romney is elected and he keeps his promise, there will be quite a few nonprofits lobbying for his handout.

But, here's the interesting thing. So far, Romney's raised over $20 million for his campaign. Clearly, even with 8 years in office, he'll never make what he's raised so far.

So, Mitt, why not just call it quits right now and donate that money to charity? $400,000 is nice, and lots of folks will take it. But why not write a larger check with the current cash in your campaign coffer?

In fact, when you look at all of the candidates currently in the race, over $130 million has been raised.

We could debate all night about what's 'worth it:' One of these people in the White House making decisions that affect countless lives, or this cash in the hands of nonprofits serving the world in a different and important way.

So, Mitt, I appreciate your generosity. Best of luck with the election. But, please consider how you can better serve humanity: as a President who works for free, or as a master philanthropist who shows people where to give the money they work for.

It comes in third place in terms of the Shrek franchise.

As always, there's a good story and everyone learns that it's important to be themselves.

It wasn't that good.

In case you were too overjoyed about our big announcement, here's what went on last week:

Monday, May 21: Shameless Self-Promotion Day
We went to a conference.

Tuesday, May 22: Let Someone In
You're not in that much of a hurry.

Wednesday, May 23: Mental Health Month
Help raise awareness about mental health issues.

Thursday, May 24: Take the Stairs
Lift those knees, Wheezy.

Friday, May 25: Computer Recycling
Keep that old machine out of a landfill.

When I watch TV, I'm really a fan of good writing. I feel that this is what makes The Office, My Name is Earl, Scrubs, and 30 Rock such good comedy.

That and no laugh track.

Likewise, this is what makes Lost once again the absolute best show on TV. I finally watched the finale yesterday and now wish I hadn't deleted it afterwards. I want to watch it again right now. Just when you think you know a little bit of what's going, just when you don't care about an old van, just when you wish something would happen, the writers string together one heck of a series, season and show that makes you wait for February 2008 more than you're waiting for Christmas.

Now that all the season finales have aired for now, my sights are set to summer TV. Because I have a sweet DVR, here's what I'll be taping this summer:

• The Real Deal on TLC - I love this real estate company. I'm fascinated by entrepreneurs, and Richard Davis is the posterchild for those who have a dream and will work their tail off to make it a reality. In capitalism, risk and reward are often directly related. There's also a difference between starting a business and running one.
  
• Intervention on A&E - This glimpse into someone struggling with addiction is well done. The humanity of each individual is at the forefront of the show, as is the importance of relationships in anyone's life. Not every ending is happy.
• On the Lot on Fox - No one does reality like Fox. If I could, I'd be a filmmaker, so I have enjoyed the first two episodes of this show. I hope we get to see more of the actual films being made than people yelling at each other. I think that creativity will ultimately win out.
• Traveler on ABC - My initial fear is that this would be a better movie than a show, but I'll give it a shot. I was drawn in by the storyline of three pals trying to trek across the country. But I'll stay for the mystery.

Other than this, I'll be taking in my fair share of baseball, Modern Marvels, and a variety of Sunday afternoon programming that induces a nice nap.

Lynnette and I began the day walking the neighborhood. We stopped by to see the latest progress on Kate's entrance.

Then, I've been watching every inning of the SEC baseball tournament. Vandy has a rematch with Ole Miss starting shortly, so you know where to find me.

Not a bad day...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 25, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The creators of CoolPeopleCare.org, a philanthropic Web site based in Nashville, Tenn., today announce their plans to expand the site into 30 new cities during the month of June. The initiative is called "CoolPeopleCare's 30/30."

Each day, a new city will be added to the site, and that community's charitable events and volunteer opportunities will be listed. As part of the campaign, users can vote on the 30th city to be added during the month. The winner will be announced on Friday, June 22, and will go live on the 30th.

"We get visitors to our site from all over the United States," Sam Davidson, President and Co-Founder of the company, says. "In order to provide a quality online experience for all of our users, we feel it is time to add many more cities across the US."

The following cities will be added on the following dates:
June 1-Portland, OR; June 2-Austin, TX; June 3-Dallas, TX; June 4-Fort Worth, TX; June 5-Louisville, KY; June 6-Phoenix, AZ; June 7-Baltimore, MD; June 8-Charleston, SC; June 9-Denver, CO; June 10-Houston, TX; June 11-Pittsburgh, PA; June 12-Indianaplois, IN; June 13-Seattle, WA; June 14-San Francisco, CA; June 15-Oakland, CA; June 16-Berkeley, CA; June 17-New York, NY; June 18-Chicago, IL; June 19-Charlottesville, VA; June 20-New Orleans, LA; June 21-Charlotte, NC; June 22-Fort Lauderdale, FL; June 23-Orlando, FL; June 24-Tampa, FL; June 25-Raleigh, NC; June 26-Philadelphia, PA; June 27-Lincoln, NE; June 28-Detroit, MI; June 29-Minneapolis, MN.

