NorCalUrban

Tomorrow I head off to Florida to officiate a funeral for a long time friend of our family, Dr. Fred Seilkop. Dr. Seilkop and my father have been long time friends and co-laborers in the harvest back to the Catholic Charismatic movement in the early 70's. Not sure how often I'll be posting, but I'll try to keep the blog updated. Have a blessed New Years! - John

Young, entrepreneurial philanthropists leave their mark on nonprofits here and abroad Early employment at Google has enabled Khan and her husband Zain to become philanthropists in a fashion once reserved for wealthy retirees. They donate money, sit on nonprofit boards and volunteer. Younger donors are fully invested in their contributions, seeking to apply their business savvy and expecting to see quantifiable outcomes from the organizations they fund. They also view their contributions as social investments. For them, the lines are blurring between for-profit and nonprofit ventures. Analogies to venture capitalists and stock-market investors have begun to permeate the language of philanthropy. Hero likened Silicon Valley charitable gifts to investing in the stock market. Through increasingly popular donor-advised funds through community foundations or financial management companies like Charles Schwab or Merrill Lynch, philanthropists are choosing to diversify their gifts. Find the en...

We have an opening (starting in January) for a program manager for youth programs and administrative assistant. It's one full time job split in two parts. Email me for further information and please spread the word!

Found this on Guy Kawasaki's blog. 15 Afghai women participated in a class on entreupenship at Thunderbird. Aziza Mohmmand is from Afghanistan who, through a micro enterprise loan, is changing the destiny of many in her country. She makes soccer balls and other goods in her factory. She says, When the interim government announced its arrival in Afghanistan, I came back to Kabul and started my nonprofit organization named Moscau, and it was soon registered at the Department of Economy. In my NGO, I trained more than 2,000 men and women in baking, sewing, leather treatment, ball assembly, carpentry, electrical, blacksmith, plumbing, computer, and English language. In the ball assembly department, I hired 200 trainees who were widows and their family’s bread winners. They had no opportunities to work elsewhere. My intention was to make a difference in the life of women in Afghanistan and keep them busy while they have an income with an active role in the growth and building of the n...

These are my sister Kelli's kids... Aren't they beautiful? You can see where Sam's red hair comes from...

Reinforcing stereotypes...

I heard this author on NPR last night. He wrote a book on the state of charitable giving in the US. I just ordered it - so this is more for information than endorsement. However, in the interview he confirmed what I already knew from experience. Some of the things he mentioned were: - Conservatives tend to give much more than liberals. The inference is that liberals tend to rely more on government programs to solve societal issues. - Government programs can sometimes have the opposite effect by impeding private donors from giving to causes. - The most stable form of income for a non profit is through private donors. - America gives a TON of money. Interesting... You can see the book here.

I met Jose Humphreys yesterday. Been reading his blog - good stuff. Check it out here. If you haven't noticed - we sort of have a mutual admiration society going on;)

Good Times! Had a four way video chat today with Rudy from LA, Jeremy and Jose from NYC. I borrowed an isight camera from Max. Gotta love macs (and Max...) - just plugged the camera in and I was good to go! All the rhetoric aside I really believe the Mac is such a superior machine.

- I've been golfing more lately. My friend Steve Zeisler from Peninsula Bible Church has me golfing with a group of retired men each Friday. It really sucks to have a 75 year old man out drive you by 25 yards - so I'm recommitted to the game. Last Monday I snuck out for nine holes at dusk at Palo Alto Muni. I ended up golfing alone, sun setting, moon rising over the bay... like a slice of heaven, with a slicing golf ball. The pic does no justice. Golfing with these gentleman has been one of the highlights of the week for me. All of them are men of faith who are still serving God faithfully. The wisdom I recieve from them is priceless. Please pray for Steve - he recently had knee replacment surgery and is laid up... - My friend at church, Marche, got blessed with a new car (FREE)! Really - God is Good! Marche is a faithful servant. Yea God! - Giants resign Barry Bonds... hmmm. $16 million a year to play 1/2 the season??? I guess it's good work if you can find it. - Yanks r...

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Therefore, remember..." Eph 2:9-11a God, help me to do the works you prepared me to do so very long ago...

Great Lyrics... The shackles are undone The bullets quit the gun The heat that’s in the sun Will keep us when there’s none The rule has been disproved The stone it has been moved The grave is now a groove All debts are removed Oh can’t you see what love has done? Oh can’t you see what love has done... what it's doing to me?

There are many important discussions regarding the church floating around right now. Admittedly I am a right leaning liberal - meaning I'm progressive in my politics with a strong moral leaning. As those of you who read my blog know that I've been thrilled and encouraged by recent church leader's, namely Rick Warren and Joel Hunter, waking up to some of the pressing justice and poverty issues in the world. However, I'm saddened (but not surprised) by the reaction of extreme right wing evangelicals. In a recent ABC article rightly stated: "This debate is just the latest in a number of contentious fights emerging within the Christian conservative community. Many evangelical Christians are openly questioning whether their leaders have focused too much on issues such as abortion while ignoring subjects more relevant to the vast majority of what's in the Bible — such as helping the poor and the sick. "What would Jesus do?" they ask." I am firmly in th...

This is one of my favorite songs. Earlier this year U2 did a remake for the One.org campaign, I believe. This is powerful...