Tag: huffpost

Who’s Your Best Friend?

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We at DollarDays noticed this year on our Facebook page that every time we posted a picture of a dog or cat, it was shared five times more than any other picture we posted. In this modern world of us all moving in so many different directions at such a high speed, why do people slow down to smile, laugh and gush about pets?

We have all read about the medical reasons to have a pet. WebMD, in an article this summer, told us that pets are natural mood enhancers; […] only a few minutes with a dog or cat or watching fish swim [can make] us feel less anxious and less stressed. They said pets help keep blood pressure in check, and children with hypertension lowered their blood pressure while petting their dog. Pets are good for your heart, help lower cholesterol and help fight depression. People who own dogs tend to be more physically active, and, in reality, walking your dog daily may be one of the main reasons animals help with your heart and stress. WebMD went on to say that researchers have found that when children grow up in a home with a dog or cat, they are less likely to develop allergies, and the same is true for kids who live on a farm with large animals. [M]aybe pets are the miracle drug [for which] we have all been waiting!

The Hartford Towns reported last month that the American Pet Products Association, in their latest 2012 survey, said 62% of U.S. households own a pet, [or] 72.9 million homes. While the number of cats outnumber dogs by eight million, more households have dogs. Americans will spend $53 billion this year on food, supplies, vets and other services for our pets.

[Indeed, some may argue that] America is obsessed with our pets. As The Huffington Post reported, the Walker Art Center, a well-regarded museum of modern art in Minneapolis, presented in late August its first “Internet Cat Video Film Festival” to showcase the best in feline web videos. They received 10,000 submissions of one-minute cat videos and picked the top 70, which were shown on an outdoor screen at the museum.

We know about the medical reasons for a pet, but what about the psychological advantages? The American Psychological Association published a study done at Miami University of Ohio and St. Louis University, where they concluded that people with pets were closer to other important people in their lives and received more support from these people, not less. […]

I heard on NPR Radio that Clifford the Big Red Dog is celebrating his 50th anniversary. There have been 90 Clifford books selling 126 million copies in 13 languages. Clifford kept getting bigger and bigger because of all the love children showed him, eventually ending up 25′ tall, full of kids’ love.

Not every animal is a Clifford. According to the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), there are close to 5,000 community animal shelters that house up to seven million animals a year. Of these, 60% of dogs and 70% of cats are euthanized each year. For anyone who has ever looked into the eyes of their pet and felt that unconditional love looking back, we cannot continue to let these animal shelters go underfunded and undermanned. This is National Pet Wellness Month, and all of us need to reach deep in our pockets to help these shelters find homes for these innocent animals. Learn more from the American Humane Association or the ASPCA, or get your teen involved in the site DoSomething.org, where it will teach them how to fight to help homeless shelter animals get adopted with a new app for their phone.

Pets complement our social lives with other humans. They also comfort us when we are all alone. These pets sitting in these cages at these animal shelters are all alone with no one to comfort them. Most won’t make it out of these cages. During this month honoring our pets, these other innocent animals need our help. Helping to support homeless pets is an act of kindness that pierces to the core of human existence. These blameless animals sorely need our help. Americans have always stepped up to help those in need. These guiltless animals give us so much joy, let’s work hard together to eliminate their sorrow.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/whos-your-best-friend_b_1940214.html

Kids Without Sports

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Now that school is back in session, it is difficult for all of us who grew up with ample access to sports and the arts to see how our school systems have evolved and have practically eliminated the character-building program of sports participation.

According to Yahoo!, in a study of 35,000 student athletes in Los Angeles, there is a striking correlation between [a] student’s participation in interscholastic athletics and [his or her] performance in both attendance and in the classroom. Student [athletes] attended an average of 21 more days of school per year than their counterparts, and their grade point averages were 0.55-0.74 [points] higher than non-athletes. If sports are among the most potent ways to help create academic achievement, how can schools continue to improve in the classroom without the money to fund sports?