The Web site's signature feature, "5 Minutes of Caring," is a 99-word daily article featuring helpful hints, practical tips and links to inform readers of the many ways in which they may make a difference in less than five minutes a day. Those who come for this information are directed towards ways to make a difference in their local communities.

Launched in August 2006 in Nashville, Tenn., CoolPeopleCare.org is an offering of CoolPeopleCare, Inc., a company started by Davidson, and Stephen Moseley, Vice-President.

Since its launch, the site has served more than 200,000 visitors. Davidson says, "Our ultimate aim is to connect willing individuals with great nonprofits near them so that everyone benefits. CoolPeopleCare's 30/30 enables us to do exactly that."

More info in the morning...

For those who weren't aware, CoolPeopleCare maintains a blog called The Other Side of the Pillow.

We've debuted a new feature that we'll run occasionally called "Sites We Like." We'll highlight Web sites we find that try to make the world a better place. So, if you've got one, send it along and we'll profile it soon.

Today's honoree is Benevolink.

Here's some neat info from my latest issue of Nature Conservancy Magazine (I got it when Lynnette and I adopted an acre of forest):

The average person puts out about 54,000 pounds of CO2 ever year. Here's some of the breakdown:

• 17,000 pounds from electricity usage
• 8,800 pounds from natural gas usage
• 1,000 pounds from creating 4.5 pounds of trash each day
• 8,900 pounds from driving
• 1,000 pounds from flying

How do you stack up?

So I've been at Panera for 3 hours now working on the book.

For half of that time, there's been an old(er) guy here, reading the paper, doing a crossword or two, and secretly thinking he can drink more coffee than me (free refills at Panera).

Who will give in and leave first? I'll be here for 2 more hours until my friend Ann lands from Austin. Certainly, he won't stay that long?!?!

Update #1 (12:45 PM): It's been a hour and this guy doesn't look like he's going anywhere. He just got a muffin and more coffee. The crosswords are done, but he's just starting on the USA Today.

Update #2 (1:15 PM): My friend's flight is earlier and I need to bail in 45 minutes. This will be close.

Update #3 (6:15 the next morning - sorry I forgot to say who won): I lost.

In hopes of raising awareness about the reality of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, Sam writes every Monday about a key issue in an attempt to stop the atrocity. Doing so may not bring about a wave of change, but it is a small ripple that represents the tide that needs turning.

As part of the conference I attended last week, I was able to hear John Prendergast deliver the luncheon keynote. John is a Senior Advisor to the International Crisis Group and has been to the heart of war zones and atrocities all around the world to tell the stories that need telling.

John was informative and inspiring. Like Robert Egger, he believes that nonprofits need to be on the forefront of organizing efforts if they are truly to make a dent in the world's problems. John highlighted the easy things everyone can to do help end the genocide in Darfur.

John has a new book coming out with Don Cheadle, which also highlights these actions and why they are badly needed immediately. John comes across as informed and passionate about this cause and you get he feeling that he'd go out of his way to get the chance to tell anyone at all about the horrors happening in Sudan and why they must end. That's what I call inspiration.

One of his best quotes was this, when talking about why ordinary individuals have to pressure their elected leaders to do something about the genocide:

Unless there is a consequence for inaction, there will be no action.

While I could wax philosophically about how this quote details the unfortunate landscape of American politics, the truth it conveys is much more important.

For a politician to do anything, there must be grave repercussions for staying the current course. Inertia is biggest to overcome in Washington, and it takes a great force to get the ball rolling and motivate a leader to author legislation, appoint a committee, or convene a meeting.

But the silver lining is that these folks do listen to the people. A flood of letters, a stream of phone calls, and barrage of emails will wake someone up. Jerry Falwell knew this and it forever changed the makeup of American political-religious activity. The NRA knew this and were in Senate offices minutes after the Virginia Tech tragedy.

So now it's our turn to know it as well. I'll leave you with John’s suggestions on what any and all of us can and must do. Act now:

• Write a letter to your representative or Senators.
• Schedule a meeting with them when they’re in town.
• Call the White House.
• Send an email to any of these elected officials.
• Get others to do the same.

Here's an excellent article from Daily Kos. It details how growing numbers on young persons (in this case, college students) are interested in nonprofit work, whether volunteering or being employed.

Wisely, the University of Minnesota added a nonprofit management major. Other schools would do well to follow suit to train people to be the civic leaders of both today and tomorrow. The benefits to the school are both intrinsic and quantifiable. If you have a good program (academically) with a good meaning (socially), you'll reap the rewards in publicity and enrollment, and also in satisfaction that comes with making a difference.

So why doesn't Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, the same city with more nonprofits pr capita than any other, offer such a major?

As the article points out (and I agree), more and more young people will be looking for nonprofit work for a variety of reasons, both personal and professional. To miss this opportunity would be a grave mistake for both universities and a world in dire need of quality, smart, nonprofit leaders and visionaries.

5 quick things you can do to forever change the world:

Monday, May 14: Get Fresh
There are more ways to 'Eat Fresh' than going to Subway.

