Tigers Updates

Jun 16, 2006

Every month that I'm running CharityFocus, I write an internal newsletter called 'Tigers Update'.

From the April Tigers Update:

Guri and I were to invited to a conference recently. It was quite fancy with many world-class speakers; at lunch, a gentleman on a wheelchair asks me, "You are a speaker? But you are so young. What are your credentials?" I don't have a graduate degree, no major awards, no high rollin' bank accounts, no books that are displayed in conference hallways. Yes, I did start an organization but you know, its annual budget is $7000 after seven years of operation! So that's exactly how I opened my talk -- "I'm just an ordinary guy, I have no original content, no letters postfixed to my name, no fancy accolades, nothing. But I stand here in front of you to dialogue with your presence."

The talk rocked for exactly the same reason that CharityFocus rocks -- we have no agenda.

And from the latest May Tigers Update:

Last month, the CEO of Google.org ($1.2 billion fund) replies to the weekly thought and asks for a paragraph describing CharityFocus. I opened with, "Three pillars of our guiding principles are: (a) we are all volunteers, (b) we don't fundraise, (c) we believe in doing small things." He tells me later on that he needed to explain CharityFocus to the Google.org Board! Why? "Just because," he says with a wry smile. :)

Just because. That could be the new CharityFocus slogan. No ifs, ands, buts, whys. Just because.