The other side of the argument to curtail spending in sports was reported on in USA Today. Len Stevens, an ex-high school and college coach, feels we should put an end to high school sports. Stevens points out that high school coaches were supposed to be teachers first, and now, fewer than half of them are. A recent study shows that only 10% of students attend games. High school principals say their greatest headache is dealing with parents who have complaints about their child’s experience in sports. [A]re any of these reasons the true underlying explanations [as to] why schools are cutting back on sports spending?

All over the country, schools just don’t have the funds to keep sports programs going. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this summer that the Gateway school board took the full-time athletic director to part-time and changed middle school sports to a pay-to-play program. 27east.com reported that even in the wealthy East Hamptons, Springs School cut boys’ and girls’ track and field, lacrosse, and cross country, as well as boys’ wrestling and football. The New York Times reported that the San Antonio Northside School District cut 28 athletic coaches. Ypsilanti, Mich., cut their cheerleading squad, and Steamboat Springs, Colo., cut eight coaching positions—[a]nd it goes on and on in rich and poor districts all over the United States.

With all of this bad news about sports in public schools, it is hard to believe that in June of this year, we celebrated the 40th Anniversary of Title IX, which, back in 1972, said, “[N]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any educational programs or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” We definitely saw the impact that this powerful law had for women in this summer’s London Olympics. For the first time ever, women outnumbered men on the Olympic team. Women won 29 of the 46 gold medals and 58 out of 104 medals. In 1972, 300,000 high school girls played on sports teams; in 2011, three million played. The results of Title IX alone show that if our government believes in a program that can truly help the underserved in America, positive results will follow.

[W]e know sports [help] mold character and focus, as was proven in the Los Angeles study and shown in the Olympic results. We also know that this recession we are fighting through has dramatically cut the funds schools have to operate, and learning to add and subtract is more important than running a football. Forbes just ran an article debating whether pay-to-play should become a permanent part of school sports. They noted that in the southwestern Ohio school district of Lakota, the pay-to-play fee is $550, up from $300 last year. In northeastern Ohio, the Riverside district charges $521 to participate in cross country, $715 for golf, $783 for football and $933 for tennis. If you weren’t a star in these sports and just wanted to try them, most families would walk away from these fees, [a]nd if you live in a poor area and your priority is putting food on the table, America can be assured these kids won’t have a chance in a pay-to-play world.

NBC Sports reports that the Saginaw School District in Michigan does not have to deal with cutting sports or charging fees because LaMarr Woodley, a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, donated $60,000 for students to play sports in the school district that gave him the chance to excel at sports. Not every school district has a LaMarr Woodley, but America has concerned citizens in every county who could help make sure this generation has the opportunities to experience the positive influence of sports in molding character and values. […]

Eliminating or having to pay for sports takes away from the basic principal on which this country was built and then was strengthened with equal-opportunity laws and Title IX, just to name a couple of programs that have helped lift kids from poverty to the NFL or the NBA or the WNBA. Most kids won’t go pro in sports, but we know sports [help] build stronger social skills and [teach] kids how to set goals and stay focused, which are building blocks to creating a successful life. If being involved with sports of any kind is one of the best ways to support academic accomplishment, how can our schools continue to improve in the classroom without the money to fund sports? The United States has proven time and time again that it is the greatest country on earth. Sports is a lesson in winning and losing, and if we don’t come to the realization that sports in school is part of the fabric that built this great country, all of us become losers.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/kids-without-sports_b_1857511.html

No School Left Behind

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Now that we are entering another school year, it is hard to believe that our modern school system is less than 100 years old. According to Wikipedia, in 1900, out of 45 states, 34 had compulsory schooling laws for elementary education, of which only four were in the South. As a result, in 1910, 72% of American children attended elementary school, of which half attended in one room schools. Finally, by 1918, every state required students to complete elementary school.