Tuesday, May 15: Scrap the Roof Rack
Nice rack. Put it in the garage.

Wednesday, May 16: CaringBridge
Here's a great resource for families in medical need.

Thursday, May 17: All Natural
Help animals be…well…animals.

Friday, May 18: Go Topless
Take it off – for the environment's sake.

I'm currently perched in the back of Safari Cup in Birmingham. If you haven't made it to the Magic City in a while, Birmingham is really trending younger. Lofts, greenspaces, arts opportunities - it all makes for a changing and cool city.

It's a long story as to why I'm in Birmingham after my week in Atlanta, so I'll spare you the details. Nonetheless, I'm here, and will head back to Georgia after Lynnette lands in a few hours.

Today, I had a great time meeting folks doing great things for the community:

• Sara at United Way of Central Alabama. This nonprofit helps 81 agencies a year do what they do to change lives and help people who need it the most.
• Elaine with the One Campaign in Birmingham. This mom is as hip as they come and gives her life to raise awareness about the work that needs to be done so that people can eat and escape poverty around the world.
• Alison at the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. Again, this city is changing and seeking to engage young people in every area of its development. Perhaps this is one reason it was named a great place to raise a family.

The day in my old stomping ground capped off a week of meeting with lots of change agents. One that sticks out in my mind is Dean. He raises money for a living, and is trying to get $95 million in the next five years. This is a bold undertaking that requires a bold vision. If you meet Dean and you ask the obligatory, "What do you do?" he'll reply, "I'm finding a vaccine for Alzheimer's." Nice.

I may have some more tales from the road this weekend while in Athens, Georgia before heading back home to Nashville. To all my new friends in Georgia and Birmingham, thanks for your time and your inspiring stories. The world is better because of your work.

So, how can you attract, retain, and even replace young talent?

I think you first need to listen to young talent, for which this workshop provides an opportunity. Young people will gladly share their (short) life stories, if you just ask. There is an amazing amount of wisdom in the young kids out there, so pull up a chair. We've got three on this panel, ready to dispense their stories and ideas.

Some quotes:
"It was important that I could find a job where being 28 was not a detriment."
"Unfortunately, at most nonprofits, there seem to be lots of entry-level people, a few people who make a fat paycheck, and no one in between."

I've got high hope for this one. This workshop could really be the high point in a mediocre conference. I hope we don't get a lecture by people in a corporate nonprofit sector about culture and technology. I really hope we examine national and generational trends and really think about retention vs. replacement.

And I really hope we don't see a timeline with generations mapped on it. I never know if I'm an X-er or a Y-er or a Millennial or just me.

I arrived a tad late to this session, but am very excited. I just met Leslie with Echoing Green, which published Be Bold! I picked up a copy and am looking forward to reading it. They don't think you need a million bucks or a thick Rolodex or all the time in the world to change things. You just need to be willing to try. Certainly you can see why I like them.

This group has studied social entrepreneurs that have changed the world and each has similar characteristics. Their Boldness DNA consists of:

• Internal Boldness
• Vision for Impact
• Bring It On

Once the DNA is there, certain things line up to produce bold results:

• There is a "moment of obligation where you identify what means the most to you and committing to carrying out your dreams."
• There is also a "gall to think big, in which you believe you can take on the world and develop a clear and expansive vision for change."
• Then there's the "new and untested, in which you question the status quo and create new solutions to address seemingly intractable social problems."
• Finally, you've got to make sure you're "seeing possibilities, by which you identify solutions when others can't and have hope when others don't."

Don't underestimate the "moment of obligation." In my opinion, nearly everyone who has done something great did so after coming to a crossroads. There was a point at which they had to act. Something happened to them, or they did something, or saw something, that forever changed them and the path they're on. If you haven't had yours yet, don't fret. The magic of these moments is that you can't pencil them in beforehand. They smack you upside the head on a random Tuesday. They find you at a park or movie or ice cream shop. You trip over them, look back, and wonder how you didn't see it to begin with. But when they happen, they're beautiful.

Now, we're going to write a letter to ourselves to help us be bold. It will get mailed to us in three months. I did this in high school once.

This workshop is led by Allen Nance, president of the Mansell Group.

To start:

• The Internet is as 'hot' as it was ten years ago. In fact, it's 'red hot.'
• Marketing and technology people don't get along.
• In the nonprofit world, people handle both.

Nonprofits need a comprehensive strategy that encompasses technology, fundraising, personnel, and marketing. Often times, nonprofits try to retrofit technology to make it do something it wasn't supposed to do in order to cut costs. But, this can be detrimental. So, how can nonprofits make the most of their technology budgets, however small or large they may be?

Lots of times, technology people spend money on technology that will be used by people not even in the room when the decision was made. That conversation needs to be expanded to include end users, whether they be employees or volunteers. If this doesn't happened and the end users hate the new technology, negative results will ensue. The solution lies in cross-functional teams that make all technology decisions.

