BNI Foundation at the 2023 US National Conference

The BNI Foundation will have a strong presence at this year’s National Conference in Miami. We will be there, continuing our mission to help students, their education, and schools around the world.

Come join us for our main stage presentation on Thursday, right before Dr Ivan Misner speaks, to learn what the foundation has been doing over the past 25 years and how getting involved or participating in making a difference in a local child’s life can also help your business and your region.

Please visit our booth for more information on how you can be a driving force in your local community by becoming a Misner Fellow, Business Voices Team leader, or just pick up information on how to get started in your local community.

The Foundation has set a goal to increase our monthly Hero and Superheroes by ten new supporters. These heroes help us fund Givers Gan Grants throughout the year. These are supporters of the Foundation by contributing monthly. I would like to thank the many heroes for all their support! You can sign up at our booth or directly on our website (Place Link)

Business Voices Future Leaders Week is a simple way for BNI professionals to offer young people aged 15-18 Career Orientation advice within their local community. For one week in October, we are asking Chapters members to go into a school and meet with students to give advice and talk about the things they wish they knew then that they know now. They can even hold their weekly Meeting in a local school, showcasing the way BNI teams work together to help each other become more successful. After the Meeting, individual Members will remain in the school to talk and answer questions about their chosen professions. You can also visit an organization like Boys and Girls Clubs and mentor them.

We are still looking forward to your stories! If your chapter has a Business Voices Team, we would like to highlight you at the Conference and on our website. Here is a link to submit your information. (Place Link) If you are working with your local community to help children and have not yet registered, your team, please contact me at Davidk@BNIFoundation.org.

One of the really fun parts of Conference is our BNI Foundation Walk and Talk on Saturday morning which gets us “up and running” for the rest of the day with inspirational 121s with like-minded people – and helping local children while we to it! Please visit our boot to register and collect your tee-shirt.

Stay tuned to our website, bnifoundation.org, for more information about BNI Foundation activities at the 2023 National Conference.

Business Voices Future Leaders Week

What is Business Voices Future Leaders Week?

Business Voices Future Leaders Week (BVFL) is a simple way for BNI professionals to offer young people career orientation advice within their local community. During the week of October 17 – 21, 2022, we are inviting Chapters to hold their weekly Meeting in a local school, showcasing the way BNI teams work together. After the Meeting, volunteer Members will remain in the school to talk and answer questions about their chosen professions.

 

Why did the BNI Foundation create BVFL Week?

BVFL is designed to give students a real world understanding of what businesspeople do and how they got there. As BNI Members and Directors, we have unique experiences and are proud to have so many entrepreneurs who may not have a traditional educational background. At the BNI Foundation, we believe it is important for students to see that every educational and professional experience is important. Regardless of the path to your career, it is important to show students that success is achieves in many different ways. Business Voices Future Leaders Week also provides opportunities for BNI Members to give back to their communities and gives Chapters a reinvigorating experience to remind them of the importance of their networks for growing their businesses and the communities in which they live.

 

How to get involved

If your Chapter is interested in participating in BVFL, please register in advance by using the link provided below. To make the process as smooth as possible, you must register your team in advance. Once registered, a representative from our organization will email you the event packet with all of the materials needed to have a successful and fun day!

Our Goal for BVFL Week

Our goal is to provide career orientation advice to students ages 15- 18 years old as they prepare for their future careers.

 

 

Register today!

Business Voices Future Leaders Week

World Teacher’s Day

World Teacher’s Day Celebrates Contributions, Recognizes Challenges

“Those who know, do. Those who understand, teach.”

Aristotle

Celebrated annually on October 5th since 1994, World Teacher’s Day was created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to commemorate the adoption of the 1966 “Recommendation Concerning the Status of Teachers.” The 1966 Recommendation set benchmarks for the rights and responsibilities of teachers as well as international guidelines for the recruitment, employment and training of teachers around the world. World Teacher’s Day has become a day to recognize and celebrate the contributions of teachers and to encourage mobilization around the challenges teachers face every day.

This year’s theme is “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher,” chosen to reflect the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which recognized education as one of humanity’s fundamental rights. In the 70 years since the Declaration, UNESCO has worked toward ensuring every child has access to quality education. The primary challenge to this goal is a continued worldwide shortage of teachers, most pronounced among vulnerable populations like girls, refugees and migrants, and the poor.

World Teacher’s Day is observed in over 100 countries throughout the world. Events include community celebrations that honor teachers and conferences and symposiums concerning issues facing teachers and education.

Business Voices on World Teacher’s Day

This yearly celebration, and the awareness it creates, provide an excellent opportunity for Business Voices teams to mobilize and help schools, teachers and students in their communities. Projects can be geared to help teachers as well as the schools where they work and the students they teach. The Business Voices toolkit includes charitable project ideas including school beautification days, supply drives and even using your business knowledge to coach teachers and school staff. Take advantage of this day that honors teachers around the world to create excitement and support for the teachers in your own community.