In the 1880s, American high schools were preparatory academies for colleges, but, by 1910, they had been transformed into what are now the core elements for the high-schools system. In 1890, there were 200,000 high-school students, which grew to one million by 1910 and two million by 1920. Seven percent of kids [ages] 14 [to] 17 were enrolled in high school in 1890, rising to 32% in 1920. In 1910, 9% of Americans had high-school diplomas, which grew to 40% in 1935 and 50% by 1940. Today, 88% of all Americans age 20 and older have graduated from high school.

Obviously, our public education system is so much better than it was 100 years ago, [b]ut are our schools any better than they were last year, five years ago or even 10 years ago? In the most recent decade, the “No Child Left Behind” act was passed by a bipartisan coalition in Congress and signed by President Bush on January 8, 2002. [The act] marked a new direction in education. In exchange for more federal aid, the states were required to measure progress and punish schools not meeting the goals measured by standardized state exams. According to Education Week, 38% of schools were failing to make adequate yearly progress in 2010, up from 29% in 2006, [a]nd now, right before our new school year begins, six more states […] and the District of Columbia were the latest to be approved for waivers to this law. This brings the total to 33 states that have been granted waivers to get out of the tough test requirements in order to get more federal funds. In 2011, $14.5 billion was spent by the federal government on this program, so it is a program every educator must live and breathe.

According to the New America Foundation, America spent over $500 billion a year on public elementary and secondary education. This averages $10,591 per student. The federal government picks up $40 billion of this, or 8%, which is less than 3% of our total federal budget. This means 92% of public schools are funded by the states and local government. […] Wealthier states like those in the Northeast have more funding available than states with limited resources. Is this fair for the children of the United States?

Not everyone has kids [or] grandchildren in school, so many of us tend to not pay much attention to the status of education, [b]ut even if you do support your local schools, there are so many other schools we can all help that are struggling because they just don’t have adequate funding. Take a look at Donors Choose, which is an online charity connecting donors to classrooms in need. Here, public school teachers from every corner of America post needed projects, and donors can give any amount to help these classroom projects succeed. […]

To think that the federal government spends less than 3% of our budget to educate the upcoming generation to be smarter and better than us is an embarrassment for the American way of life. To realize that more schools today are failing to make progress than schools just five years ago is appalling. If we could just educate the next generation on how to eliminate poverty or war, we could then use that savings from our federal budget to fund more education for the following generations.

This cannot be the start of another school year where we fall behind the year before. It looks like the only way we can avoid this American tragedy is to get involved. Volunteer at your local schools so schools can move their paid staff to help the students most in need. Give your time and your money to help your local PTA to fund the extracurricular activities that may have been lost over the years, [a]nd, as important[ly], lobby your local, state and federal government to increase the funding needed to make this generation of kids better than the last generation. With the major election cycle coming up this November, this is the time to elect representatives who know a better education for all is tied to the future of America. Help our kids now so they can help us later.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/no-school-left-behind_b_1735175.html

Step up to Our Teachable Moments

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We are all teachers, whether we want to be or not. You are a teacher when you help your child take their first step. You are a teacher as a grandparent when you teach the grand kids how to make cookies. You are a teacher at work when you take a younger co-worker under your wing and mentor them to make sure they do the task correctly. So if we are all inner teachers, why do we not show more respect for the teachers who make teaching our children their career?

According to the Institute of Educational Sciences, close to four million Americans make their living teaching our kids. Our children, who are enrolled in schools starting at Kindergarten and going through high school, are 16.3% of the total population. America has 13,600 public school districts made up of 98,800 public schools. Public schools will spend $525 billion, with an average expenditure per student of $10,591. This year, 3.2 million students graduated from high school. The percentage of high-school dropouts declined over the last 10 years from 11.8% to 8.1%, indicating that our teachers are truly getting better at engaging our kids.

Our education system is making progress in bringing the teachers closer to the students. In 1955, the number of pupils per teacher was 27.4; in 1960, it was 26.4; [and] in 1965, it was 25.1. [The number] dropped to 17.9 in 1970, and, today, it is 15.6, [s]o with this progress, you would think we would have the best […] schools in the world—[b]ut we do not.