The next phase of this whole thing (technology and marketing) will be all about prediction models. What will happen if we send this mailer out? What will happen if we sent 1,000 more emails? What will happen if we targeted these people?

Yes, I'm liveblogging the conference. Some people are really into American Idol or football or local music.

I'm into nonprofits.

Marc Freedman is the co-founder of the Experience Corps. They're sort of like Americorps for the AARP. He's discussing how to engage retiring Boomers in nonprofit employment. It's kind of the opposite of my specialty (getting young people involved in volunteerism), but this should be valuable nonetheless.

Every 8 seconds, someone turns 60.

There will soon be more people over 60 than under 20, and this is a worldwide (at least with Western developed countries) trend.

This guy is telling a lot of stories. We're now getting Del Webb's life story. I don't know why.

Okay, he's spent more than half his time on the 'what.' From looking around the room, we know what the deal is. There are lots of old people. Get to the 'how,' please. Tell us how to engage seniors. Tell us how to find them, involve them, and learn from them. You've got 15 minutes.

Nonprofits would be wise to take a page from corporations already recruiting retirees. For example, Home Depot is actively trying to fill part-time spots with aging boomers who want to turn a hobby into an income. Perhaps charities can find great talent (paid or volunteer) with a similar message.

Freedman recommends a GI Bill kind of idea for retirees to involve them post-retirement in civic activities. For example, if someone agrees to have an 'encore' career in something that is at the intersection of philanthropy and business, you'll be rewarded. You can have a break (sabbatical, education, etc.) and be compensated and receive satisfaction. This will create value for society and the individual.

In sum, there are people who want to keep working and have a valuable set of talents and a lot to offer. A great place for them to offer these assets and plug in is the nonprofit sector. We all need to get creative to make the two meet up.

And that's a wrap! I'm really looking forward to the lunch keynote, Darfur advocate John Prendergast.

I just finished Ori Brafman and Rod Beckstrom's new book, The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations.

This is a very though-provoking book, but not in an earth-shattering kind of way. The authors show why eBay succeeded when other online auction sites didn't. They explain why people still download music, even when record companies keep suing. They show why the Apache civilization lasted longer than the Aztecs, and why AA had the success that it did. There theories also explain why it won't matter if anyone catches and kills Osama Bin Laden.

In their opinion, leaderless organizations are like starfish. When you chop off a starfish's arm (or is it leg), it grows back. If you chop one in half, you'll eventually get two fully-grown starfish.

On the other hand, spiders don't grow their legs back. And if you chop off it's head, it will die.

Applied to organizations, those with centralized leadership and a top-down structure have a hard time surviving, especially when confronted with things like innovation, major change, or unexpected crisis. On the other hand, the loose-knit organization and changeability of starfish entities allow them to survive.

This theory obviously works well, and while it's hard to find an exception to the rule, it's not perfect. As a caveat, the authors offer what they call a hybrid organization that takes the best of both worlds.

This book is informative and worth your time (which shouldn't take more than an afternoon or two). If you're leading an organization of any size in today's world, managing change is sure to be one of your biggest tasks. This book will offer some suggestions on how best to do that.

Here's what I'll be checking out at the Summit today:

• Bridging the Gap Between Technology and Marketing
• Be Bold! Create a Career with Impact!
• Future Sector Leaders Tell All: Insight Into Retention Strategies from the Young and the Restless

Today's docket actually looks okay. I'll keep you updated.

This afternoon at the GCN Summit, there was only one breakout dealing with technology/Internet/media. And yes, I did say earlier that the theme was Revolutions.

Nonetheless, I went to this workshop dealing with Search Engine Optimization. I had heard a while ago that if anyone tried to sell you an SEO service, then you should run. There is no exact science to it, and a few simple steps can have anyone a little bit better traffic ranking.

The real key, if any, is to figure out exactly what key words you want to drive folks to your site. Once you've got that, you've at least got a shot. But you've also got to offer a good product.

That'll be $1,000.

I listened anyway, because I'm looking for any legitimate way to help nonprofits get more people interested in what they're doing, and there might have been a nugget of wisdom lurking around the room somewhere. The people on the panel did know what they were talking about, but just like a meeting I went to 2 weeks ago about Web branding for nonprofits, a lot of folks out there really think that every Web site needs to be full of with Web 2.0 bells and whistles.

If I can offer every nonprofit a bit of advice, here it is. Your Web site does not need social networking capabilities.

Chances are, if someone is looking for your nonprofit's Web site, it's because they want the vitals. They want to know who your leadership is, what your mission is, how they can volunteer or donate money, and how they can learn more. They don't need to host their blog at the Red Cross. No one goes to United Way for an installment of funny videos. Nobody visits Habitat for Humanity's Web site to see what their friends are up to.

To that end, nonprofit Web sites need the basic info and it needs to be updated religiously. If the best way to do that is to have a blog, do it. If you tell a story better through video, shoot it, put it up on You Tube, and tell people how to find it. None of this should cost you money.

