Lip-Sticking

Women give more. Period.

By Amanda Ponzar

A new study, “Gender and Corporate Responsibility: It’s a Matter of Sustainability”  by Catalyst and Harvard Business School finds companies with more women board members and leaders outperform financially but also give significantly more to philanthropy. For example, “the average donations of companies with three or more women directors were 28 times higher than those of companies with no women directors.” Check out the press release.

I’ve written a few posts about women in business and philanthropy, such as:

• Hey, Santa, have you seen these stats? Women make up only 2.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs, but nearly half the labor force.
• Women making a power play. Women give twice as much to philanthropy as men.

What I don’t know is WHY –- why do women give more? When they work for a company, why does the company give more? Why are more women drawn to nonprofits and religion? The nonprofit workforce tends to have more women than men (though top leadership tends to be male). More church goers are women, according to a Gallup poll. 

No answers today; just questions.

Living it out & passing it on

By Amanda Ponzar

Now more than ever, during this joyous holiday season with all the hustle and bustle, it's a good time to think about what really matters. Like patience -- not giving other drivers the finger during bad traffic (I can't tell you how often this happens to me in the DC area!). Not yelling at your family in the car all the way to the Christmas Eve service where you sing about peace and love. Saying thank you and giving good tips/gifts -- like with the hair stylist this morning or my school's teachers. Integrity.

I bought something at Target this week, and what was remarkable was not that I bought it, but that I waited to buy it in customer service while some lady returned a box of fuchsia glitter tutus -- because I'd gotten to the car and realized that amidst all my bags, I had something small ($2.69) in the bottom of my cart that I hadn't paid for. I actually was running late and had to leave at the time, so made a special trip to Target with the item to explain I'd left without paying for it. The cashier couldn't believe it.

The same thing happened at Starbucks last month; when I looked at my receipt, I saw they hadn't charged me for all the drinks I ordered, so I went back, told them, and paid for it.  Throughout my life I've done this -- Express once forgot to charge me for a $45 pair of jeans, and I pointed it out and paid, even when I was a poor college student and that much money took me many hours to earn. Believe me, I don't always do the right thing -- to my shame. But it's my goal to try.

It's kind of like the Grinch, when he gleefully steals all the Who's stuff (even their last can of Who hash!) but Christmas comes anyway: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons!... it came without tags!... it came without packages, boxes, or bags!"  And he finally realizes what Christmas is all about. It's not about the number of presents under the tree.

If you need inspiration, visit The Foundation for a Better Life (values.com) and their great TV commercials and billboards. Check out the "classroom" spot  as an example of honesty. I don't know much about the organization so am not endorsing it, but it's pretty impressive to watch a TV commercial (which is usually trying to sell me something I don't need) that demonstrates positive values like love or courage and says "pass it on." We could all use the reminder. So this Christmas, live it out. Even if it costs you.

Believe

By Amanda Ponzar

“I don’t want to lose heart.  I want to believe as he does.”

-- Robert the Bruce in the epic film BRAVEHEART about William Wallace, a commoner who inspired the Scots to rise up and fight.

I want to believe too.

 I want to believe that what I do matters. That my actions are helping people, alleviating suffering, ending poverty, bringing hope, and making the world a better place. That’s what I think, dream and write about. 

  Monday I was home sick which gave me, the working mom with no free time, a few minutes while not knocked out on Nyquil to start reading “The Hole in Our Gospel” by World Vision President Richard Stearns. So there I was blowing through even more tissues because I was crying about 25,000 children who die needlessly every day just because they are poor. (See his Sept. 17 blog entry “Outrage”.)

 Earlier this year, I joined International Justice Mission to advocate for the Child Protection Compact Act (see photo with Congressman Jim Moran). After my son was born, it was like a switch turned on in my soul and I had to fight child trafficking (check out the movie TAKEN with Liam Neeson!). It’s hard to believe that in this day and age, little children are still prostituted or forced into slavery -- and that we allow it to happen.

Children should not starve to death or be enslaved. I believe we have the power to do something about this. And although I’d like to be out there on the front lines, for now, I do what I can to give, advocate and volunteer, supporting the people and organizations that are out there fighting the good fight. 

John Stuart Mill said, “One person with a belief is equal to a force of 99 with only interests.” Ninety-nine? Is that all? 

I believe one person can be a powerhouse.

One person can change a family, community, country and even the world (all six billion people). Just imagine what a bunch of us could do.

Yvonne just posted that leadership in the 21^st Century begins with women – and I’d like to see a lot more of us leading the way.

So, what are you going to do?

 

 

 

 

A dinner table lesson from Bill Gates

By Amanda Ponzar 

Today, Bill Gates Sr., Microsoft Founder Bill Gates III, Libby Gates Armintrout and a host of VIPs –- from major corporations like Microsoft, Nationwide and Deloitte to million-dollar donors to my Virginia Congressman Jim Moran -– came to United Way Worldwide (where I work) to dedicate the Mary M. Gates Learning Center. 

Bill Gates III talked about growing up at the family dinner table regularly hearing conversations about public service (his parents were both very committed). He even said he was expected to donate some of his allowance to nonprofits and church.

Now he brings that family focus on service and generosity to the Gates Foundation where “it’s all about giving back.”

Okay, so you might not feel you have the same power, wealth and influence the Gates Foundation has, but look what you do have:

#1) Most of us are doing better than we think. Check out where YOU rank on the Global Rich List  (use appropriate currency). Let's be thankful for what we HAVE; not what we don't have.

#2) Your family: it all starts at home. You may have the next Bill Gates (or Mother Teresa) eating at your dinner table, listening to what you say -- and watching how you live your life.

#3) Your circle of influence is bigger than you realize: neighbors, coworkers, business associates, friends, social networking connections, etc. YOU have incredible power to influence others for good, to stand for what you believe in, to encourage and help people you know (and those you don't), and through it all, to make a difference. As we say at United Way, you can give, advocate and volunteer. That’s what it means to LIVE UNITED.

Someone wise once said, “You make a living by what you get; you make a life by what you give.”

So, what will your dinner conversation be tonight? And what kind of life are you making?

(Photos: United Way Worldwide, 2010)

 

Push Yourself with Paul and Matt

Anyone else hooked on the new reality show, Undercover Boss? I watch it with a critical eye, hoping to find mistakes and areas where the gray of life is presented as black and white. But, I think it's well done and I find the employees credible.

The men who are the "boss" are credible to a point. Obviously, they have editorial control over what gets aired. And, I'm not at all convinced the employees don't know exactly why they're being filmed. Honestly, some of the things they share with this "new" employee, someone they've supposively never met before, is out of character.

Still, they say confession is good for the soul.

Which leads me to this post, today. I'm focused on inspiration. I'm not as interested in the marketing side of things, lately. I'm adopting a view on the personal - where stories people share (like the ones in Undercover Boss), become the truth of how to reach out to clients and customers.