According to USA Today, 15-year-old students in the United States perform about average in reading and science and below average in math against the rest of the world. Out of 34 countries, the United States is ranked 14th in reading, 17th in science and 25th in math. The top-performing countries were Finland, South Korea, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Canada, New Zealand, Japan and Australia. Canada, which, like the United States, has a decentralized education system, has their 15-year-olds perform more than one school year ahead in math than in the United States and more than a half-year ahead in reading and science. The United States spends more per student, on average, than any other country except Luxembourg.

Stanford University translated these scores into economic terms, and the impact of improving math, reading and science scores in the United States would be far-reaching. By increasing the average score by 25 points over the next 20 years, there would be a gain of $41 trillion in the U.S. economy over the lifetime of the generation born in 2010. Better yet, bringing the United States up to the average performance of Finland, the best-performing educational system, would result in gains of $103 trillion.

We, as a society, can argue all day long about class size, number of teachers and quality of teachers, but if we step back and think about the radical impact smarter and better-trained kids today has on our future tomorrow, why are we even arguing about the money we spend on education? For our society, obviously, it is the best investment we can make. Unfortunately, we are always asking our government what it can do for me today, rather than taking the longer-term view knowing that an investment in our kids’ future today will pay off for us in the next generation.

If we could fix our education system from Kindergarten through high school, think what that would do to our improvement in college scores. The United States slipped over the last decade from second in college graduation to 13th. According to The Washington Post, the United States has also slipped from 12th to 16th place in the share of adults (ages 25-34) holding college degrees. Thirty-seven million Americans have gone to college but never graduated. The shame in all of this is the best U.S. universities are still the best in the world; U.S. colleges claimed four of the top five spots on the Higher Education World University Rankings and 14 of the top 25.

[I]t looks like we have the university systems in place to train this next generation. [I]f we could just get them out of high school a little better prepared…

Every teacher I know is hardworking and passionate about their job. They seem to have a higher calling than the average American. According to The Journal, public school teachers in the United States spent more than $1.33 billion out of their own pocket on school supplies and instructional materials. This averaged out to $356 for each teacher, [or] 92% of [all] teachers spent. […] Whether we have kids in school or not, it is our generational obligation to help our teachers raise the bar with these children. One person acting along with our fellow Americans chipping in can help lift this next generation. We can start by helping these teachers pay for the supplies that make a difference. […]

We all have memories of one or more teachers [who] made a difference in our lives. I am sure we all have memories of teachable moments shared with the younger generations, as well as our peers. Working together to educate our children is not a new idea. Back in the 1990s, we learned from Hillary Clinton’s best-selling book, It Takes a Village, that all of us need to work together with our teachers to [shape] the younger […] population. We teach so the next generation is better than us. That has been the evolution of man since the beginning of time. Our teachers need your help, especially when this economy is so uncertain.

No teacher should have to spend their own money to help our kids. […]

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/step-up-to-our-teachable-_b_1647764.html

Giving is Down, but Caring is Up

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[In 2011], the people of the United States were ranked as the most generous in the world in terms of giving time and money to nonprofits, up from fifth place in 2010, according to The L.A. Times. [Approximately] 65% of Americans said they donated money to charity, 43% volunteered their time, and 73% helped a stranger. As far as giving money, Thailand is the most generous, with 85% of their population donating money. [I]n the United Kingdom, 79% gave money, but the British and most of the rest of the world are about half as likely to do volunteer work as Americans, so that is how America regained its No. 1 ranking in 2011. The top-ranked United States was followed by Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

The Center of Philanthropy at Indiana University reported that Americans overall contributed 2% of disposable personal income to philanthropic causes, which is the percent[age] that has remained consistent over the decades. […] This tells us that, despite personal and economic hardships, Americans remain steadfastly committed to each other and their communities. Philanthropy is at the heart of who we are as a society. The Center breaks down our giving as:

Religious Donations35%
Education14%
Foundations11%
Human Services (Emergencies)9%
Public-society Benefits8%
Arts, Culture & Humanities5%
International Affairs5%
Environment/Animals2%