There are lots of Web tools out there for folks who want to make a difference. Nonprofits are in the business of helping folks and meeting needs, not pioneering technologies. Leave that to the VC firms. And then once they're developed, milk them to benefit those you serve by engaging allies and supporters.

Things have just gotten underway at the annual Georgia Center for Nonprofits Summit.

At any of these things I go to (by these things I mean mixers, meetings, workshops and conferences related to the nonprofit world), I can't help but notice what's glaringly missing: young faces.

Granted, depending upon the event, young people (18-34 year olds) may not need to be there. Most young folks in the charity sector are running programs (often because they want the hands-on experience). Thus, they're not going to show up at a workshop dealing with policy or board management. Likewise, if the event is for a specific job (like marketing), if someone ain't in marketing, they ain't coming.

But, this event is all about revolutions. Things are changing everywhere, but especially with nonprofits. Thus, 'change or die' is both foreboding and intimidating for nonprofit managers.

But, can we really have a conversation about where nonprofits should go if the very people who are and will be in charge of these organizations aren't even in the room?

Everyone, nonprofit or for-profit, is scrambling to get that elusive 18-34 demographic. The truth is that many of them would be very interested in your product, company, nonprofit, or volunteer opportunity. But, if your organization isn't set up to attract or retain these folks, then get ready to die.

For example, something said from the stage in the general session was that nonprofits need to be trained to keep young talent. Because it's hard to keep a 23-year-old on staff until they retire, nonprofit managers need to know how to keep someone on board.

Wrong. That's like telling someone that the best way to get from New York to LA is to call Amtrak. You'll get there, but it will be a hell of a hard time.

Instead, in nonprofit organizations, opportunities for promotion are very slim. Thus, if a 23-year-old wants to climb the career ladder (and they will because they'll need and want more money as they do things like have kids and save for retirement), their best option is to jump to another organization or leave the industry entirely.

So, nonprofits don't need to be trained to keep a young person. They need to know how to replace a young person.

Unfortunately, if I'm the youngest person in the room, that's not a good sign. It was fine a few years ago. Sure, I'm only 26, but as people are finishing college with a suitcase full of hope and ambition, charities are throwing away a very valuable asset by not engaging young persons in every level of an organization, from program design to fundraising to awareness building.

I'm currently in a session for Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This is a pretty empty concept, especially for non-franchised nonprofits. But I'll debrief that later.

I'm sitting in a Caribou Coffee in Atlanta right now. Even though my friend is good for 23 holes of golf, he doesn't have wi-fi at his apartment. So, I'm spending a few hours catching up on emails and news before I eat breakfast again with my friend at local spot Radial.

I like Caribou. They're smart. Free refills on coffee. Free wi-fi. And everywhere you look, they place something in your line of site to nudge you to buy something.

It's not in an overbearing kind of way. Nothing's flashy or out-of place. It's the subtle things that wake up your psyche and remind you that you do want to spend money on something:

• The branded napkins whose corners read, "Better grab a muffin."
• The stuffed animals nonchalantly sitting on the mantle above the fake fireplace (these joints are ski-lodged themed).
• The sign on your way out that says, "See you tomorrow."
• The cardboard sleeve that reminds you, "You are holding our pride and joy."

And, the coffee is actually pretty good. And the people at the register are very nice.

This is everything the chain-store coffee experience should be. Give me the conveniences and the selection of a big conglomerate, along with the service and kindness I demand from any experience. If you do that, I won't mind your subtle, clever ways you choose to market to me.

If fact, I might actually like it.

At least enough to write about it.

I'll off tomorrow morning for a trip around Georgia and Alabama.

With our recent news about expanding into Atlanta, I'm looking forward to attending the Georgia Center for Nonprofits' Annual Summit. We'll be talking about revolutions when it comes to social change, particularly in the ways nonprofits and change agents are structured, marketed, promoted, and connected. I'm looking forward to meeting some industry folks, seeing how the Georgia nonprofit landscape compares to that of Tennessee, and to examine some latest trends.

I also hope to play golf here.

On Friday, I'll head over to Birmingham for the day to meet with some community people as well and talk about CoolPeopleCare.

Then, I'll be back in Georgia on Saturday to watch Lynnette's cousin graduate from law school, before we come back home on Sunday.

Thank goodness for Sirius.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 14, 2007

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The creators of CoolPeopleCare.org, a philanthropic Web site based in Nashville, Tenn., today announce the expansion of the Web site to Atlanta, Ga. This is the seventh featured city for CoolPeopleCare, which already features nonprofit and charitable events in Tennessee for Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, as well as Birmingham, Ala. and Boston, Mass.

Sam Davidson, President and Co-founder of the company, says, "Launching in Atlanta is very exciting for us. There are a lot of people in Georgia who want to give back to their local communities and now they have a great resource to show them how."

Launched in August 2006 in Nashville, CoolPeopleCare.org is an offering of CoolPeopleCare, Inc., a company started by Davidson and Stephen Moseley, Vice-President. With more than 15 nonprofit partners and over 1,000 events already listed in their other 6 cities, Atlanta extends the site's presence in the southeast.

