LA Marathon

As 2011 comes to a close and we embark on new goals and aspirations for 2012 I would like to discuss the prospect of running a marathon.

Now, you may have read the title of this post and thought, This one is not for me, but give me a chance, you might surprise yourself. Let me preface this by saying, I am not a born runner. In fact, I almost failed PE in the 8th grade because I REFUSED to run a mile. And yet, even I was able to run and complete the LA Marathon in 2010. And let me tell you, it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life.

If you are considering running a marathon, I suggest going to watch one first. This is what truly inspired me to sign up. I know it may seem odd to "watch" a marathon, but when you are standing on the sidelines watching thousands of people of all shapes, sizes, colors and ages, heroicly stride past you, you can't help but want to be part of that too.

Not only is running a marathon an incredible physical feat, but it is also a way to give back. This year the LA Marathon is supporting over 60 charities through its Run 4 Something campaign. This is an easy way for you to build support, awareness and funding for a charity of your choice. You can choose to sign up for the 26.2 mile marathon, or compete as a team in the Charity 2-Person Marathon. This is a new and excellent option for couples, friends, siblings, father/daughter, mother/son, any pair of people looking to get involved and get in shape! Each person completes a 13.1 portion of the run/walk and you work as a team to fundraise and gather support for your charity.

There are many wonderful charities registered for the LA Marathon this year, but I would like to highlight one charity in particular that has been involved with the LA Marathon's charity run since its inception: Child S.H.A.R.E. Child S.H.A.R.E. is a non-profit organization that provides safe and loving homes for abused and neglected children through foster care and adoption. Through recruitment, they are able to find families for children throughout southern California who otherwise would be displaced in group homes and foster care facilities. As one who believes in childhood as a basic human right, I believe this is an admirable and worthy cause. I also appreciate the sensibility of taking care of our own, and finding homes for children in our own community who need the love and support of family.

I urge you to learn more about this organization by visiting their website and consider the option of running 4 something in this year's LA Marathon.

Veterans Day 11/11/11

50 years ago, President John F. Kennedy delivered his first and only inaugural address. President Kennedy will forever be remembered for this speech and especially for these words: "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your county can do for you - ask what you can do for your country." Today, as we honor the men and women who have worn, and currently wear America's uniform, I would like to echo JFK's sentiment, "ask what you can do for your country." I have often asked this same question to myself throughout my childhood, which has led me to my decision to serve in our nation's military. However, military service isn't the only way to answer JFK's call to service. The Peace Corps, an organization President Kennedy started, is another great way to serve our country. Understandably, many people I know are at a time in their lives where a drastic change like joining the military or Peace Corps is not plausible, so in spirit of Veterans Day, I've decided to write about a few organizations that help our nation's veterans and active duty service members.

Homes For Our Troops - This non-profit, non-partisan organization builds "specially adapted homes to our severely injured veterans at no cost" to the veterans we serve.

The Mission Continues - The Mission Continues is a non-profit organization started by Navy SEAL and Rhodes Scholar Eric Greitens. Greitens, now a Lieutenant Commander in the SEAL reserves, started The Mission Continues with his combat pay and his two friend's disability pay. The Mission Continues goal is to "build an America where every returning veteran can serve again as a citizen leader, and where together we honor the fallen by living their value through service."

USO - "until every one comes home." The USO's mission is to lift the spirits of America's troops and their families.

Operation Shoebox - This organization sends care packages to those serving overseas to help raise their morale and let them know they are cared for.

Today I encourage you to take a moment to appreciate the service and security our country and veterans have provided, and take action to give back.

Dear Readers,

I apologize for my lack of posts in the past few weeks, I have had some pretty exciting personal and professions developments which have taken me away from my blog. I have tried to continue to provide inspiration and nonprofit news updates through my Twitter @nextgengiving, which I hope you have been following.

I have recently begun a new position as the Development Associate for a Los Angeles nonprofit. I am thrilled about this new opportunity and am enjoying continuing my philanthropic education. I am very much looking forward to sharing my experiences with you along the way.

Another exciting development with my blog is on its way as well. I have decided to incorporate some new contributors into the blog to expand the point of view and increase my ability to provide you with news and inspiration.

My first contributor will  be a close friend who constantly inspires and encourages me in my philanthropic endeavors. Without his encouragement I may have never had the confidence to start this blog nor stay committed to my goal of pursuing a development career. I hope you will enjoy his added perspective as much as I do.

