Category Archives: News

The BNI Foundation has recently added four new members to its board of directors, bringing the total to nine members. Joining Chairman Jeff Stay, Vice Chairman Andy Hart, Treasurer Michael Walchonski, Co-founder and Secretary Beth Misner and board member Graham Weihmiller, are four BNI leaders from around the world.

Kevin Barber oversees over 1,200 members in South-West Germany’s 39 chapters, the first of which he started himself in 2005. Kevin is also the BNI Foundation’s Global Special Envoy and is responsible for the Foundation’s operations in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Shelli Howlett is one of the few female BNI Executive Directors running multiple large regions. Her geographic area includes Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin and San Antonio, Texas where there are 2,700 members in 105 chapters.

David Kauffman acts as Managing Director and Senior Director Consultant for the BNI Delaware Valley Region, which encompass 5 states and 125 chapters. David has years of experience serving boards of charitable organizations and also founded and operates the Adaptive Aquatic program for the Haverford, PA YMCA.

Jeremy Walsh is the Worldwide Director of Support, Training and Documentation for BNI Connect. Jeremy and his team set up BNI Connect’s self-help forums, which see 52,000 visits a month from members searching its comprehensive library of hundreds of training materials.

We are excited to have these accomplished members of the BNI family join us in their leadership roles at the BNI Foundation and are looking forward to accomplishing great work with their guidance. You can learn more about the BNI Foundation’s board of directors by clicking here.

Earlier this year, Josh Perry of FusionForge Consultants won the video contest meant to highlight the impact adults can have on children. Each submission was a video “testimonial” in which the contestant described an adult who significantly influenced their life. Josh’s winning video was about a volunteer named Ray who brought knowledge, passion and excitement to a Junior Achievement economics course he taught at Josh’s high school.

First prize was a day with Ivan and Beth Misner in Austin, TX. Josh and his wife Kay Perry had the opportunity to spend the day with the Misners at their home.

The day started with breakfast at Trace Restaurant in downtown Austin.

Next was a trip to the Farmer’s Market, also in downtown Austin. There they purchased food from the Misner Plan for lunch.

That was followed by a long boat ride on Lake Austin.

The rest of the afternoon was spent floating and hanging out at the Misner’s pool where they had lunch.

The day ended with a wine tasting and dinner at Cru Restaurant in downtown Austin.

Congratulations to Josh Perry and his wife Kay. It looks like a great time was had by all.

In August, just before the beginning of the school year, members of the BNI Riverside Executives chapter in Sacramento, California invited Principal Greg Barge of Earl Legette Elementary School to their chapter meeting. They had a surprise. Chapter members had collected over $1000 worth of school supplies to donate to the school. The supplies, as well as thirty new backpacks, went to the students of teacher Rory McClure’s fourth grade class.

Business Voices has had a successful back to school season. Supply drives like the one put together by BNI Riverside Executives, are a great way to support our local students and schools. Remember, due to budget constraints, school districts often cannot provide teachers and students with everything they need, placing the financial burden on students’ parents and the teachers themselves. Back to school time may be the most obvious time for supply drives, but supplies are needed in the fall, after the winter break and throughout the school year.

Fill My Ride at BNI SWFL

The next successful Business Voices® Fill My Ride event took place on August 4^th. Members from BNI BizNet of the South West Florida region gathered supplies for students at Six Mile Charter Academy in Fort Myers. Enough school supplies for more than 50 children were delivered to the school in the back of a large pick-up truck. Upon arrival, BIzNet members were enthusiastically met by faculty members as well as the school’s wildcat mascot.

“There were enough supplies donated to help out 50+ students whose families were not able to fulfill the extensive supply list for the new school year,” said BNI BizNet member Matthew Colla. The school’s Dean of Students was able to disburse the supplies to the specific families most in need of them.

Congratulations to all who participated in this much needed program, and thank you for sharing your story with everyone.

BNI Kronos Givers Gain Anniversary Celebration

BNI Kronos in Ahmedabad, India celebrated their first anniversary – and 120M Rupees (1.8M USD) in closed business – by organizing a Business Voices event. Twenty-five of Kronos’ 32 members spent the day with mentally challenged, low income youth. BNI Kronos members organized gaming stalls for the kids and members to interact, and they provided lunch for the day. The members and children spent the day playing, dancing and dining together.

Aside from giving of their time, Kronos members donated a total of 200,000 Rupees (over 3,000 USD) including a much-needed washing machine, music system, health and hygiene kits and three months’ worth of groceries. Additionally, Kronos members adopted 12 of the youths and will provide additional necessities to them in the coming year.

Watch the video (below) and view the photos of this successful and inspiring event. Congratulations to the members of BNI Kronos for their efforts.

