BTalisman

Passionate about nonprofit management and fundraising in particular. #nfp #philanthopry

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Good v Bad Philanthropy

#fundraising #philanthropy

I recently attended an event where the topic of bad v good philanthropy was discussed. The provocation was those philanthropies (individuals or foundations) who hold 80% of the money – read Gates, Soros, Zuckerberg – hold all the power which creates an imbalance. Further provocation stated there is no accountability for their power or money and governments through philanthropic tax benefits…

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Philanthropic Research

Sure, these days there are certificate programs as well as undergraduate and graduate programs in nonprofit management and philanthropy. I’m old (veteran, experienced what have you). When I began my career in philanthropy, I learned on the job.

This week I realized how my university work in Political Science and History with a minor in Sociology helped get me where I am today – along with a Mom…

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Guy Raz - Best Interviews Ever

Talisman Post: @guyraz @npr #HBIT best interviews & common themes. #Listenup #trypod

I’ll admit my addiction to podcasts but this Guy Raz dude – I can’t get enough of  his NPR Ted Radio Hour and How I Built This. I highly recommend both. He has a new one called Wow in the World for kids not really my thing but I’m sure it’s great. There that’s my NPR #trypod post.  What are you listening to?

How I Built Thisis a podcast about innovators, entrepreneurs, and idealists, and the…

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The Art of the Campaign (Fundraising)

Talisman Post: #fundraising success

Nothing better than a lot of prep – including a great team providing feedback (constructive) and really working the data and database for you. Yes it takes a village to deliver an effective fundraising strategy and engage leadership.  It matters not in what country you fundraise or their culture of philanthropy. Donors and volunteers appreciate using their time effectively to progress fundraising.

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Maria and macarons – Happy baker!

So my friend Maria wanted to learn to make macarons – like me she had tried on and off. Honestly, it takes one good macaron class, the right recipe and learn one teach one and off you go to success. What’s your macaron making tip?

Like many French recipes, the macaron is few ingredients and lots of technique. Hints to my success in no particular order (my macarons are by no means perfected – but still appreciated my all who partake):

Use a French recipe – my first one was not from a French person. The god of macarons in

Took me a bit to find a photo of Hermé with this smirk let alone a smile

France is Pierre Hermé and his recipes are readily available on the internet. This is a great post from Dessert First using not only the recipe but hints from SF Cooking School.

Always, but always, “age” your eggs. I separate my eggs from my yolks a week before and then let them stand at room temp two days prior to baking. This breaks the albumen and allows for a better meringue when you need it most.

Mise en place is essential – there are steps in macaron making that will not wait for measuring, cooking….see how macaron can be zen. The mise is part of the zen – the prep part. #gallery-0-8 { margin: auto; } #gallery-0-8 .gallery-item { float: left; margin-top: 10px; text-align: center; width: 33%; } #gallery-0-8 img { border: 2px solid #cfcfcf; } #gallery-0-8 .gallery-caption { margin-left: 0; } /* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */

Macaron shells

Maria and macarons c’est finis – Happy baker!

Macaron w Maria

Macaron Shells

Chocolate & Berry Jam

Lemon, mocha, chocolate pistachio and berry cream

Essential tool

Hermé’s recipe is based on an Italian meringue that is egg whites whipped to soft peaks with simple syrup (sugar and water) boiled to 118F. This my friends is an entire post of it’s own and also readily available on the internet. Try making macarons with “uncooked” meringue and let me know how it works for you – cause I never got it to work.

Use gel or powder coloring – that liquid food coloring from the grocery story added to egg whites does not work. And always use more color than you think you’ll need – remember you are going to add a massive amount of WHITE egg whites and it will dilute your color – dramatically.

Hermé macaron

Piping macaron shells does not require a template of circles but it does require practice and it’s fun. So practice away – unless you are working in the Hermé kitchen doing these 8 hours a day – expect a few rejects. And any true friend who won’t help you try a new filling on a reject is not a true friend who should be grateful you are making macarons and sharing with them at all.

Oven temp makes a difference – like it does for any recipe – this more than others cause they’re macarons! And they’re made of egg whites and sugar and they cook quickly and burn easily. If you can smell them – they’re probably over cooked.

Use a digital scale – Measure everything – this like many pastry recipes is not an eye ball it kind of thang.

Let the lava flow – when you combine the meringue with the almond flour and sugar – when mixed properly and enough – it should have the consistency of a lava flow – not faster or slower. This will be the test as to how your shell piping will go. Too loose = soup. Too hard = won’t get through the piping bag. Stop mixing when you get to lava…..I do this by hand not in an electric mixer.

Let the “skin” form – I have done it both ways – without letting the macaron shells “rest” before baking and with a rest. I find the classic macaron “foot” is guaranteed if everything else is followed. Yes there are people on the internet who say it doesn’t matter – I respectfully disagree.

Macaron shells freeze! Yes make a bunch, freeze and fill as needed. Show up with a hostess gift that will wow them!

Patience grasshopper – macaron making takes time and patience. It can be very zen if you don’t rush and don’t get frustrated.