We have always believed that our top 1% is the most generous part of our population to nonprofit organizations. According to Philanthropy.com, the top 50 donors in 2011 contributed $10.4 billion, of which $6 billion was from Margaret Cargill, who died in 2006 and her assets [were] formed [into] a foundation in 2011. [W]ithout this, the top 50 total was $4.4 billion. In 2007, the top 50 gave $7.3 billion, and, in 2008, the top 50 gave $15.5 billion. Twenty-nine people on the top 50 list in 2011 gave $50 million or more, [b]ut wealthy people still are not feeling as generous as before the recession. […] The median gift from these donors is $61 million, compared to $74.7 million in 2007.

This top 50 group gives differently than the rest of the United States. [Roughly] 36% [of their donations] went to higher education, 35% to foundations, and 15% to hospitals, medical centers and medical research. No one in this top 50 gave […] $5 million or more to a social-services group. Many philanthropists don’t see human-service organizations as the best way to alleviate America’s problems. Quoting Eli Broad, “[H]e has some sympathy for the ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protestors, but their message of inequality supports his diagnosis of what ails America. [A] poor education system and education will help solve many of our problems.” Interesting[ly], within this top 50 group, only two people who made the biggest gifts of the year are among the 69 who signed the Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates “Giving Pledge,” which promises to commit at least half of their wealth to charities.

Forbes reported that the 200 largest U.S. charities are only 0.002 of 1% of the country’s 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations, [y]et these top 200 received $41 billion in gifts, which is one-seventh of all charitable contributions. The largest charity is the United Way, with No. 2 being The Salvation Army and No. 3 Feeding America. In June 2011, 275,000 nonprofit organizations lost their tax-exempt status for failure to file legally required documents for three consecutive years. In fact, according to the IRS Tax-exempt Organization’s Table 25, there are [fewer] tax-exempt organizations in 2011 than in every year since 2003. With this turmoil in nonprofit organizations going in and out of business, it is no wonder that our largest donors tend to migrate to the nonprofit organizations that have been around awhile and have a track record.

The rest of us 99% don’t have the luxury of giving millions of dollars to our favorite charity, [b]ut we can give a little, even if it is the national average of 2%, to support causes we believe will help change the world. […] Giving is as good for your own soul as it is for the people you help. If you don’t have the cash, do what 43% of Americans do: volunteer to help a nonprofit that helps others. This is an honorable way to be part of giving back so those in need don’t give up. Giving your time or giving your hard-earned dollars has a rippling effect. A single act of kindness can change lives—and statistics.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/donating-non-profits_b_1570890.html

“I Do”…or Maybe “I Do Not”

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According to Fox News, the percent[age] of married households in the [United States] fell to 48.4% in 2010, down from 55.2% in 1990 and 78% in 1960. This is the lowest in recorded history for our country. In 1960, according to The L.A. Times, almost 50% of […] 18- to 24-year-olds and 82% of 25- to 34-year-olds were married. Today, it is 9% of the 18-to-24 group and 44% of the 25-to-34 group. [T]he average age of first marriage is almost 27 for women and 29 for men, up from 20 and 22, [respectively], in 1960. It also looks like 15% of the population today will remain unmarried compared with the historic [U.S.] norm […] of 10%. [Moreover], close to 40% of births are now to unmarried women. [O]ur country looks much different than it did just 50 years ago.

When you augment in that new marriage in the [United States] declined by 5% just from one year to the next, this lack of commitment is having a major economic impact on our economy. Now, a decline in marriage is not the reason we have been suffering through this recession, but fewer marriages and the recession is not a coincidence.

[As recently reported in] The Huffington Post, […] University of Virginia researchers [have] found that when people get married and have children, several sectors of the economy experience growth. They include childcare, life and personal insurance, household products and services, healthcare, food, home maintenance and home services, pets, and toys. A strong economy depends on a strong family unit, because they not only provide the current customer base but [also] the future workers in an economy. With marriage and fertility rates slowing, this trend of fewer marriages will have a negative long-term impact on the economy.

