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TODAY'S
FOCUS
Blackbaud
finds ways to support 'creative giving' by employees
By RACHEL HUTCHISSON
Director of corporate relations and philanthropy, Blackbaud
Special to CharlestonCurrents.com
NOV.
23, 2009 -- "Service to others makes the world a better place."
I really believe that, as do my 2,000 colleagues at Blackbaud, a
technology company headquartered on Daniel Island that works exclusively
with nonprofit organizations. Every day when we come to work, we
know our job is to help a nonprofit be more successful. We help
them manage their finances, raise money, market their missions,
and be more effective in a society that is demanding accountability
more each day.
Hutchisson |
Service
is a fundamental part of each relationship with have with our 22,000
customers. But we don't stop there. At Blackbaud, "service
to others" is a much broader concept, incorporating our belief
that individual people can make positive change in the world by
giving of themselves.
Why
give back? As nonprofits face an increased demand for services this
year during uncertain economic times, it's time to get creative
with giving. At Blackbaud we've increased focus and resources -
both locally and around the world. At the base of our approach is
a commitment to be a good corporate citizen and to serve as a catalyst
for individual employees to give back. We believe that, in addition
to being "the right thing to do," giving your time and
talent is a terrific way to learn. It's a way to build new skills,
develop your resume, broaden your network of relationships and --
because of who we work with -- learn more about our customers.
While
many people are digging deeper to give, giving comes in different
forms. From financial commitments to time, from corporate gifts
to peer-to-peer fundraising, this economy lends itself to creative
giving.
Blackbaud
has a number of programs to encourage employees to serve, providing
opportunities to give back as a team - such as the Trident United
Way Day of Caring (we sent 150 out into the community this past
9/11) -- or to match a personal interest with a nonprofit that needs
help.
One
program is Volunteer for Vacation, which allows employees to earn
extra vacation days as a reward for volunteerism. We also give more
than a dozen $500 "Reward Your Passion" grants each quarter
to nonprofits where our people serve, which is a fabulous way for
us to recognize team members for their good work -- and encourage
others to follow suit.
Probably
one of the most meaningful things we do with employees is to work
with them individually to match their passions not only with a cause,
but with an organization looking for committee or board members
willing to share their professional skills (for example, an HR expert
helping a nonprofit to develop an employee handbook). We know from
our work with nonprofits that effective boards are critical to their
success, and good board members can be hard to find. So we take
the time to match interest and skill with opportunity, shepherding
employees through a process where they get to know organizations,
understand the expectations of the role, and make an informed decision
about whether the match suits.
More
than 60 Blackbaud employees serve on nonprofit boards, many of them
in the local community, including the Coastal Community Foundation,
the MUSC Children's Hospital Fund, the Trident Urban League, Sidewalk
Chalk, East Cooper Meals on Wheels, and so on. Coming soon, we'll
be launching a nonprofit board society within Blackbaud that gathers
all our employees who serve in this capacity and aims to learn from
them, channeling that knowledge back into our business so we understand
nonprofit organizations even better.
CURRENTS
Now
is the time for courage
By
ANDY BRACK, publisher
NOV.
23, 2009 – Now is the time in our state and nation for courage
- - for leaders who will stand up for what’s right for the
state and nation, regardless of how it will impact them personally.
Brack |
What
do we have instead?
- Blowhards
like Sarah Palin who are more interested in soundbites, making
money and getting on TV than actually doing any work.
- Weaklings
like Mark Sanford, who drag out the release of a public report
of a public investigation by a public body about his failings
as a public servant.
- Scoundrels
like three Democratic U.S. senators who held out voting for health
care reform because they were scared they wouldn’t be re-elected.
- Partisan
boobs like the infotainers Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity
and Keith Olbermann.
- Political
lemmings, like many in the state House and Senate who aren’t
able to make up their minds without consulting the polls, lobbyists
and special interests.