Since its launch, the site has served more than 125,000 visitors. Davidson says, "As our popularity grows, we want to be able to provide our users with the best experience as they actively search for ways to change the world. Our ultimate aim is to connect willing individuals with great nonprofits and opportunities near them so that everyone benefits. And we'd eventually love to offer this all across the United States."

The Web site's signature feature, "5 Minutes of Caring," is a 99-word daily article featuring helpful hints, practical tips and links to inform readers of the many ways in which they may make a difference in less than five minutes a day. Those who come for this information are directed towards ways to make a difference in their local communities, through an "Act Locally" events calendar.

To find charitable events and volunteer opportunities, or to list information about your nonprofit, visit www.coolpeoplecare.org.

I watched Babel last night. This thing was nominated for a lot of awards.

It was pretty terrible. I'm not even sure what the point was. Do yourself a favor and skip this one. Watch Crash instead.

If you've already seen Crash, watch it again.

Strapped for ideas today? Here's what we mentioned last week:

Monday, May 7: Care Package for Mom
Make mom proud by giving to others.

Tuesday, May 8: Give Her the World
The gift goes to someone else, but your mom still gets the warm fuzzies.

Wednesday, May 9: What Giving Smells Like
This gift will make your mom smell and feel good.

Thursday, May 10: FreePledge
For Mothers' Day, make a difference by making a FreePledge.

Friday, May 11: Tell Mom
You know she wants to hear from you.

Here's what I picked up at my most recent trek to Mega. I'll be getting to these soon (but not necessarily in this order). Let me know in the comments if you've got opinions on any of these.

• Nuts!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg
• The Starfish and the Spider: The Unstoppable Power of Leaderless Organizations by Ori Brafman and Rod A. Beckstrom
• Management Challenges for the 21st Century by Peter F. Drucker
• The Effective Executive by Peter F. Drucker
• The Myth of Excellence: Why Great Companies Never Try to Be the Best at Everything by Fred Crawford and Ryan Mathews
• Managing the Non-Profit Organization: Principles and Practices by Peter F. Drucker
• Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham
• Geeks and Geezers: How Era, Values, and Defining Moments Shape Leaders by Warren G. Bennis and Robert J. Thomas

Seth Godin's Purple Cow is the first (and so far, only) of his books I've read, though I do read his blog. Seth is a marketing guru that has some very worthy insight for anyone looking to sell something in today's rapidly changing world of media.

Seth is someone who knows that what worked then won't work now. His concept of the Purple Cow is simple: create something that is remarkable. Remarkable products are easy to remember, not just so that people will pick it up at the grocery store or Target, but so that people will tell other people about it. When someone tells someone else (something good) about your item or store, your cost to advertise to that listener is $0.00. No matter what your product sells for, that's a great deal on advertising.

He offers several good and bad examples of companies that embrace this idea and others that seemed to have missed a golden opportunity. He also draws the line between remarkable and sensational, important and gimmicky, and the built-to-last and the one-hit-wonders.

I'm not a marketer by title (or education), but I am developing a product that I actively brand and market every single day. If you’ve heard of Godin before, you're probably a fan. But if you haven't, and you're trying to start a business, get people to your eBay store, or trying to get more readers to your blog, this quick read is well worth the afternoon.

Stuff won't jump out at you on every page, and a lot of the book is stuff you may have thought of already, but Seth clearly defines the need for everyone to be remarkable.

If they want to be around in a year, that is.

Here's a short article about the upcoming postal rate increase as it relates to nonprofits.

Charities and change agents send out a lot of mail pieces as they seek donations and raise awareness. This increase means it could take more of their budget to reach people. (The discounted nonprofit rate is safe for now, but it could increase as the USPS faces more and more budget issues.)

How then can these organizations best reach their core constituency? Direct mail response is usually dismal at best, and I'm always shocked when I get an unsolicited letter from a nonprofit. I usually toss it along with my Kroger ad and credit card applications.

If nonprofits are going to not only save money, but increase their advertising effectiveness, they have got to get out of the direct mail game as their donor base (which is usually older) embraces technology more and more.

A new report out by the Pew Internet and American Life Project finds that just 8% of people live the Web 2.0 life. Only 8% of people use most of the tools available to them in terms of social networking, blogging, and other newer forms of communication.

I thought the number would have been higher, given the vast amount of people Facebook-ing and MySpace-ing. David Utter has some good analysis of why this number is (seemingly) low.

The uber-connected life is one mainly lived by 20-year olds that Utter thinks will be replaced with things like family, career, and other responsibilities as these people age.

I don't think these people will regress to the days of the rotary dial phone or black and white TV, but I agree that their blogging activity or Second Life fun may wane as they want to spend time with their children or attend events with friends.

In his book Purple Cow, Seth Godin writes,

"TV and mass media are no longer your secret weapons. Stop advertising and start innovating."

