I recently came across thesimpledollar.com. A web site dedicated to making your money saving simple. The sight was set up by Trent Hamm,  who in April 2006 went through a complete financial meltdown.  You can read more about him at (read my “financial biography” here). He addresses your every day concern of throwing yourself head first into trying to figure out every nuance of fixing your financial situation. He uses himself as an example of what he did to get the picture and within eight months had paid off all of his credit card debt, his vehicle, and also established an emergency fund. He says,

“What is The Simple Dollar? http://www.thesimpledollar.com.
The Simple Dollar is an exploration of personal finance from the perspective of a late-twentysomething who just realized that he needs to get a grip on his money. ”

His list of 100 great ways to save money can be found by clicking on this link.

 pic by mike licht

 Is the NFL going to the Dogs?

For my spouse, five and nine year old the setting was all set for Sunday to watch the football game with popcorn. We were to watch the New England Patriots against the Superbowl Champs the Colts. Both teams were undefeated for the season.

Wrong: First commercial, I am scrambling to stop the showing of a advertisement of an R rated film of about a killer. The first time was a big surprise, the second and third time just got me me to have to rethink what to have as the family event. It is not my intent to subject my children to watching over and over images of someone creating massive amounts of killing.

So instead of a relaxing family time I had to manage someones lack of judgement and inattentiveness to children for an event I thought was for families. This is not the first time major league football has been broiled in controversy of whether an action is family appropriate. If you take the track record of the commercialization of the football event I would advocate that it be given a rating of PG-13.

Family events are important to instilling values into each other as a family unit. Children learn from their parents. Violence is not a value I wish to instill to my children.

I want to instill the positive aspect of sports, such as working as a team, the use of strength, thinking and outwitting the opponent as positive. The constant message of conveying excitement to seeing “The Killer” was just way inappropriate. Which impression does the football wish to leave on a child? Violent actions are not. Youth violence is up. Who is to blame? What is the Cause? Which image does the football league want children and their families to remember?

I have already decided that the Football games are inappropriate for the five and nine year old due to the uncensored nature of the commercialization. Trust is an important condition a customer should be able to have from a business and the National Football League does not take that seriously enough.

I challenge the National Football League and its teams to make a difference among their fan base as well as their home states to support youth violence and domestic violence prevention programs.

Science has provided an outcome for which no organization is prepared. The chance of survival after a brain injury has become increasingly likely. However, that does not match the resources available for long-term or permanent care being needed. The costs are enormous and living in the community requires resources to be developed in many cases from scratch. Surviving a car accident or a war injury are two of the largest growing areas. Just in the past two years for the US military 30,327 individuals were diagnosed with injuries sufficient to be labeled wounded. Another 20,000 were not considered wounded but have brain injuries. The military, government and nonprofit sector are ill prepared to handle the volume of need. So those in need wait and despair.

Which organizations can provide the will and commitment to build the capacity?

Outsourcing functions and hiring consultants for specific projects is a double edged sword. 

If a consultant always makes you feel good, have they helped your organization to make tough decisions?  A good consultant should not be afraid to identify problems in the organization that prevent a funder, donor or customer from wanting to associate with the organization.  While a report does not have to include every fact, it is important that a report shows areas for improvement and potential problem areas that should be addressed.   There is no perfect organization. 

If your organization has not had a serious discussion among its Board and Management of its direction in the past five years it is being too complacent.

Look out the window, what has changed around you in five years?  When was the last time your organization evaluated the services it provides, reviewed its referral system, reviewed the characteristics of the population being served, reviewed the funding streams,   and made decisions balancing business needs vs. program needs?

If not in the last three years, the organization is out of touch. 

Most organizations do not function seasonally but seem to make raising money a seasonal focus.  Thereby creating donor fatigue during the November and December months.  I have received 19 solicitation since I began counting November 1st.  I have kept three to think about and one I sent a donation. 

