My five-year-old daughter thinks her dad’s job is “playing in a band” and that my job is “helping people who help people, animals, and the planet.” She’s not far off the mark – my husband is fulfilling his lifelong dream of being in a band (and it does consume his time) and I nerd out on philanthropy for a living. As an experienced fundraiser and donor advisor, I’ve been raising and guiding money into action for 20+ years. But how you talk about philanthropy with grown-ups is different than kiddos … and helping to shape my daughter’s views about community,…

We need to practice to improve our skills. It’s going to take time, effort, and a little sweat. Sometimes we workout with others, and sometimes alone. We’re going to stumble along the way, but that’s how we learn. What matters is that we show up, even on days that we don’t really want to.  If I were starting a new workout regime, I might go to the store (or clean out my closet) to find a new outfit, schedule time in my calendar to workout two or three times a week, chat with my spouse or partner and close friends…