Who are you and who am I?

First of all, thank you for taking a peek at my blog! 

We may not know each other yet but I do know something about you. No matter who you are or where you live, there is something you care about. 

- You want some form of suffering to end. 

- You want to see someone succeed. 

- You want to see problems solved and dreams become realities. 

- And, you want others to have a good life. 

I feel the same. 

But, how did you land here? 

Perhaps I got lucky in the Google lottery. Maybe you searched, "philanthropy" or "charity" or "help with my fundraiser" or "why are we doing this stupid event" or something of the like. Maybe my el-cheapo (i.e. free) little blogspot slipped onto your list of possibilities. Perhaps you clicked through to this space quite by accident?

At any rate, I doubt it was what you were expecting and I thank you for giving it a chance.

If you are here to learn more about charitable giving, I can only promise that we will be learning together. 

Despite the fact that I have lived almost my entire life serving as a connector between people and people, people and ideas, people and places, people and meaning and even sometimes, people and success, I only became an official nonprofit development professional at the end of 2015. I am living proof that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks and that the thing you were born to do WILL find you if you give it enough time.

Also, like all fundraisers, I live on both sides of the charitable coin. On one hand, I am a paid fundraiser. On the other hand, I am a donor to things I care about.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention that I am a wife to my college sweetheart and a mother to two intelligent daughters, one in college and on in high school. We have a neurotic dog and a ridiculous house that we are currently trying to sell. I recently started several unsuccessful health kicks and my painting hobby is sadly on the back-burner. I am an INFJ on the Myers Briggs, a Type 3 on the Enneagram (yuck!) and although I am technically introverted, I love people and relationships and I have self-taught extravert-like tendencies. I am often mistaken as naturally outgoing but while I love to interact, it's not completely natural for me. I have to work hard at it and sometimes, I have to hide.

I'm willing to bet I've lived a life not unlike your own. 

There have been miracles and tragedies, blessings and curses, wellness and challenges, feast and famine and everything in between. Of the many truths I embrace, a few include the knowledge that people can be immeasurably kind, change is the only permanency in life, no one gets out alive, I am not an expert on ANYTHING - even the things I do over and over again - and most importantly to me, a much higher power loves me whether I deserve it or not.

You and I might not share every belief or goal, but I am willing to bet money we both share this: a desire to make a difference in the world and a desire to leave a legacy.

Thank you again for visiting and I hope you will return. I want to learn from you and I promise to share from my heart. 

"No one has ever become poor by giving." - Anne Frank