According to Brookings, in 1970, 44% of women ages 30 to 50 had no independent earnings, compared to 25% of women today. Opportunities in the workplace have allowed women to become more financially independent, making marriage less of an economic necessity. [Additionally], there are now a million more female college graduates than male in our workforce today, when, as recently as 2000, it was just the opposite. […]

So is it time to turn back the clock and urge all of our young people to get married? Maybe it is time we elders just arrange marriages for our kids (because it does not look like the Internet is helping) just to save the economy. I am living the statistics. Of my four kids ages 27 to 33, only one is married (happily, I may add), so I have not done my job to boost this economy.

We in business have to take these statistics quite seriously. Whereas we cannot force people to get married, we can encourage it. […] At the same time, there are many happy couples that can’t afford to get married, and there is a wonderful nonprofit organization, Brides Across America, [that] takes donated wedding gowns to be given to a military bride in need. […]

We are aware that we cannot force the younger generation to do just about anything. They learned from us, good or bad, and will do what they want to do when they want to do it, [s]o if we can’t convince them to get married because of love, let’s convince them they need to do it to save the economy.

Original article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/i-do-or-maybe-i-do-not_b_1496628.html

Have We Added Another Lost Generation?

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“Generation Z” are our kids that have been born since the late 1990s. This generation has grown up with the [web] and is highly connected because of the Internet. Instant messaging, text messaging, smartphones, tablet computers and social networking are part of their fiber. They have 24-hour access to the Internet with their mobile phones in their pockets.

Besides being born into technology, this generation has a completely different outlook on life compared to previous generations, because they were born into school shootings, the rise of global terrorism, climate change controversy, the housing bubble burst, the financial crisis, and the weakening of America as a global superpower and the emergence of China and India as global economic superpowers.

This generation would rather text than talk. They prefer to communicate online, many times with friends they have not actually met. They don’t spend much time outdoors, unless adults force them into an organized activity.

America needs to send all of these kids to camp this summer before this generation loses the values that have driven our country since the beginning. Summer camps have been a U.S. tradition for over 150 years, according to PBS and Parenting. Back then, before air conditioning was invented (living in Arizona, I can attest how important air conditioning has become), hot city summers were miserable and even unhealthy for children, so escaping to the country for a few weeks was the thing to do. Today, there are several other reasons why Generation Z must go to camp. They need to actually meet new people who are not part of their virtual world. Camp provides not only peers but positive role models in counselors and those running camp projects. They need to learn risk-taking by trying new things and challenging themselves with a new sport or swimming or obstacle courses. They need to learn creativity with crafts or dancing.

Today’s camps are so different than the traditional camps for my generation. In addition to general camps, there are specialty camps—sports camps like basketball or horseback riding, academic camps like biology or math, adventure camps like scuba diving or rock climbing, arts camps like theater or music, specialty-interest camps for cooking or chess, religious camps, and special-needs camps.

Let’s take a look at the special-needs camps. Camp for All lists camps for epilepsy, cancer, special needs, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, arthritis and many more. Most of these are nonprofit organizations that are helping a kid with a challenging illness or special need. Those kids that need to go these camps usually can’t afford it, because their families have spent so much already to keep their kid alive.

According to The Pew Research Center, the wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to its widest margin on record. Americans 65 and older have average net worth 47 times those of people 35 and younger, who are most likely the parents of Generation Z, [s]o we have a bunch of kids out there that just can’t afford to go to camp, which means we, as Americans, are shortchanging this important generation. […]

In the evolution of life, it is time for the baby-boomer generation and Generation X to step up to make sure we do not lose […] Generation Z to the virtual world. We need to get these kids out playing and communicating and winning and losing so they can take our place in getting this country back to leading the world in economic and ethical ways. Help send these kids to camp this summer.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/generation-z-summer-camps_b_1416380.html

Even Billionaires Give

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Forbes just came out with their latest list of billionaires. The media, during our recession and tax crisis, has been concentrating on the top 1%, which are Americans earning at least $343,000 in adjusted gross income, as reported on their tax returns. This latest list of billionaires is way out of even the 1%’s league.