National Conference Special Awards

Special Awards Presented at the BNI National Conference

At this year’s BNI National Conference in Las Vegas, four special awards were handed out to deserving executive directors from around the country.

The Ivan Misner Excellence in Giving Award was presented to Norm Dominguez, Executive Director of BNI Arizona.

The Beth Misner Leadership Award went to Shelli Howlett, Executive Director of BNI DFW, BNI Austin and BNI San Antonio.

The final award was presented to four individuals. Dawn Lyons and Mike Macedonio, Executive Directors of BNI San Francisco, and Dr. Margie Cowan and Dr. Emroy Cowan, Executive Directors of BNI Colorado all received the Alice Astrouer Philanthropy Award.

Congratulations to all of the special awards recipients and thank you for all the work you do.

2018 National Conference

The BNI Foundation at the BNI National Conference

The BNI National Conference in Las Vegas is right around the corner and the BNI Foundation has been working hard to bring attendees a great program and to take advantage of this opportunity to do more for our community schools and students. Keep reading to find out what’s in store.

Givers Gain® Grants Awarded to Double in 2018

This year the BNI Foundation is striving to double the number of yearly Givers Gain® Grants awarded from ten to twenty. To do this we hope too attract more monthly donors with our Join the CLUB program. During the National Conference we will be holding a drive to bring in more Heroes and Super Heroes so we can get more grants out to worthy schools and educational organizations. The $1,000 Givers Gain® Grants are awarded to help fund specific programs. The BNI Foundation is striving to add ten additional Givers Gain® Grants to 2018 by attracting:

  • 20 New Heroes
  • 20 New Super Heroes
  • $20,000 New Direct Donations

The grants will be awarded as follows:

  • 5 Givers Gain® Grants in June
  • 5 Givers Gain® Grants in October
  • A Special Grant Cycle from November 15 to December 15th with 10 additional Givers Gain® Grants

The Heroes program designates those giving $50 a month as Heroes and those giving $100 or more every month as Super Heroes. Any individual or group can be a Hero or Super Hero. During the BNI National Conference in Las Vegas, the BNI Foundation will campaign to encourage BNI member, chapters and regions to Join the CLUB by becoming a Hero or Super Hero.

Students to be Speed Mentored at the BNI National Conference

At this year’s BNI National Conference in Las Vegas, the BNI Foundation will host a speed mentoring session with students from a local Las Vegas high school. During the event, students will talk to several entrepreneurs for a few minutes each and then take part in an open “networking” session. The successful speed mentoring program truly encapsulates the BNI Foundation’s mission to create a conduit between business and education to meet children’s educational needs. If you will be attending this year’s conference and would like to be involved as a mentor, please contact David Kauffman, foundation Vice-Chair, at Davidk@bnifoundation.org

Win Dinner with Beth and Ivan Misner and More

Attendees of the BNI National Conference will have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for a chance to win dinner with BNI Foundation founders, Beth and Ivan Misner, while simultaneously supporting the Foundation’s cause. Additionally, a 50/50 raffle will see one winner receiving half of the 50/50 raffle proceeds. Please reach into your pockets for a chance to win one of these great prizes, and more importantly, help the BNI Foundation continue its work helping schools and students around the world.

Please stay tuned for more by visiting our website, https://bnifoundation.org, where we will be posting 2018 BNI US National Conference updates including details about our Saturday morning Walk and Talk and other events we are working on. Also, be sure to visit our booth while at the conference.

20 Years of Giving Fundraiser

The BNI Foundation kicked off Global Convention activities in style with a fundraiser to celebrate its twenty year anniversary! Everyone involved with the foundation was invited to the event which took place on the evening of November 8th in Long Beach, CA.

BNI Foundation co-founders Beth and Ivan Misner, Executive Director, Stephanie Starr,  staff, volunteers and Board members mingled as they enjoyed food, drinks and live a-cappella entertainment by Swingline. Also on hand to speak was award-winning film producer/director/writer, Barnet Bain. The evening was capped off with a silent auction.

Red Coats, Inc. generously sponsored the event which was graciously hosted by Margie and Emory Cowan, long time BNI Foundation supporters who truly embody the principle of Givers Gain®.

View a gallery of photos from the event here.

Chocolates and Cha-Cha BNI HQ Party

Join the worldwide celebration of the BNI Foundation at the Headquarters’ party. There will be many other Chocolate and Cha-Cha parties hosted by BNI members and Directors all over the world, but this is the only party where BNI Foundation Co-Founders Beth and Ivan Misner will be! You won’t want to miss it! We will have a night of dancing, desserts and fun. RSVP for the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/231511450329764/ All proceeds will benefit the BNI Foundation’s general fund.

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BNI Networking Day in Dubai

Beth and Ivan Misner will present INJAZ UAE, the JA (Junior Achievement) partner, with a $1000 Givers Gain® Grant at the Networking Like a Pro Live Event in Dubai June 4,2013 at the Address Hotel, Dubai Marina. The program for the public is from 12pm to 5pm and the presentation to INJAZ will take place at 2pm after the luncheon.

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