Tag Archives: Miscellaneous

Twive and Receive

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Fundraising often gets a bad rap. And you know, even though it’s what I do for a living, I’ll admit that copious mailings, endless telethons, and phone calls that inevitably come during dinner can be quite annoying. But fundraising is a necessary part of the life of any healthy ministry or nonprofit. And with the advent of so many new technologies, it’s exciting to see how the fundraising landscape is changing.

Social media (like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.) is obviously a huge part of “the ask,” because of the ways it allows you to build relationships. But for many nonprofits, the thought of doing all these things on the Internet is utterly overwhelming, and many donors are scared of making online donations. Enter: Twive and Receive.

Twive and Receive is a really avant garde competition that is forcing nonprofits to dive headfirst into the social media world. It’s a 24-hour online giving challenge among over 200 organizations nationwide. Each city has one representative, and I’m supporting Atlanta’s contender, Buckhead Christian Ministry. The top 3 fundraising organizations nationwide receive a share of a $30,000 grant and the unofficial title of Most Generous City. The goal is to rally your “tweeps,” your Facebook fans, any bloggers you know, the local news media, etc. to spread the word about your cause and drive traffic to your donation page. (Of course, that’s the goal of fundraising in general, but this is a highly focused campaign because it’s limited to those 24-hours.)

After weeks of getting ready and planning strategy, Twive is finally here! You can view the full list of participants here to find the city nearest you! I am, of course, biased, and I’m hoping to see the donation widget below fill up by the hour.

Online fundraising for Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Christian Ministry

If you’d like to join me, every donation goes toward helping BCM provide financial assistance to families so they can keep their lights on, stay in their homes, put food on the table, and dress for success. We’ve adopted the hashtag “ATLCaresMost,” and it’s seeing people care for “the least of these” and serve unselfishly that reminds me how much people really do care.

I’ll end my telethon (blogathon?) here, but I’m curious: How do you decide what charities to support? Do you feel comfortable making online donations?

2 Years Ago Today….

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….this happened!

(Someone should’ve told me to stand up straighter!!)

 …and then fun was had by all!

 …and then we drove away!

…to go here!

(Blowing Rock, North Carolina)

I know people always say things like, “I can’t believe it’s already been two years,” but I really can’t. With all the changes that have happened in the past 12 months, they’ve really flown by. Last year at this time we were in the final stages of preparing to move to Atlanta, and now here we are, all settled in!

We’re going out for a nice dinner tonight, and I’ll do a mental toast to many more of these whirlwind years to come.

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes 

Words for Easter Week

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I spent a couple of years of my church-going life at traditional Southern Baptist churches, and around the holidays it’s always the good old Gospel hymns that go through my head. This week, as we approach Easter, I’ve been singing this song:

This is the perfect classic version! Those big chords on the piano just make the chorus for me. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy, and this isn’t the kind of music I listen to regularly…but you can’t beat the truth and simplicity of these verses.

And I guarantee this will now be stuck in your head. You’re welcome.

I don’t own this video. Thanks to isbaptist for posting it on YouTube.

It’s a Gas

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In light of Friday’s post on 7 things I don’t buy, I’ve been trying to come up with a list of 7 things I splurge on. I haven’t come up with all seven, but this morning as I was filling up my car I realized that gas is monetarily interesting for me. I won’t say it belongs on the splurge list–it’s not like I seek out the best or most expensive gas. But it is one of the things that I’m pretty price immune to. I have a relatively small tank, and so I’ve decided that playing any kind of game to save a few cents per gallon just isn’t worth my time and effort. We do have a Kroger card that earns points redeemable at Shell gas stations, but even if I’m filling up all the way, that might save me $0.90 ($0.10 per gallon). Convenience is much more of a factor for me with gas than price. For example, this morning I wanted to swing by CVS, which necessitated me taking the route to work that doesn’t pass a Shell. But, I needed gas–so I just stopped at the Chevron that was right on my way and paid full price.

Are there any things you don’t find worth bargaining for? Where does convenience win for you?

Resolution: Accomplished!

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Well, I accomplished one of the goals I set out for myself at the beginning of this year: I completed the Couch to 5K running program and ran a 5K! I picked a 5K that was 12 weeks from my start date, even though the program is only 9 weeks long, and I ended up doing the last of its workouts 2 days before my race (you know, life happens). The 5K I picked was The Atlanta Women’s 5K hosted by the Atlanta Track Club. It took place in the neighborhood adjacent to mine, which was part of the appeal! Though I’ve decided I’m not a runner, the race was actually pretty fun, and it was a beautiful morning to be outside. I held back a lot at the beginning, and then my last mile was a whole minute faster than my first two! So I think I’ve got a faster one in me. And, you know what? I just might sign myself up for another one.

Here I am before the race. There was a lot of pink, since it was a women’s race. I loved it!

Here’s the token after picture. 

(Andy took some of me running, but they are so awkward I can’t bring myself to share them here. Sorry!)

And the fun stuff I got:

Yesterday morning at the gym I rocked my race shirt and, awkwardly enough, the person on the treadmill behind me had on hers too! So I had to look at us in the mirror the whole time I worked out, but she was gone before I finished, so we didn’t even get to chat.

I am proud of myself for sticking with it and accomplishing this goal! Have you achieved any goals this year or are you working toward any?