Where
are the Martin Luther King Jr.s of today? Where are the crusading
editors, such as the Atlanta Constitution’s Ralph McGill, who
wrote about kicking the Klan in the teeth from the 1940s until his
death in 1969? Where are more leaders like Charleston Mayor Joe
Riley, who marched on Columbia earlier this decade in protest of
the Confederate flag on the Statehouse?
In 1955 when then-Senator John F. Kennedy published “Profiles
in Courage,” he recognized that all sorts of forces seek to
dampen the spirit of courage in our elected leaders – the influence
from political peers in office, the desire to be re-elected and
the pressure from constituents and lobby groups. In the Pulitzer-Prize-winning
book, he recognized the increased impact of mass media, which has
exploded since Kennedy’s day with the Internet, faxes, Blackberries,
Twitter, Facebook and cable television.
But in the end, he concluded that political courage and the ability
to compromise without giving up principles remains important for
America to remain America: “A man does what he must –
in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers
and pressures – and that is the basis of all human morality,”
Kennedy wrote.
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“A
man does what he must – in spite of personal consequences,
in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures – and
that is the basis of all human morality."
--
John F. Kennedy
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Eleven
years later, respected U.S. Sen. William Fulbright wrote in “The
Arrogance of Power,” that it was important to criticize one’s
country. “Criticism is more than a right: it is an act of patriotism,
a higher form of patriotism, than the familiar rituals of national
adulation.”
So when there’s news that Republican county parties in South
Carolina are censuring U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham for diligently working
with others to come up with a national solution on carbon pollution
or immigration, we think of Graham’s courage and others’
callousness and cowardice.
When we read how Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mullins McLeod
of Charleston wants the Confederate flag taken off the Statehouse
grounds, we easily can predict the firestorm of hatred his campaign
will get. And while he may have been trying to kickstart his campaign,
at least he had the courage to take a stand unpopular to many.
When we see President Obama trying to fix health care, get better
options on Afghanistan and move the economy forward, we know we’re
seeing flashes of courage, and not grandstanding. These are tough
decisions.
More of our leaders need to take a political lesson from the daily,
unheralded experiences of our police, firefighters, soldiers, sailors
and airmen -– sometimes it’s just time to say, “Damn
the torpedoes … full speed ahead.” These elected officials
need to ignore pollster politics and stand up for what’s right.
More in our media need to stop the hype, ask hard questions and
do the real stories that highlight what’s going on in America
and our state.
It’s time for political and editorial courage – for people
to look into their hearts to do what’s right -– to work
on big challenges in the economy, education, health care and poverty.
And if not now, when?
Andy
Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. This commentary first
appeared Friday in SC
Statehouse Report. You can reach Brack by email
here.
FEEDBACK
Get
it off your chest
Have
a comment or want to vent? If you have something to
say about leadership in South Carolina, the state of baseball
today, good barbecue or something about your community's government,
drop us a line to: editor@charlestoncurrents.com.
Please send no more than 200 words and include contact information
(phone number, hometown) so we can get in touch with you.
SPOTLIGHT
Pluff
Mud Connect
The
public spiritedness of our underwriters allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents
to you at no cost. In this issue, we highlight Pluff Mud Connect,
a new Web service that connects Lowcountry nonprofits and the businesses
that serve them. Nonprofit organizations register for free, and
can search across more than 100 categories or fill out a simple
form to request multiple quotes from local businesses. Lowcountry
sole proprietors, small businesses and corporations pay a low annual
fee to market directly to nonprofit organizations and receive requests
for bids via email. Pluff Mud Connect -- helping Lowcountry nonprofits
and businesses thrive. Click
here to send a message or visit online at: http://www.PluffMudConnect.com
.
GOOD
NEWS
Eagle
Scout collects over 3,000 books for Trident Literacy
A
North Area Eagle Scout has collected more than 3,000 books - just
since Halloween -- to donate to the Trident Literacy Association.