Best,

Maria

Some Personal Wisdom

This week I decided to write something personal. I have been blogging/tweeting for about five weeks now and I feel like I have developed a lot over these past weeks both personally and professionally. I have enjoyed experimenting with this blog and my Twitter activity, employing new tactics such as "TweetDeck" (which I highly recommend incorporating into your own social media activity if you have not already), tapping into resources like the Chronicle of Philanthropy's Daily Update and interacting with all of you out in the philanthropic sector of cyber-space.

As a recent graduate with a passion for philanthropy I am currently seeking a job in non-profit development. As we all know, the job market is not currently at its best so I have been trying to utilize all the resources available to me to create relationships, gain insight into the industry and continue developing my professional skills. There are a few extremely valuable things I have learned along the way that I would like to share for those of you who are seeking jobs yourself or perhaps have children, friends or siblings who are feeling discouraged in the job market (like I once was).

1. Every day is an opportunity.
I used to wake up in the morning, go through my regular job-listings, apply to what interested me (if there was even anything new available) and spend the rest of my day essentially waiting by the phone. But there is so much more you can do. It is easy to blend in with a pile of resumes, so what makes you unique? What are your strengths and how can you continue to build and emphasize these skills to your audience? Reach out to past employers, professors, even peers and co-workers. Whether they give you advice, the name of an organization, a reference or even a website where you can post your resume, these are all steps forward in promoting yourself.
2. Create a focus.
If you know what you want to do, think about the skills you need to effectively execute this position and continue your education. Make a list of strengths and weaknesses and turn your weaknesses into strengths. There are a plethora of books, classes, seminars, libraries and other resources dedicated to your field of interest, all it takes is that first step.
3. Make connections, everywhere.
When you are unemployed or just out of school, I know it can get tiring to continuously repeat your response to "What kind of job are you looking for?" However, trust me, it's worth it. I have a response that, although it sounds tired and over-used to me, is my quick summary of what I'm looking for. One day I was talking to a friend who works for UTA and he asked me the dreaded question and I just responded saying, "I'm really tired of talking about it, can we just talk about something else?" Later that night we were out with his friends who asked me the same question, I responded with my "spiel" and the next day I received an email from my friend with a list of job postings from UTA's Foundation. Needless to say, opportunities exist even where you might not expect to find them, so always be open to sharing your goals with others.
4. Take advice.
My parents have always been involved in philanthropy, which I believe has influenced my career choices. However, when it came time for me to find a job I was hesitant to heed their advice. Living in Santa Barbara, I was skeptical of what opportunities they would be able to connect me with in Los Angeles. However, I was wrong.
In business, private or public, networking is essential. One of the most valuable resources I have tapped into recently (thanks to my parents and their connections) has been the "informational interview." These interviews are so valuable because they can help you not only learn about a new job, but learn how someone who has the position you covet got on the other side of the desk. If you have the opportunity to get one of these prized interviews, don't be embarrased to ask for advice, and when you receive it FOLLOW it. I had an amazing meeting with Jonathan Zeichner of A Place Called Home who gave me some great advice on how to re-work my cover letter and tap into resources which would help me continue my development education. Speaking with him also helped re-ignite my passion for development work and reminded me why I am fighting so hard to pursue my dreams.

I have been told countless times, knowing what you want to do is a gift. I used to think bitterly that it was a futile gift if you were unable to use it. However, I now know what this truly means. A gift is not something we are entitled to, but something you must fight for and earn.

I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the novel, High Fidelity by Nick Hornby:

"It's not a case of the glass being half full or half empty; more that we tipped a whole half-pint into an empty pint pot. I had to see how much was there, though, and now I know."

I hope that you will take this advice and any discouragement you might be struggling with and find a way to turn it into something positive. Because, if nothing else, that is what philanthropy is all about.

IWMF Courage in Journalism Gala

Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending the International Women's Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Gala at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Bank of America was the National Event Sponsor for the 6th year running, helping support an incredibly elegant and socially relevant event in honor of brave women journalists.

The historical Beverly Hills Hotel was the perfect backdrop to honor these four women journalists, who despite the harsh conditions they have faced managed to shine on the stage as lovely as any of the stars who have famously graced the venue. Pictured below are the four Courage in Journalism Award winners (from left to right): Adela Navarro Bello of Mexico, Parisa Hafezi of Iran, Chiranuch Premchaiporn of Thailand and Kate Adie of the UK who was given the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Their stories were both shocking and awe-inspiring. Bello has seen many of her colleagues shot down and killed. Hafezi, a single mother living in Iran, has faced the danger of invasion into her home. Premchaiporn is still facing the possibility of 20 years imprisonment due to postings she published on her website. And Adie is still living with shrapnel in her foot after reporting on the front-lines of a war-zone. These women have displayed bravery and a commitment to seeking the truth even in the face of the threat of death.