The News this week reported another 17 U.S. billionaires, including Facebook cofounders Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz, have pledged to give away at least half of their fortunes as part of the philanthropic campaign led by Warren Buffet and Bill Gates, probably the two best-known billionaires. Buffet’s and Gates’ efforts now have added 57 of our billionaires joining “The Giving Pledge.”

The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that of all the reasons to give, which include vanity, guilt, tax breaks or wanting to help solve the world’s problems, the most powerful reason is “legacy,” which, [at the] bottom line, boils down to “what’s on your tombstone,” says British telecom billionaire John Caudwell.

Throughout American history, billionaires have given to improve our society. Andrew Carnegie, who made his fortune in the steel industry, helped fund 3,000 public libraries over 100 years ago, which, even today, continues to impact most Americans. He funded [the] construction of 7,000 church organs, and his Carnegie Hall in New York City still stands as a monument to his belief that music can improve a society. John Rockefeller, Jr., who made his fortune in oil, donated land along the East River in Manhattan for the United Nations headquarters in his belief that the world together can get better. These are examples of the very visible givers. There are hundreds of others who have given to help hospitals and schools and the underprivileged.

It is time for the rest of us in the other 99% to do our part to help those less fortunate in our communities. The rich get a lot of publicity when they give, whether they want it or not, [b]ut the backbone of charity really comes from the rest of society. We are the ones who serve food at the homeless shelter or do the fundraising to make sure the kids have socks and a decent meal.

The season of giving was a few months ago, and now we have all gone back to our normal lives. This is really when the nonprofit world needs us the most. […] You don’t have to be a billionaire leaving a legacy to make a difference. Each one of us in our own little way can help those less fortunate. Even if your reward is just a smiling face or a thank-you for helping change someone’s life, it is what we do as Americans. Volunteer [or] give a few bucks, because, in the end, when you pay it forward and help, you will feel like a billionaire.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/even-billionaires-give_b_1335983.html

Is It Time to Be an Entrepreneur?

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Open Forum reports that there is an 11% increase in the number of small businesses closing and a 17% decline in the number of small businesses opening.

Get Busy Median reports 69% of small businesses survive at least two years, 44% of new firms survive four years, and 31% survive at least seven years. The Orange County Register states that new-employer businesses has fallen 27% since 2006, which means that startups—which, 10 years ago, would have created 4.6 million jobs—are only creating 2.5 million jobs now. Also, 10 years ago, the average new business opened with 7.5 jobs, and, today, it is 4.9 jobs.

Smart Money states that in 2009, there were 552,600 new businesses created, while 721,737 small firms closed or went bankrupt. They go on to report that in 2007, 75% of angel-funded deals came at the startup stage, while in the first half of 2011, only 39% of companies backed by angels were in the startup phase. This trend is just one more sign of how hard the recession has been on entrepreneurs. This recession has not only hurt sales, sending many small businesses under, it has also obstructed the ability to raise money for the next great idea.

So why would anyone in their right mind risk their money and reputation for only one-in-three chance of being in business after seven years?

Bloomberg Businessweek reported this week that the Walmart greeter job, which has been around for 30 years, has been removed from the overnight shift of its stores. Obviously, they will be using those hours more productively for tasks like stocking shelves or just eliminating the hours altogether. Every generation loses entire job categories—think milkmen.

So are today’s entrepreneurs desperate and opening a business because they just can’t find a job? Let’s hope not, because that is almost a guarantee your business will fall into the two-thirds that fail.

Clearly, you need a good idea, product or service before even thinking about opening up your own business. Assuming you have this great idea, then the next hurdle is [determining whether] you have the traits to run your own business. Some needed traits include being a self-starter, not getting intimidated easily, being adaptable to change, enjoying competition, being able to address risk, making decisions quickly and not seeing mistakes as failures.