Boys’ Haven is a general residential operation in Beaumont, Texas that serves boys ages 5 to 17 and provides a port for stormy times in the boys’ lives. Many of these boys come from single parent homes and are in need of a more structured environment. Some are referred by Juvenile Probation Departments and the Department of Family and Protective Services. The program is based on the principles of discipline and hard work, a program where natural consequences occur and privileges are earned. Boys Haven has been in operation for more than 70 years.

The organization will use the $1000 Givers Gain® Grant to enroll its residents in the Equine Therapy Summer Program provided by Stable Spirit. The therapy is designed for those who have suffered some form of abuse or neglect in their lives. The boys learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with horses and discussing thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and patterns. The BNI Foundation is proud to support Boy’s Haven and the fine work they do.

Video Contest Winners Announced

To highlight the incredible impact adults can have on the lives of children, we asked our supporters to submit video “testimonials” describing an adult who significantly influenced their life. We received many inspiring one minute videos sharing stories of mentors, coaches, teachers and other leaders who inspired and even changed the trajectory of lives between kindergarten and high school graduation.

The first place winning video is above. Josh Perry of FusionForge Consultants describes a volunteer named Ray who brought knowledge, passion and excitement to a Junior Achievement economics course he taught at Josh’s high school. “As a result of the time spent with Ray, I went on to donate time back to my local high school,” says Josh, “For four years as a volunteer with a local youth ministry active in the school and for another two years as a substitute teacher.”  Josh’s prize for winning the contest is a day with BNI Foundation co-founders,  Ivan and Beth Misner, in Austin, TX.

Second place went to Lonnie Young of Young & Company. In the video (view HERE) Lonnie remembers the man who turned him on to math, which led to him becoming an accountant. Lonnie’s Prize was a $75 Amazon gift card.

Our third place winner (view HERE) was Robyn Smith. Robin recounts how her mailman inspired her entrepreneurial spirit and drive. Robin recieved a $50 Amazon gift card as a prize for sharing her story.

Congratulations to our winners, and  thank you to all of the entrants for participating. Their videos illustrate how even small gestures and actions by adults can make a big difference in  children’s lives.

The ABC’s of Back to School Giving

This summer’s Business Voices® Back to School Supply Drive is in full swing. Now is the time to review our toolkit for supply drive project ideas and how-to’s. The toolkit is a great source of information you will need to plan and execute a successful drive to bring much needed support to local schools. There are a number of different approaches you can use and details for each one are in the Business Voices® toolkit.

The Back to School Supply Drive is an easy way to impact students’ learning experiences. You can make school a better place for students and teachers just by providing school supplies.  Our June blog post illustrated how most teachers must pay out of their own pockets for necessary supplies that are not provided by the schools. This is an important time of year for teachers to collect the supplies they will need throughout the school year. Help the children in your community to feel empowered by having the items they need to focus and learn.

The toolkit should have all of the information you need, but if you have any questions about projects or starting a Business Voices® team, contact us at info@bnifoundation.org.

Givers Gain® Grants Awarded

The BNI Foundation awards the Givers Gain® Grants to schools and educational organizations twice a year in May and December. Ten awards of $1000 each are typically awarded. The grants are used to enhance classroom learning with the goal of benefiting as many classrooms, teachers and students as possible. Here are the winners for May.

Boys Haven of America, Inc. – Beaumont, Texas – Project Funded: Equine Therapy Summer Program

The grant funds will be used to provide Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine-Assisted Learning sessions for residents of Boys’ Haven who have all experienced some form of abuse or neglect in their lives. The boys learn about themselves and others by participating in activities with horses and discussing thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and patterns.

Project 16:49 – Janesville, Wisconsin – Project Funded: Building Self-Sufficiency in At-Risk Youth

This grant will be used to purchase ARISE evidence-based life skills curriculum for teens. The curriculum helps students with a number of topics including anger management, domestic violence and sexual abuse, self-esteem, time management, career networking, finances, health and hygiene, school drop-out prevention, nutrition and exercise, and safety.

Humble I.S.D. Education Foundation – Humble, Texas – Project Funded: From MOSAIC Masterpieces to Beyond

The grant money will be used to purchase two cash registers, a bar code label maker and supporting materials. Our program supports students age 18 to 22 with special education as they transition from school life to adult life. The registers will be used at our MOSAIC store and at shows and events where the students sell items and crafts they make themselves.

Clara J. Peck Elementary – Greensboro, North Carolina – Project Funded: Resource Center

We are establishing a resource room where students and their families can study, get help from teachers, work on assignments and receive help from volunteers and school workers. The grant funds will go toward computers, printers, furniture, reference books and supplies for the resource center.

Congratulations to all of the Givers Gain® Grant recipients. We wish you success in your endeavors.