It was an honor to attend this incredible event and hear the stories of lives of these courageous women. Please visit the IWMF website to learn more about this event and the Foundation that is supporting women in journalism throughout the world.

FOOD DAY!

Today, October 24, 2011, is the first annual Food Day! You are probably asking yourself, what is Food Day? Food Day is a new concept which promotes "healthy, affordable food produced in a sustainable, humane way." At first, I was a little skeptical about supporting a day in the name of food. However, after doing some research I found that this day is about much more than food. It is intended to focus the American public on some of the most important issues facing our society, which, whether we realize it or not, have a lot to do with food consumption and production. Here are the 6 principles of Food Day to help you better understand what I am describing:

1. Reduce diet-related disease by promoting safe, healthy foods
2. Support sustainable farms & limit subsidies to big agribusiness
3. Expand access to food and alleviate hunger
4. Protect the environment & animals by reforming factory farms
5. Promote health by curbing junk-food marketing to kids
6. Support fair conditions for food and farm workers

These goals are not extreme, but rather, what I view as basic necessities for a more healthful society. I, myself, lost my grandmother to complications related to type 2 diabetes. And thus am and avid supporter of limiting junk-food, promoting exercise and healthy foods. On the other side of the coin, the hunger epidemic effects millions world-wide on a daily basis and is something we should fight to change.

One of my favorite shows on television is The Biggest Loser. This show not only promotes healthy eating, exercise and lifestyle changes, but also supports a program called "Pound for Pound Challenge." Pound for Pound encourages people to lose weight while also contributing to the hunger crisis which faces 1 in 6 Americans. For every pound of weight lost, the Pound for Pound Challenge will donate 11 cents to Feeding America, enough money to secure one pound of groceries on behalf of local food banks. This is an amazing program which is changing lives and creating a new balance.

Another way to support Food Day is through hosting your own Food Day event or party. Whole Foods, one of my favorite places to shop, created a great blog post about Food Day and how you can host and event to show your support. In partnership with Epicurious, they provide a comprehensive list of recipes, principles and tips on hosting your own event.

I encourage you to visit the Food Day website at: www.foodday.org to learn more about this new concept and how you can get involved and make changes. The website also provides a petition you can sign to encourage your Members of Congress to support the Eat Real agenda which Food Day promotes. The message of this letter really resonated with me and the goals I would like America to support and I hope you will choose to support this message as well.

What Does Gadhafi's Death Mean for You?

The news on everyone's minds this morning is, of course, the death of Moammar Gadhafi. The 69-year-old dictator was killed Thursday in Libya after 42 years of a brutally violent reign. In some graphic cell-phone footage posted by CNN from a Libyan contributor, you can see images of Gadhafi's bloodied body and evidence that he had been shot in the head. You will also see civilians celebrating by firing guns in the air and enthusiastically yelling. I will not post the footage here due to the graphic content but if you would like to see the video here is the link.

For most Libyans, the death of Gadhafi provides a sense of relief and release from the fear of his rule. However, it is unclear what the actual consequences will be for the Libyan people and some fear among the people still persists. According to CNN's Ben Wedeman, Gadhafi's death does not necessarily mean an end of conflict for the people of Libya. There is likely to be a period of lawlessness and some fear revenge attacks by Gadhafi loyalists. There is hope that the Libyan people will be able to arrive at some form of Democratic government, however doubt remains.


For the relatives of victims of Gadhafi-led terrorist attacks, responses range from relief to celebration to shock. In 1988, a Pan Am flight from London to New York was bombed, killing all 259 people on board and 11 civilians on the ground. Many Americans were on this flight, among them the daughter of Susan Cohen who responded to the news of Gadhafi's death saying, "I'm just going to go out and buy an expensive bottle of champagne to celebrate." Cohen has been waiting for the news of his death since the day she found out her daughter would not return home. Other relatives of victims of this crash have commented that they thought this day would never come and finally feel a sense of relief that no other families will have to experience the tragedy of death they have suffered as a consequence of his reign.


In Obama's address to the people he stated that Libyans will now have the power to "determine their own destiny," free from the tyranny of Gadhafi. He also notes America's support for Libya in their plight toward democracy.


If nothing else, Gadhafi's death seems to provide hope for the global fight against tyranny and violent dictatorships. However, violence and death, although sometimes necessary, are never an ideal solution.