[Y]ou [then] need to overcome the basics of starting a business, like cashflow (make sure you have at least six months of savings to live from), time management, a sound business plan and the ability to wear all the hats yourself.

Reading all these numbers and knowing you don’t have the equity now in your house to fund a business may be one of the most depressing things you do today, [b]ut the optimistic glass-half-full American entrepreneur doesn’t read these numbers like a normal human being. They say, “I am going to be in the one-third that succeeds, and I am going to make a lot of money doing it!”

DollarDays [is] just one small company doing our part to help grow the American dream. The rest of America needs to wake up and bring the small-business numbers back to where they were at the beginning of the 21st century. Banks need to actually begin loaning money again to small businesses. The government bailed out the big businesses and now must focus on building up Main Street again through backing small-business loans, giving tax break incentives and giving government contracts to small businesses. The average American needs to support their local small business rather than running to the big-box store. The numbers don’t lie. Supporting small businesses is an American team effort, and we need to get those numbers back to where they were—together.

Original article here:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/is-it-time-to-be-an-entre_b_1263541.html

No Nonprofit Should Be Left Behind

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Now that the holiday season is over and retailers in general are reporting slightly higher sales than last year, the business community is letting out a shared sigh of relief, because it could have easily gone the other way, continuing the recession we have all been dealing with over the last three years—[a]nd, as USA Today reported last week, “Many business[es] say they are ready to increase hiring in early 2012 after seeing stronger consumer confidence.”

With this cautiously optimistic news, why do our nonprofits continue to report having less money to provide the services our society has counted on them to deliver? Is it because, with our gridlock in Washington, our government can’t provide for those in need, so it falls back on charities to pick up the slack? Is it because America has now passed the giving season? […] [I]s it just a sign of our times, where nonprofits are in the rearview mirror to all of us lucky enough to have jobs?

The Tacoma, Wash., Tri City Herald reported last week that “families [are] turning to private charities for everything from medical care to diapers. Beverly Weber, CEO of the [local] United Way, […] calls it a “squeeze from two directions, with less government funding of human and social services and a greater demand. When families can’t get services through scaled-back state programs, they turn to charities.” [S]he [adds], “Also, some employers have dropped health insurance programs because of the expense, and many employees have opted out of their health insurance for the same reason.”

CNBC reported last month that “U.S. nonprofits see slow economic recovery, and […] many of the nation’s nonprofit organizations are digging in for another three to four years of financial distress. Most of the nation’s smaller charities saw donations drop again this year, and food pantries and homeless shelters reported funding crisis because of an increase in need, coupled with a drop in donations.”

The Daily Astorian in Oregon reports that the United Way, which receives much of the funding from donations of voluntary payroll deductions, has seen those contributions decrease each of the last four years because those generous people are not employed anymore or they have had to cut their donations to survive themselves.

This same story is repeated in community after community where the “have not’s” are suffering more than ever and the “haves” are just moving on with their lives. The season of giving is over except for anyone with a conscious. Most of us made resolutions last week and hope we can keep at least one. The one all of us should keep is to go out of our way to help our fellow Americans, at least until this economy gets back on track and our nonprofits can get healthier, even if it takes three to four years.

Businesses should be leading the rest of us in this effort to help. This month, the small contribution my company, DollarDays, is doing is giving away 1,200 socks to 13 different nonprofits on our Facebook page. […]

If every company and every organization looked deep within how they can support their community, I am sure all of our little efforts will accelerate the nonprofits digging out faster than three to four years in order for them to serve the greater need. In the history of mankind, those too poor were sent to debtor’s prison and society wrote them off. Luckily for us, in 1833, the United States abolished federal imprisonment for unpaid debts, [b]ut we all have a debt to this country that made us the freest society in the world. We need to take care of this debt by taking care of our nonprofits who take care of those of us in need. It is the true cycle of life.

Don’t wait until our next holiday season—[g]ive back now.

Original article here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/no-non-profit-should-be-l_b_1196474.html