March 2008
Art of Networking |
| Beth Misner presents Oakmont Elementary Room 6 with a $1000 mini-grant for their science project supplies. |
BNI-Misner Foundation Announces 2008 General Fund Campaign
The BNI-Misner Foundation was started ten years ago by BNI Founder and Chair Dr. Ivan Misner, and me, his wife, Elisabeth. As we focus on our 2008 BNI theme of "Making a Difference in the Way the World Does Business," we also would like to release our motto for the BNI Foundation: "Changing the business world of tomorrow through education today." This will remain our motto for the coming years as we move forward in the BNI-Misner Foundation. The Foundation has been actively supporting children and education through awarding $1000 mini-grants to schools, libraries, and other non-profits, which provide educational services to children.
The exciting thing about the BNI Foundation is that all our giving is concentrated in areas where BNI has active chapters, in the US and every other country in which we operate! As we take the concept of Givers Gain into the communities that are supporting our members' businesses, the communities benefit twice—once from the success of local businesses and again from the influx of funds into children's educational programs in that city.
Some of the projects we have funded include buying books for classroom libraries in many schools where budget cuts have limited the students' access to the school library or forced the libraries to close; providing and delivering specially-made inhalers to young asthmatic students so they miss fewer days of school; and, purchasing computer software packages to enhance teaching in subjects such as history, math, and language arts.
In a gracious e-mail concerning one such project, Kerry Stenger, recipient of a BNI-Misner Foundation Mini-Grant, said, "It is fantastic to see an organization take a stance and put their support behind such important educational issues like early literacy. The funds that you have provided will go to good use in furthering our students' efforts to become strategic and effective readers."
How You Can Contribute—and Make a Difference in the World
We are thrilled to report that our giving was over $140,000 in 2007. This represents mini-grants given to teachers, schools, clubs, and groups that benefit children and education. This is the most we have given since the inception of the BNI Foundation.
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| Beth Misner presents Mrs. Wright's second grade class at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church with a check for a $1000 mini-grant to buy a classroom computer. |
The first program is a new level of recognition: the BNI Foundation Monthly Heroes. This new category of donors will be recognized at our International Conference in November. Anyone who contributes a minimum of $50 a month to the general fund of the foundation will be recognized as a BNI Foundation Monthly Hero!
Monthly donations can be mailed to the BNI-Misner Foundation, 545 College Commerce Way, Upland, CA 91786, or made online by going to www.bni.org. You will be redirected to a credit card processing site powered by the BNI Foundation's administrative office, located in the California Community Foundation. If you wish to make an automatic monthly donation by credit card, please email the BNI Foundation at foundation@bni.com, and that will be coordinated with you for your convenience.
Also, during 2008, Ivan and I have decided that when a BNI region or chapter does a fundraiser to benefit the BNI Foundation's general fund with a minimum contribution of $2000, we will match up to $5000.
We have also formed a committee of BNI Directors (US and International) to help promote the foundation more effectively within BNI. We are calling this the BNI Foundation Fund Development Committee. This committee will also be part of the review process for the applications we currently are getting in. Committee members automatically commit to be BNI Foundation Monthly Heroes! At this time, we have over 15 Directors who have volunteered to serve on this committee.
Another very exciting thing to announce is that a majority of the BNI Directors' Platinum Club have pledged DOUBLE (and some even quadruple) the monthly minimum for the BNI Foundation Monthly Heroes. Ivan and I are so humbled and impressed by the way we see our directors AND members living the Givers Gain philosophy with respect to charitable giving and would like to thank all of these special donors and all future donors.
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| The Parijat Academy in India used their mini-grant to purchase a new tin roof and desks for their students. |
In keeping with our corporate culture of the importance of referrals, applications to the BNI Foundation will be accepted "by referral only" beginning in 2008. If you know of a charity in your community that provides children's educational programs and is seeking funding for specific core curriculum projects, please refer them to the foundation personally via email: foundation@bni.com. They may qualify for a mini-grant!
Ivan and I would like to thank all the BNI members for your support of the BNI Foundation through the years. We feel very proud to be able to have a vehicle such as the foundation by which we can have a positive impact on children's educational programs in the communities that are supporting our members' businesses and BNI as a whole.
To learn more about the BNI-Misner Charitable Foundation, click here.
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