The one pattern I have begun to use to separate among nonprofits are those that have large endowments and pay large salaries to its management compare to those that have low salaries and little or no endowment. 

Harvard University will get no donations until they stop using loans in the financial aid packages for many students.

Salvation Army has one of the largest endowments and does not report its information via guidestar or as a 501 c 3.  It hides behind the fact that churches arenot required to file a 990. 

Red Cross pays lots of high end salaries and is too general on what services they actually provided in a state.  I got the neighbor solicitation, while I would support my neighbor and community, the Red Cross solicitation does not keep it local.  There are plenty of local groups that will better serve the effort.

So what’s an organization to do?  Be specific about whom your going to serve, the outcome your trying to achieve, and communicate more often then once a year. 

Having the pulse of donors is always a challenge.  Questions to ask yourself in dealing with donors are:

How does the purpose for the funds interest the donor?

How does the campaign for the funds match the means for which the donor wishes to be recognized?

How does the campaign clearly describe whom will be served?

How does the organization plan to convey the outcomes for the funds donors have given?

Automated response vs a formal response with hand written thank you note.

High Schools for homeless youth has become an important need. Schools who have the ability to house students are the best options for these youth. Urban schools should think about dorms similar to private schools. Private schools should link themselves to communities and offer their services for students in need as part of their mission. If you’re a donor looking to give to your prep school, why not place a restriction on your donation to fund a homeless youth for their junior and/or senior year?

As a person who has had many youth intern under my supervision, there was one consistent message - You can change where I sleep but please do not change my school.

The number of homeless youth who need support for high school is 5,000 in Massachusetts alone. If you know what the need is in your state let me know?

Those thinking of starting a Charter High School may want to think about targeting this group of students. You will be unique and the service can be documented as needed.

Most readers that responded to the Thanksgiving question of sharing what they did, spoke about their travel experience.  The theme was about how their travel experience was the best they have had in years.  It provided for a less stressful sharing of a time with family.

Being thankful for having the time for sharing moments with family and friends.

May next year be the same.

(pic by Robin Hutton)

Being debt free of college loans makes any one feel a whole lot richer.

The United States Department of Education has a policy that Perkins loan recipients are eligible to have their loans cancelled under certain circumstances. According to the federal regulation one provision is:

To qualify for a child or family service cancellation, an otherwise eligible borrower must be “providing or supervising the provision of, services to high-risk children from low income communities. These services must be provided directly and exclusively to high-risk children and families. The borrower must either provide the services him or her self or the borrower must directly supervise the service providers.”

Therefore, it is important that the job description you provide when you or an employee is seeking cancellation to focus on the description above and to work with the employer to adequately document the provision.

When does a contract fail you? When words in the contract are not defined.

For example, in Coldwell Banker’s Exclusive Right to Sell Agreement, a seller owes the fee if ” During the term of this Agreement a Buyer is procured ready, willing and able to buy the Property or any part there of, in accordance with the price, terms and conditions of this Agreement”.  Nowhere in the agreement is there a definition of what “this Agreement” means.   I have the knowledge of one individual who received a letter from the Coldwell Banker Realtor demanding their fee. A year later between legal fees and settling, with neither side admitting anything, the cost is $23,000.  Come to find out, regardless of what the Sellers were told verbally by the agent, the seller should have written it into the Agreement, regardless of the Realtor’s assurances, that it was the purchase and sale agreement.  It could mean “the offer”.

Another example is the expiration of an offer. It is important to realize that the strength of your position is only to the degree that you maintain control. In an agreement, deadlines and options can be the critical components. If provisions have not been met, it may be wise to let the offer expire. It will certainly make sure everyone involved is paying attention and that your serious.

Do not let a realtor or anyone else push you to automatically exercise an extension or accept an option unless you have an attorney who represents your rights and they have advised you of the pros and cons. You must clearly understand what will happen with your actions. It is your responsibility to ask your attorney questions to make sure you understand what the results of your actions could be.

Therefore, if it is not clear to you, do not sign until the language means such to you.