Sean Carter, a member of Boy Scout Troop 484 at Charleston Air Force
Base, far exceeded his goal of collecting 1,000 boys in his Eagle
Scout project.
"I
can't imagine not being able to read," he said when he approached
the association about the project. "I wanted to make sure Trident
Literacy's students had books."
Carter,
an eighth-grader at Pinewood Prep, and the other Scouts in his troop
began collecting books on Halloween, and soon his family's garage
was piled high with books ranging from children's story books to
adults novels and more.
Trident
Literacy Association provides basic literacy instruction, GED prep,
English-as-a-second-language classes and computer instruction for
adults in the tri-county area. For more information, call 747-2223.
Residents turn out
in force for Electronics Recycling Day
Charleston
area residents turned in 950 items Nov. 14 during the second annual
Electronics Recycling Day event sponsored by the Charleston County
Environmental Management Department. The Tanger Outlet shopping
center was the site for the program.
Among
the most popular items turned in for safe recycling were telephones
and other equipment (144), computers (113), monitors (100), computer
parts (113) and TVs (82). Microwave ovens, calculators, shredders,
fax machines, VCRs, DVD players, stereos and more were also turned
in.
Electronic
devices often consist of valuable resources such as precious metals
(gold or silver), more common metals (aluminum and copper) and engineered
plastics. Electronics recycling helps to recover these valuable
materials while also conserving energy and landfill space.
Wine
Under the Oaks to benefit Lowcountry Red Cross
The
Carolina Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross will sponsor
the Wine Under the Oaks Holiday Wine, Food and Gift Expo from noon
to 5 p.m. Dec. 6 at Boone Hall Plantation, 1235 Long Point Road
in Mount Pleasant. The event includes a silent auction with all
proceeds benefiting the local Red Cross chapter, and a portion of
ticket sales will benefit the organization as well.
The
casual event will give guests a chance to sample a variety of wines
and gourmet foods from Lowcountry chefs while enjoying live music.
There will be some holiday shopping opportunities, too; specialty
gifts, wines and edibles will be on sale, and bidding on the silent
auction items will be held throughout the afternoon. Items up for
bid include jewelry, artwork, meals at local restaurants, spa treatments,
fitness club memberships, lodging at local hotels, toys and more.
Tickets
are $20 in advance here
online or $25 at the gate.
Realtors
group donates $15,000 to Education Foundation
The
Charleston
Trident Association of Realtors has contributed $15,000 to the
Education Foundation, an initiative of the Charleston Metro Chamber
of Commerce that strengthens cooperation and relationships between
schools and businesses.
"This
investment is testimony to CTAR's broad vision about the link between
a good education and the health of our region's economy," said
Deb Campeau, Education Foundation chairman. "The Education
Foundation will use these funds to create and strengthen the career
preparation of today's students so that they are ready to succeed
as they move into the world of work and make meaningful contributions
to our society."
South
Carolina ranks last in the country for the percentage of students
dropping out of high school. Between ninth grade and 12th grade,
the number of students enrolled in public schools in our region
fell by 3,420 students in the past four years - a 44 percent decline
- and nearly one-third of the enrollment decline in the region occurs
between the ninth and 10th grades.
"The
Charleston Trident Association of Realtors is committed to supporting
the work of the Education Foundation in strengthening and improving
education in the Lowcountry. We are investing in Charleston's future,
which will ensure the continued growth and development of strong,
successful communities in the years to comem," said CTAR President
Ralph Wetherell.
REVIEW
Tell
your view to our readers
HAVE
A REVIEW?
If you have a review of a book, movie, restaurant or local arts
endeavor, please send no more than 150 words to editor Ann
Thrash. Make sure to include your name and full contact information.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT
The
Cherokee Path
The
Cherokee Path was one of the most important trade networks of early
Carolina, connecting the city of Charleston with the Cherokee Indians
of South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. Access
to the tribe was originally by way of the Savannah River, over which
Charleston merchants conveyed their goods to Savannah Town (Augusta).