I'm not necessarily a marketing guy (at least not in job title), but his words, written in 2003 are being proven truer every day. Not a day goes by where I don't read a news story, magazine article or blog post about the death of 'traditional' media and how advertisers and marketers are scrambling to cope with this reality.

And what does this mean for nonprofits? As someone who ultimately tries to connect people who want to change the world with organizations already doing so, I constantly think about the best ways to do this, given a nonprofit's mission, event, or needs.

One thing it means is that the free ads many organizations get from newspapers or TV stations will have less and less of an impact. It's great if the local paper offers a full-color, full-page spread for an upcoming fundraiser, but that free gift is meaningless if it doesn't get in front of the right audience. And the 'right audience' is what is so hard to find for some companies and charities.

If an ad runs on the evening news, but no one's watching, will anyone come to volunteer?

Here's a quick video (made by our friends at StudioNow) detailing what this whole CoolPeopleCare thing is all about:

I was surfing around some nonprofit Web sites this morning, and came across one dealing with adoption. The organization is Christian in its approach, which I don't have a problem with. Somewhere on the site, I found language about parenting and something along the lines of hoping that our children will do mighty things for God.

What is it with our desire to win, conquer, and be powerful? We want to be out in front. We want to be better than others. And, some Christians pray for God's help in this endeavor.

I couldn't help but wonder: what would it look like if we instead prayed that we, and our children, could do simple things for God? What would happen if we prayed that God would use us to be small, unnoticed, or anonymous?

Truthfully, that is one of my great fears. I enjoy being out in front. I have no fear of public speaking. I like to lead. I want people to know who I am. So what if God calls me to pack my things, move to a remote spot in Chad and dig wells the rest of my days? What if I feel the need to move to a faraway location in Bangladesh and work in a market? Or, what if I must stay where I am, get a 9-to-5, and put in my 40 years, known only to my wife and a handful of friends?

And then I realize that those who pray for God to use their children in mighty ways is the same way I want God to use me.

But, I think that some of the mightiest things we can do for God are the things considered small and insignificant by many in our world. I admire the crap out of the following people:

• My friend in Tacoma who whittled her life's possessions down to 6 boxes so that when the opportunity arose, she could easily commit to moving abroad and teaching.
• My friend in Houston, who is one of the most Christian persons I know, who loves his wife, his church, and tries his best to be who he feels God wants him to be.
• My friend in Nashville, who works a (relatively) thankless job preventing teenagers from developing addictive or destructive behaviors.

And there are countless others I've met who work in the nonprofit world, who raise families, who serve others, all of whom may never garner a headline or a lead story about them.

But they're doing mighty things - the kinds of mighty things I hope to be doing one day. And that's my prayer - that I will be able to know that the mightiest works are not those done in the public eye with everyone admiring. Rather, the mighty works are those done habitually, where character counts and consistency is key.

In hopes of raising awareness about the reality of genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, Sam writes every Monday about a key issue in an attempt to stop the atrocity. Doing so may not bring about a wave of change, but it is a small ripple that represents the tide that needs turning.

The first step is stopping a genocide is to find the truth. Then, you tell that truth to as many people as possible.

It was reported today that Amnesty International has uncovered a terrible violation of the arms embargo imposed on Sudan. Russia and China are accused of supplying the government in Khartoum with weapons. These arms are then being taken to Darfur, where one can only assume they will soon be used to kill innocent people.

I still hold out hope that a lot of diplomacy and negotiations can be used to end this conflict. But, when the Sudanese government, aided by other nations, deliberately violates sanctions, there needs to be a louder and stronger voice.

Of course then it gets complicated as to what this 'voice' is and who is speaking. But, it just might be time - no, it's way past time - to clearly outline what is expected from Khartoum and what will happen if these expectations are not met.

It looks like the Tennessean reprinted a piece that ran in All the Rage a few weeks ago for which I was interviewed.

I'm not the expert on water conservation, but I'm happy to recommend some practices for curbing your H20 use.

I just finished The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time by Jeffrey Sachs. I began it before Christmas last year, but finally got around to reading the final chapter. If you want to understand why sending lots of cash to Africa is sometimes a bad idea and why capitalist business solutions is sometimes a good idea, read this book.

Sachs is highly educated and was an economic whiz in the Ivy Leagues before he consulted with countries like Bolivia, Chile, and Russia on how to get their economies in order. Sachs takes issues with institutions like the World Bank and the IMF, but doesn't just complain - he prescribes solutions that just might work.

There are over 2 billion people in the world that are in abject poverty and live at what is called the "Bottom of the Pyramid." The name comes from the idea that as you go up the economic ladder, fewer and fewer people make increasingly more money.

The Bottom of the Pyramid is a term that you'll hear more and more of very soon. This massive group of people is now being seen as a viable group of consumers with, believe it or not, purchasing power. This theory has been confirmed by folks like Nobel Prize Winner Muhammad Yunus, who gained notoriety with his microlending programs in Bangladesh that have lifted people out of poverty.

