MS and General Messiness

As I sit down to write this, things feel complicated today. It's a day for me to tie up some blogging loose ends, but a bunch of other ones are unravelling at the same time. Life is messy like that. So in the spirit of transparency and accountability, here we go:

1. A long time ago, I wrote about my friend Liz asking me to donate money on her behalf to a cause "that supports industrious girls." At the time, my suggestion was Grameen Foundation's program with mothers and children. Unfortunately I did not hear anything back from that organization, so did not direct the funds there. In the meantime, I've learned about Little Women for Little Women. It's girls in BC raising money for women and girls in Afghanistan -- check them out! I'll be suggesting that Liz direct her money there instead.

2. Similarly, I'm having trouble tracking down the Winnipeg construction company that I wrote about a few weeks back. I think it may simply be a case of the contact person having retired, so I'm going to keep trying and will keep you posted. Not an encouraging start to my foray into getting guidance from Charity Intelligence Canada, but I'm still impressed enough to persevere.

3. Another piece by CIC well worth looking at is their study of cancer research fundraising in Canada. Some of you may have seen this article this week about the Canadian Cancer Society -- yet another example of questionable ratios between fundraising and programming for a large charity. It's made me jittery of big fundraising machines, and made at least one of my friends quesiton whether she'll continue canvassing on their behalf after many years of doing so. The story broke just one day after I was chatting with a different friend about two related things: how social service charities seem to be under much tighter public scrutiny than other kinds of non-profits such as hospitals or universities when it comes to their overhead spending, and how her relative with MS has actually stopped supporting the work of the MS Society out of frustration -- I don't know the details. Hmmm...head spinning...segue to my next point.

4. Another story broke last week about funding for MS clinical trials in Canada -- so-called 'liberation therapy." For the last 7 years, our family has been involved in supporting the work of the MS Society, primarily through a 75km bike ride in Niagara. We have had the largest team. Two of our kids have been the youngest riders, completing the full ride at just 8 years old. My husband has been a top fundraiser and has travelled to other rides throughout North America, including riding 180 miles in Texas last year. We have a junior team of kids and a senior team for the rest of us. It's been a big deal.

This year, our kids' summer schedule will not allowd for sufficient training time to prepare for the ride, and one of them needs to be driven to camp on that day, so unfortunately they will not be participating and therefore neither will I. My husband has passed the team captain reins on to a colleague, but he is still actively involved and riding, both in Niagara and Banff. He's hoping to pass the $10,000 mark again and to ride in Cape Cod next summer. So because this is local week here at Just Giving It, and because I'm not doing much fundraising myself for a change, I thought it would be fitting for this week's donation to go to Team Eramosa.

And it will. But strangely, I'm feeling somewhat reluctant. A bit nervous perhaps that I don't have full information, and that if I did, I might not give. What story is going to break next? If I had access to the details of their books, would I be as impressed?

At the same time I feel compelled to continue to give. Why? I think it's partly because I want to be supportive of my friend Anne, my daughter's friend's mom, my friend's brother, of my former neighbour growing up, and the many others I know, mostly women, who are struggling with MS. It still seems that giving money is one way to do that, even if too much of it goes to 'back office' work -- how else to channel it if not through the MS Society? I think it's also partly because I understand that it costs money to raise money, and I don't want to use cynicism as an excuse not to give. It's partly because this ride has become a big part of our family's story and I'm very proud of those I know who do it. And I think it's also because I have a sense that I need to be faithful in and to this giving journey -- to give even when I don't fully understand it or don't have all the information.

I hope that's not the same thing as being irresponsible. But as I said, life's messy like that.

A friend commented this week, "When you know better, you do better." I'm not sure that's always true, but for now, I'm going with what I know rather than with what I fear. I know that MS is a terrible disease, and it takes money to fight it. I hope you'll join me in doing that -- you can sponsor my beloved by clicking here. And do join in the conversation too. What are you thinking (and doing) about all of this?

PS -- $72.50 of our donation to an entrepreneur through Kiva has already been paid back into our account, ready to be reinvested. Now that's the kind of unfinished business that I love to be able to write about!

Aging Well

Have you ever thought about how important it is to finish well?

When you're on the 'home stretch,' it would be easy to coast. To let up. To drift off track.To fade out.

This week's donation is going to someone who is flat out refusing to do any of these things. Forrest is 80 years old. Having recently nursed his wife through the ravages of dementia, he could now, understandably, be resting -- catching his breath and enjoying life in the Annapolis Valley. Instead, Forrest has actively participated in Habitat for Humanity builds in Malaysia and Ethiopia. Having done one measly day of such a build in Ontario, I know what kind of energy that takes -- even at half his age. As Forrest prepares to return to Ethiopia this summer, it is my honour to pay tribute to this godly man who is making a deliberate choice to finish well. Could he die doing this? Yes. But, as his family has discussed, there are far worse things.

Teens Serving Across Canada

One of the most intriguing things about this giving journey so far has been watching how the giving opportunities are 'revealed' to me each week. It's teaching me to trust that I don't always have to have things figured out well in advance -- all will be well.

Here I am today, faced with yet another great example of that kind of provision. It's the fourth week of the month -- time to give to something suggested by you. Unfortunately my list of suggestions is running a little thin, and I wasn't too sure what direction to take this week. Then yesterday afternoon I received a message from two teenage guys I know. I've actually known Casey and Kyle for most of their lives. They're brothers -- part of that core team of young people from my former church that I've written about before. Among other things, they are hard workers, amazing musicians, and excellent with my kids.

Their message described the adventures that each of them is embarking upon this summer -- perfectly suited to each of their abilities. Kyle (who's 16 now if I'm remembering correctly) is heading to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia to partner with a local church, helping with their summer camp, skate park and other programs as they reach out to First Nations communities in that area. Casey, who's heading off to college to study music this September, is travelling to God's River, Manitoba to be involved in worship leadership and a sports camp with the First Nations people there. Between now and their departure, they are participating in a 6-week training program and building their team of support.