Here, Native American nations bought and resold these goods, eventually
putting them into Cherokee hands either through a trail that led
from Savannah Town to Keowee, the first of the Cherokee lower towns,
or via the Creek Indians of northern Georgia.
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Following
the Yamassee War (1715-1718), the trade between the English and
Cherokees shifted eastward. Traders moved northward along the Santee
River to Fort Congaree and then northwest through Saluda Old Town
and Ninety Six to the Dividing Path on the Savannah River. Here,
a trail to the west led to Cherokee villages along the Tugaloo River
and to the Creeks, but the more traveled northern path alongside
the Chattooga and Little Tennessee Rivers accessed the Cherokee
lower, middle, and upper settlements, a total of at least sixty
villages and upward of eleven thousand inhabitants in 1715.
These
towns produced quality deer hides, pelts, baskets, and chestnuts.
At first they delivered these goods to neutral trade depots such
as Fort Congaree. But increased demand for metal trade goods, red
cloth, muskets, ammunition, and powder led to the establishment
of trade stations among the lower villages and the middle towns.
Fort Prince George was built at Keowee in 1753 to protect the trade.
The
Cherokee Path, hundreds of miles long and yet only a trail, was
gradually improved. Horses replaced Indian bearers, and inns were
opened along the way to accommodate the traders, travelers, settlers,
and soldiers who made the trail their own.
- Excerpted from the entry by Louis P. Towles. To
read more about this or 2,000 other entries about South Carolina,
check out The
South Carolina Encyclopedia by USC Press. (Information used
by permission.)
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 THE
LIST
Home
fire statistics
The upcoming
Wine Under the Oaks event at Boone Hall Plantation (see today's
Good News column) will benefit the Carolina
Lowcountry Chapter of the American Red Cross, which does much more
than just collect blood. Among the organization's most vital work
is helping those who have suffered a fire at home. Here are five
stats on the Red Cross and how it helps fire victims.
- The Red
Cross is the only social service organization that responds to
residential fires.
- In the Lowcountry,
45 percent of home fire cases involve families with infants and
children.
- A total
of 1,307 individuals benefited from Red Cross assistance in fiscal
year 2009, an increase of 17 percent from the previous year.
- Of the fire
victims helped in 2009, 73 percent had a household income of $25,000
or less.
- It cost
the Red Cross an average of $1,250 to assist a family displaced
by fire. Assistance includes temporary shelter, replacement clothing,
food, medications and eyewear replacement, mental health counseling
and other fire related needs.
QUOTE
On
food and family
Wizenberg |
"When
I walk into my kitchen today, I am not alone. Whether we know it
or not, none of us is. We bring fathers and mothers and kitchen
tables, and every meal we have ever eaten. Food is never just food.
It's also a way of getting at something else: who we are, who we
have been, and who we want to be."
-- Molly
Wizenberg, food writer, in "A Homemade Life: Stories and
Recipes from My Kitchen Table," 2009
CALENDAR:
THIS WEEK
(NEW)
"Precious" Screening: 7:25 p.m. today (Nov.
23), Terrace Theater, 1956 Maybank Highway. Three local nonprofits
- the Dee Norton Lowcountry Children's Center, Florence Crittenton
Programs and Louie's Kids - are hosting a screening of "Precious."
The film, whose executive producers are Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey,
tells the story of Precious Jones, a teenage girl growing up in
1980s Harlem who suffers horrific abuse at the hands of her parents
and finds her voice through the help of a teacher at an alternative
school. A panel discussion will follow the screening. Tickets: Online
or at the theater.