Sachs' chief analogy is that of a ladder. For him, alleviating poverty in a meaningful way is to get people 'on the ladder' so that they can begin the climb towards prosperity. While this idea sounds sort of like 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' garbage, Sachs understands that some people don't have boots. He comes up with ways to get boots to the people who need them by a combination of individuals, NGOs, businesses, and governments.

If you want to know one reason for the economic divide in the world, Sachs offer this:

Americans believe that they earned their wealth all by themselves. They forget that they inherited a vast continent rich in natural resources,with great soils and natural rainfall, immense navigable rivers, and thousands of miles of coastline with dozens of natural ports that provide a wonderful foundation for sea-based trade.

Sachs' analysis of the poverty problem is dead on. His pinpoints key causes with sniper-like accuracy. There is room for debate over his solutions, particularly in who should be in charge of what in terms of economic relief. But, his courage to think outside of the box is exactly what is needed to help kids reach their fifth birthdays and ensure a roof over their heads when they do.

Read this book. It will make you smarter.

Each Sunday at 10:30, my family eats brunch together. I enjoy it because we can catch up, laugh together, and get some quality eats.

Because I only live a block or so away, I've been to the Cafe more than a few times. But, I always try to get something different each time.

Today, I had a cup of coffee (standard) and the Crab Cakes Benedict. The cakes were a bit spicy, which was nice. I tried to get a bit of egg, crab and bagel in each bite. The hashbrowns were a worthy side. It was a big breakfast in the sense that it was a lot to each, but not that I had to be pushed back to my house in a stroller. For $12.99, it's a fair price. And, the complimentary bread is a delicious, warm, fluffy cinnamon delight.

The menu overall is pretty sparse, but what they serve is unique and worth a trip.

Yeah, I know it came out like three years ago, but it was on yesterday, and it just seemed like a good film to watch while the rain drizzled and the breeze was coming into my living room.

Zach Braff is talented.

This movie could have very easily gone straight down the crapper (like Lost in Translation) and made me do one of two things:

1. Get so bored I turned it off
2. Not cared about any of the characters because they just sat around and lived a crappy life

But it didn't. I do think the movie should have ended on top of the bulldozer, but taking it to the airport didn't ruin it.

This movie is full of great quotes (due to Braff's good writing), but the best was Largeman's quote at the end. His opening up to Sam was a quality scene.

Go ahead and spend two hours with this. You'll either be depressed or hopeful, but it's worth the risk.

Monday, April 30: Thank an Officer
They do what they do for you.

Tuesday, May 1: Foster Care Month
You don't have to adopt to make a difference.

Wednesday, May 2: South-Facing Windows
Get out your compass.

Thursday, May 3: Stamps Into Money
Donate to a good cause, 39 cents at a time.

Friday, May 4: Cinco de What?
Learn something meaningful and multicultural this weekend.

I just finished my first week working fulltime for CoolPeopleCare. This was a leap I'd been wanting to take for some time, but had to finish some other projects.

So far, so good.

This week, I've met with social entrepreneurs, nonprofit leaders, volunteers, and dreamers. I've talked with people in San Francisco, Boston, Portland and Birmingham about what we're doing and the revolution of caring we're trying to bring to the world.

I'm having a lot of fun.

Here's a great article from Athens about the emerging issues within the nonprofit world in terms of employment.

Very few schools offer practical training that will pay off in the nonprofit world. This is confusing, given that the sector is growing faster than the for-profit world.

More and more people I know claim they want to work for a nonprofit, namely so that 'their day will mean something.' While days can be meaningful in other ways, I understand what they're saying. For whatever reason, many folks are wired so that they want to give back. And if they can do that for a living, what could be better?

There needs to be better training for nonprofit managers, more than just a workshop for half a day every so often. As nonprofits grown and change, there is a need for quality management that can help organizations transition. Likewise, there will be a need to recruit and retain top talent, not just within the sector, but from without as well. Nonprofit pay is increasing, but when lines blur between the personal and the professional, and when someone is not supported in their work, burnout can happen overnight.

It's great that lots of people want in; we need to make sure they stay.

The Washington Post has an article today about the Gates Foundation, and how their recent donation is trying to also entice funds and legislation in DC.

The nonprofit sector is a fascinating one for me to study, particularly when it comes to notions of policy and systemic change. As I recently mentioned, charity is only a start (and a great one) for most people. But if we're really going to bring down walls of inequality, we need to fight for justice, and this often means that we need to organize and share power.

And it could mean we need to use this power to influence those making the laws and signing the checks.

Gates and Buffet donate more money that I'll earn in twelve lifetimes, but they can't do it alone. Often, the system needs changing. Robert Egger knows the power of politics, and is spearheading a campaign to organize nonprofits to fight for the legislation that makes them and those they serve better off.

We can hand out free meals, but if housing isn't affordable, people still won't have a place to sleep at night, even if their stomachs are full. We can mail mosquito nets to Africa, but if corrupt governments oppress families, no net is strong enough.

Thanks to Texas in Africa for highlighting this sermon about why women should be ordained.