#109 treasures

Yesterday, I wrote about utilizing nuggets to start a staff meeting.  At our gathering last week, the nugget was about the history of libraries and the influence of Andrew Carnegie on building them across America.  Mr. Carnegie donated money to establish 2,509 libraries across the world, including nearly half of the total libraries in the United States.  He  believed in helping those who were willing to help themselves, so only gave to communities that demonstrated on-going financial and human support for the facilities.

I love the concept of rewarding personal responsibility, and if I were in the position of having billions to give away I undoubtedly would apply similar conditions to the funding as the Carnegie Foundation did.  But it got me dreaming about what cause I would champion. Carnegie had libraries, the Gates' have taken on malaria and education, Oprah is helping young girls in South Africa, Jerry Louis aligned with muscular dystrophy and Danny & Marlo Thomas support St. Jude.  Where would your foundation focus?

It is staggering to think of the difference that these philanthropists have made in our world.  I recently received a solicitation from St. Jude with a very compelling chart of 5-year cancer survivor rates since 1962 when the research center was founded.  Overall survival rates for childhood cancers have gone from less than 20% to 80% today.  For leukemia, it has gone from 4% to 94%!  Such possibilities and hope they have provided to families.

We may never have the funding of Carnegie or Oprah, but it does not mean that we don't have time, talent or treasure to offer to causes that matter to us.  Think of what your foundation would fund and take some steps to benefit that organization today.

-- beth triplett
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