Voila! This week's donation will be divided between these two fine young men. It's a privilege to join their team, and not to have to look any farther than my Inbox to figure  out that I should do so.

Thankful from the bottom of her second heart

I'm laughing as I write this. The winner of the 'most fully alive' contest this week is the 27-year-old recipient of a heart transplant. Beat that! :) Thanks to my friend Pippy (also very much alive herself, having packed up her family and headed off to live in Tanzania recently) who reminded me about her friend Andrea Clegg's journey. Having lived for 14 months with a battery-operated mechanical heart, Andrea had a heart transplant just before Christmas 2010. She is an inspiring young woman, who is using her experience to raise money for Toronto General Hospital's transplant research and to encourage people to become organ donors. Global television crews followed Andrea every step of the way, and you can link to the video they produced through her blog -- it's not for the squeamish, but if you're up for it, hers is an incredible story to watch!

"Bring Out Your Live!"

Recently I heard someone described as being "so alive." It's not an adjective that would pop into my mind to describe someone very often -- but as soon as I heard it, I thought, "I want to be fully alive," and I've been pondering what that looks like. I was browsing through old photo albums today and discovered that each of my girls each looked amazingly alive at three years old. Heaven help us if it's all down hill from there!

Here at Just Giving It, the third Friday of the month is devoted to supporting inspiring individuals. When we started, I didn't realize that this would be the most difficult of the weeks. (Why is it so hard to find people to give money to??!)

Part of the fun of this journey has been not knowing exactly where the money's going to come from our where it's going, often until the very morning I start writing my weekly post. So I'm not worried. But I did want to let you all know that I could use your input. Who do you know that is "so alive"?

And looking ahead, the fourth Friday is coming too -- we take your suggestions for that day, so keep 'em coming!

Live well today.

Sister Christine

Working primarily for voluntary organizations as I do, I have been hearing a lot lately about the huge workload created by demands for greater accountability in the charitable sector. It's such a balance, isn't it? I am all for organizational accountability, but at the same time I have seen how "being accountable" can suck valuable, and disproportionate, time and energy away from organizations achieving the very impacts for which they are being called to account.

Sister Christine is a pillar in our community. She holds the Order of Canada for her work among the marginalized, particularly homeless men at the Welcome In Drop In Centre where she's worked for more than 25 years. She is also involved with 3 emergency shelters and other affordable housing initiatives, and other practical services such as transportation, medical care, clothing, job creation and many other big and small supports too numerous to mention. I drive past her Centre every day.

The story goes that when one funding organization in our city sought to get behind her work many years ago, they didn't ask her to write a proposal or fill out 10 forms. They handed her a check over a cup of tea because, as she's said, "they trusted a nun."

I've only met Sister Christine a couple of times since moving here a few years ago. She's a force to be reckoned with. I was told that if I needed to reach her, I should call between 5:30 and 6:30 am. And while I'm sure there are many admirable things about her, I particularly appreciate the fact that she, a woman of faith, has such enormous credibility for the work that she does. She strikes me as being utterly practical and 'no nonsense', caring, and virtually fearless as she works among a population most of us would cross the street to avoid. She is able to provide a haven to the homeless and isolated in our community in large part because of volunteers and partnerships with other agencies -- folks are willing to work with her.

A quick Google search gave me just a taste of what others have said about Sister Christine's work:

"She's truly a a beacon of hope for the marginalized in our society."

"Sister Christine doesn't roll out numbers and statistics when she talks about poverty. She talks about Stan...or the young man with fetal alcohol syndrome who can barely speak, but who can pick up a broom to sweep the Drop In Centre and considers it his job to do so."

"She seeks to do good and do it well."

Despite her long history, solid 'career' and advancing years, Sister Christine is still very much a hands on leader who hasn't lost her focus. As she said recently at a poverty elimination planning session, "If you get too big, you really can't help people. You need to know their names and their stories. Then you can figure out what they need."

I'm all for accountability, and I know that Sister Christine's work would stand up under scrutiny. But I'm also grateful that someone 'trusted a nun' and let her do what she was called to do. I'm inspired by her work and by the people who have supported her in it.

Kiva

It's international week here at Just Giving It. When I first wrote down the handful of organizations that I might consider giving to, back on December 29 last year as this blog was just taking shape in my mind, Kiva was high on the list.

Here's how it works:

Kiva partners with existing microfinance institutions around the world, who know their local context. Those field partners distribute loans to local entrepreneurs and upload stories to the Kiva website. Lenders (you and I) browse those profiles and select the ones we'd like to fund, for as little as $25. Kiva combines those funds and disburses them to the field partners. The entrepreneurs then repay their loans, and Kiva repays the lenders. Lenders can then re-invest those funds, donate them to pay Kiva's operating expenses, or withdraw them using PayPal.

When I first visited Kiva earlier this year, it had recently been identified as one of Oprah's 'Favourite Things' and the resulting popularity meant that there were temporarily no loans available to be made! That's changed, and as of this morning there are 713 loans available.

My mom and I made a loan together recently, to support Elsa Balaba in the Philippines who needed bananas and sugar for her street food stall. It's such fun reading through the profiles! Great too to see that our loan was pooled with others' to provide Elsa with her full requested amount. We now receive periodic updates as she pays it back.

Small business owners need start up and operating capital, no matter where they live. Microfinance is a  pathway to development gains that has proven to be very effective. Kudos to Kiva for making it easier for those of us in wealthy nations to connect, simply and meaningfully, with entrepreneurs in poorer places who need our capital. We need their stories. A beautiful win-win.