Cookbook
Release Party: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 23, Blue Bicycle
Books, King St. downtown. Blue Bicycle Books and Garden & Gun
magazine will host a release party for "Hot and Hot Fish Club
Cookbook," by Chris and Idie Hastings. Chef Chris Hastings'
roots are in Pawleys Island, where his great-great-grandfather belonged
to a 19th-century epicurean hunt and fish club called Hot and Hot.
Hastings and wife Idie now run the Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham.
Their first cookbook ($35) features 200 recipe, lifestyle menus,
and profiles of a dozen local purveyors who supply them with fresh
ingredients. Party is free and open to the public. More info: 722-2666.
'A
Spiritual Christmas': 6 p.m. Nov. 27, St. Stephen's Episcopal
Church, 67 Anson St., Charleston. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Spiritual Ensemble under the direction of Nathan L. Nelson will
perform African-American spirituals set to a holiday theme. Tickets:
$10 per person at the door.
CALENDAR:
ONGOING AND SOON
Citadel
Candlelight Service: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, Dec. 5 and Dec.
6, Summerall Chapel, The Citadel. The S.C. Corps of Cadets will
present its Christmas Candlelight Service for the Lowcountry. Cadets
from the Protestant, Catholic and Gospel choirs, the Chorale, the
Women's Ensemble, and members of The Citadel Regimental Band will
take part in the annual celebration, which features Scripture lessons
and carols (both traditional and international favorites). Free
and open to the public. More info: 953-5049.
(NEW)
Holly Days: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 5, downtown Summerville.
Enjoy an old-fashioned holiday experience in historic Summerville
with shopping, caroling, cookies and cider for shoppers and visitors.
Sponsored by the merchants of Summerville and Summerville D.R.E.AM.
More info: 821-7260 or online.
Holiday
Parade of Boats: 5 p.m. Dec. 5, Charleston Harbor. This
Lowcountry holiday tradition features festively decorated and lighted
boats of all sorts parading through the harbor, following by a fireworks
display. View the procession along Charleston's waterfront or decorate
your own boat and join the parade. Parade begins in the harbor off
Mount Pleasant at 5 p.m.; viewing from the peninsula begins at 6:30
p.m., and fireworks start about 6:45 p.m. More info: 724-7305.
Small-Business
Lending: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Dec. 9, Charleston Metro
Chamber of Commerce, 2750 Speisseger Drive, Suite 100, North Charleston.
The chamber's Charleston Area Business Council will discuss small-business
lending and how to obtain financing in today's current lending climate.
Cost: $15 chamber members, $30 nonmembers. More
info/registration.
Latin
American Business Expo: 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 10, 10
Storehouse Row, Noisette, North Charleston. The Charleston Metro
Chamber of Commerce's Latin American Business Council (LABC) will
host a seminar and expo to educate attendees on the economic impact
that Latin Americans and their businesses have on our region, and
to offer local businesses an opportunity to exhibit to this community.
The event will also provide Latin American and traditional business
owners with an opportunity to network with industry experts. Cost:
$15 chamber members, $30 nonmembers. More info: Email
Emily Brown.
(NEW)
Festival of Wreaths: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Dec. 10, Palmetto
Café, Charleston Place Hotel. Fourth annual festival will
feature champagne, hors d'oeuvres, live music from Silver Lining
and wreaths from local interior designers being auctioned with all
proceeds going to the MUSC Children's Hospital. In addition to the
wreaths provided by members of the American Society of Interior
Designers, kids from the Youth Center at the Charleston Air Force
Base will provide several wreaths as well. Tickets: $10 in advance
at the Orient-Express Boutique at Charleston Place or by calling
937-9142; $15 at the door. Guests can get parking-ticket validation
for the Charleston Place garage on Hasell Street.
"Beauty,
Bliss and Scrooges": 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 10, Omar
Shrine Temple, 176 Patriots Point Blvd., Mount Pleasant. Family-oriented
event to benefit Windwood Farm features Santa, snow, live performances,
the Grinch, Scrooge, shopping from local retailers, carolers, cocktails
and more. Tickets: $5; free for kids age 12 and younger. More info:
971-2860.