This is a great weekend project. Or one day on the weekend. I make a bunch of shells freeze them and then make a couple batches of small fillings as I need for a friends party, dinner or make someone feel special.

What’s your macaron tip or learning?

  Talisman Post: Zen & the Art of the Macaron w @mariamartello @pierrehermé @anitachu #fundraisingnot So my friend Maria wanted to learn to make macarons - like me she had tried on and off.

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Home

I used to be a weekly road warrior. Lots of my friends still are. And while I am not on the road like I used to be – just getting out of Australia gives “road trip” a whole new definition.

As a reformed road warrior and now Australia based traveler, what I know for sure is…home is wherever you happen to be. Having recently returned from my first trip back to the US since leaving in January 2016 –…

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Hello USA

So after leaving the US for Melbourne in January 2016 – I finally booked a trip back.

You know they say you can never go home again? Well that is true and false depending on how to define “home”.

My definition includes all the people who make any city a home. There was nothing to site see for me. I was in LA, drove up the Pacific Coast Highway to San Francisco and then flew to Washington DC and…

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#Fundraising Best of the Best #AFPFC

#Fundraising Best of the Best #AFPFC

The Association of Fundraising Professionals held their annual international conference in San Francisco at the end of April. I have to say, I’ve been to quite a few – this was one of the best. Check out the Twitter feed at #AFPFC – chock full of info and discussion.

In this post – an overview of what I thought (IMHO) were the best of the best sessions on fundraising based on presenter, content…

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Jack Ma - The Alibaba of Philanthropy

Jack Ma – The Alibaba of Philanthropy

I do believe in serendipity. I am about halfway through a biography of Jack Ma called Alibaba. As a philanthropic advisor and now living in the Asia Pacific – I have been curious about him and his work for some time.

The Jack Ma Foundation just made a $AUD26m gift to University of Newcastle. While in Australia he also opened Alibaba offices in Melbourne. 

Ken Morley and Jack Ma

His gift is the…

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Expat Voters

DoD Info Graphic 2014 Survey

I’ve been in Melbourne a year now – and between the move overseas and the election it’s been quite a year. Needless to say, the results of the US election is part of any conversation in any part of the world – including Melbourne. And with the latest diplomatic slug at Australia’s Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, the pitch of conversation keeps getting higher. Like…

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#Gratitude Circa 2017

2017 is starting off with a bang. December 22 I started a vacation that took me to Bangkok cooking classes, resting at the beach in Hua Hun, New Year’s Eve overlooking Antarctica and a foodie and museum tour of Singapore. I am grateful to Wendy Ong and Sanjeev Jayasinghe – fellow fundraisers and CASE Institute alumni – who moved part of my Thailand experience to the beach and for hosting me. I am…

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Talking with Titans

Talisman post: @tonyrobbins @tferris podcast highlights

A long drive requires a good podcast and I was glad to have this one – Tony Robbins The Tools of Titans – a long chat with Tim Ferriss reveals the tactics, routines and habits of great people based on his latest book is Tools of Titans.

Couple of take aways I plan on using moving forward:

Tony talks about improving the questions you ask. Some of Tim’s:

What’s the worst that can happen?

What are…

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Survivorship | Susan Sink

Talisman Shared Post @susansink Survivorship

  Many a Melbourne morning I wake up to a post from Susan Sink in my inbox. I shared her blog with you when she began her journey from cancer diagnosis through to today’s post on Survivorship.

Susan can write. Susan can express herself. Susan is honest.

What we have to fight, the chaos of nature, per (Laurence) Gonzales, is this: our brains. Our ability to manage our impulses and also to be…

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Veritus Group - How to Keep Fundraisers

Veritus Group – How to Keep Fundraisers

I share posts that provide great fundraising thought leadership or those that make me think differently. Jeff and Richard at the Veritus Group continue discussing why major gift officers stay. I have to agree with them – clear boundaries and structure are key. Internal relationships are as important to fundraising success as external. Their full post can be read here.

Jeff writes, the italics is…

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Veritus Group on #Fundraising

Talisman Post @veritusgroup #fundraising #major gifts

Jeff and Richard strike again. Finishing a six-part blog series on why major gift officers leave fundraising or the nonprofit organizations they’re working for. While I found the series on bit on the negative side, this post listed characteristics a successful major gift officer should have. You can read the full post here. Jeff writes,

So in the world and life of MGOs, there are specific things…

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Pushiness a la Seth Godin

Talisman Post @sethgodin #selfreflection #pushiness

Sometimes you just read something and your brain or your heart “clicks”. You may have heard it before, but now you are ready to receive…….

In my lifetime I have been called pushy. For me, it is always a time of growth and change – I hear you Seth and thank you…

Pushiness is in the eye of the beholder. Generosity requires that we be aware of how the other person is feeling about the forward motion…

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The Most Powerful Way to #Fundraise

#Fundraising Friday. This one courtesy of The Veritus Group and #Nonprofit Storytelling Conference. 

Listening to donors and sharing a story they can feel in their bones….

http://moviemondays.com/powerful-fundraise/

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