Kimono
Silks Exhibition: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 10, 214 King
Street Gallery, 214 King St. Kimono Silks features new works by
batik master Mary Edna Fraser. Fraser discovered the vintage narrow
silks on a recent Australia trip and has blogged about the experience
at http://www.kimonosilks.com.
A master dyer, Fraser came home with aerial landscapes featuring
batiks, monotypes, oils and archival prints. Exhibition on display
through Jan. 24; gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Monday
through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. More info: 762-2594
or at info@maryedna.com.
FOCUS
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Christian:
Mannie's story
12/17: Bender:
Polar Plunge prep
12/14: Brooks:
Homes for Christmas
12/10: Doll:
Enjoy holidays sans lbs.
12/7: Yarian:
Instruments of Hope
12/3: De
Armas: Latin biz expo
11/30: Blevins:
Autism
11/23: Hutchisson:
Giving
11/19: Barnette:
Nutcracker
11/16: Franklin:
Reverse mortgages
11/12: Wutzdorff:
Be a principal
11/9: Haley:
Buying local
11/5: McCutcheon:
Work gap
11/2: Ohl:
On carpooling
10/29: Wiedman:
Women at Gibbes
10/26: Matouchev:
Bear markets
10/22: Conover:
BarCamp buzz
10/19: Wilson:
Symphony update
10/15: Bender:
Special Olympics
10/12: Baron:
Breast Center
10/8: Ginn:
Growing prosperity
10/5: Buffum:
Waterkeeping
10/1: Personal
branding
THRASH
ARCHIVES
12/17:
Cookbook,
shopping
12/10: The
Pig's wines
12/3: Neat
shopping
11/19: LowCANtry
holiday
11/12: Hawks
vs. doves
11/5: Improving
turnout
10/29: Celebrating
a year
10/22: Good,
bad signs
10/15: Bob's
new food show
10/8: Robot
ice cream
10/5: Costumes,
snarks
9/24: Must-see
TV
9/17: Fall
leaves
9/3: Cold
comfort, more
8/27: Being
a fan
8/20: Good,
bad, spineless
8/13: Locals
on Runway
8/6: Cookie
contest
7/30: Vote
on car tags
7/23: True
confessions
7/16: New
way of tithing?
7/9: Lookout
for manatees
BRACK
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Photographer
Meyer
12/14: Ain't
over on Sanford
12/7: Back
off a little
11/30: Sanford
presses on
11/16: Now
is time for courage
11/16: Alliance's
good news
11/9: SC's
hidden gems
11/2: Boeing
highlights needs
10/26: No
place for prejudice
10/19: Have
fun at Halloween
10/12: Renovated
Gaillard?
10/1: Napa
wine trip
9/28: Anti-crime
measures
9/21: Caw
Caw park
9/14: Debris
policy
9/10: Mystery
solved
8/31: This
and that
8/24: SC's
treasures
8/17: RIP
to old clunker
8/10: Lots
to squeeze in
8/3: On
flying Delta
7/27: Conspiracy
theories
7/20: Protect
carriage animals
7/13: Economic
thaw here?
LIST
ARCHIVES
12/23:
Blackbaud
5
12/17: 4
on holiday lights
12/14: Eco-holiday
12/10: Five
about oysters
12/7: Winter
finds
12/3: Free
parking
11/30: Holiday
parades
11/23: Home
fire stats
11/19: Being
a tourist here
11/16: Growing
your business
11/12: Electronics
recycling
11/9: Beyond
the lights
11/5: Weather
watching
11/2: 5
cooking classes
10/29: Best
lists of year
10/26: Oyster
recycling
10/22: Howl-o-ween
fun
10/19: Literacy
10/15: Giving
blood
10/12: Top
ratings
10/8: Major
league
10/5: Book
sale
10/1: Citadel
football
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