A Sweet Journey of Giving

August 3, 2023
, , Blog

A Sweet Journey of Giving

The BNI Foundation’s 10th annual Chocolate and Cha Cha fundraiser was an incredible success, raising a remarkable $10,000! But we have even more reason to rejoice, as Dr. Ivan Misner, the Founder of BNI and Chief Visionary Officer, has generously matched this amount with an additional $10,000!! So, the total raised at the event was $20,000. These funds are sure to make a profound impact on the lives of children and educators in need.

For a decade now, the Chocolate and Cha Cha fundraiser has served a testament to the power of unity within our BNI network. Each year, we gather to indulge in delectable chocolates, dance our hearts out, and raise funds to support the BNI Foundation’s mission of improving childhood education.

This year’s tenth annual event was nothing short of extraordinary. Members from the BNI Austin and Central Texas chapters came together, demonstrating their unwavering commitment to give back. As we celebrated our achievement, a momentous surprise awaited us. Dr. Ivan Misner made an exceptionally generous contribution to our cause, matching the $10,000 raised thus far. Dr. Misner’s remarkable gift not only demonstrates his dedication to supporting children and education but also serves as an inspiring reminder of the spirit of giving that lies at the heart of BNI. It is a testament to the values upon which our organization was built.

The funds raised, combined with Dr. Misner’s match, will go a long way in supporting the BNI Foundation’s various initiatives. Through our Givers Gain® philosophy, we strive to create opportunities that empower children and educators, enabling them to reach their full potential. These funds will support initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship and leadership skills among young minds. They will also contribute to projects that enhance the learning environment in schools, fostering a brighter future for generations to come.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to every member of the BNI community who participated in the Chocolate and Cha Cha fundraiser. A special thank you goes to Dr. Ivan Misner for his unwavering support and matching funds which amplify the impact of our collective efforts. The BNI Foundation will continue to champion education and support initiatives that transform lives. We invite every member of our BNI family to join us in our ongoing mission of making a difference. Together, we are creating a brighter future, one child, one educator, and one act of generosity at a time.

BNI Foundation at the 2023 US National Conference

April 27, 2023
, , Blog, Events, Featured Posts

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.

There Is Still Good Reason To Smile!

March 28, 2023
, , , , Blog, Fundraising, News

There Is Still Good Reason To Smile!

The announcement in January by Amazon that it would be discontinuing its AmazonSmile program came as a surprise and disappointment to many. For customers signed up for the Smile program, Amazon had – since 2013 – donated 0.5% of the transaction value to a registered charity of that customer’s choice.

Amazon justified its decision by arguing that with one million registered non-profit recipients around the world, its impact had remained behind the organization’s expectations. Another explanation could, of course, be that after AmazonSmile attracted so many new customers, they have now decided to simply cut costs and increase margins by a further 0,5%. Whatever the real reason, the program ended on 20 February 2023.

I was never a big fan of the BNI Foundation promoting AmazonSmile to raise funds for us, because I truly believe that BNI members should be buying whatever they need from other BNI members, even if it ends up costing a bit more. After all, BNI is all about investing in relationships and we are not likely to build a relationship with a Member from Amazon anywhere in the world any time soon.

Having said that, most of us resort to buying from them from time to time, because they are quick and (normally) reliable. And knowing that every time we spend money with them a small part went to – in my case – the BNI Foundation made giving them our business feel just a little bit more acceptable.

Of course, realistically speaking, the benefit was actually very small. To raise $100 dollars in donation income, BNI members needed to spend $20.000 AND remember to purchase through the Smile.Amazon portal, not through Amazon itself! In 2022, we received a grand total of $550, so maybe Amazon was right about the impact not living up to expectations!

So why is there still good reason to smile? Because generating that income required purchases of $110.000 and there are a lot cheaper, simpler, and more effective ways of helping the BNI Foundation to support children and education than that. A monthly donation of $50 or $100 dollars or more will get you recognition on our website and there are also three levels of contribution to the Misner Endowment Fund, which mean you will be helping children for ever!

Any amount of money means that we can fund more projects than would otherwise be possible, but in the spirit of Givers Gain®, it doesn’t even have to be money! Through Business Voices™ there are multiple ways for you to help children in your local community get a better start in life, not least Future Leaders Week, which takes place from 15 – 21 October 2023. For further information, or just to talk to us about the BNI Foundation and how we can help you to grow your business, your chapter and your region, please contact us on info@bnifoundation.org.

Thank you, yours still smiling 😊

Kevin Barber, March 17, 2023

National Volunteer Week

April 20, 2021
, , Blog, Business VoicesTM

In his proclamation, President Biden said volunteers provide “Hope for our futures, light to see our way forward, and love for one another.” This week is National Volunteer Week, established by Presidential Proclamation in 1974 to recognize the impact of volunteers and to highlight the various opportunities available for those interested in volunteering.

Volunteers lend their time and talents to keep benevolent and essential organizations operating, face some of our greatest challenges and help provide services that may otherwise not be available to those who need them. They make our communities stronger and can sometimes produce transformative effects. This week we shine a light on the efforts of volunteers and consider ways we can make a difference.

Since its establishment, National Volunteer Week has grown exponentially and today leads to thousands of projects and special events being organized around the country. All kinds of volunteering opportunities are available online, at places of work and in communities.

BNI member have an exclusive volunteering opportunity. The BNI Foundation was founded more than 20 years ago to improve tomorrow’s business through education today. The Business Voices Initiative helps BNI chapter members, as well as other business leaders and organizations, team up with and help schools and educational organizations in their communities. Visit our website for more information.

Take some time this week to consider the essential work of volunteers now and throughout history. You are sure to find inspiration to volunteer yourself.

Halloween Safety

October 31, 2019
, , Blog

Tips for a Safe Halloween Night

Halloween, which originated from ancient traditions and religious rituals over 2,000 years ago, is observed around the world as a celebration of candy and mischief, dress-up, dark adventure, and for some, the supernatural. It is most popular in the US, Canada and Ireland- from where it originated.

Tonight millions of children and adults will go out dressed as their favorite hero, or most dreaded villain, to trick-or-treat. Here’s are some basic safety tips to keep in mind while out having fun.

  • Use reflective or light-colored materials and items in your costume to increase visibility at night.
  • Choose makeup over sight obstructing masks for costumes.
  • Trick-or-treat in groups and keep younger children closely supervised.
  • Use sidewalks and crosswalks and make eye contact with drivers before crossing to insure they see you.
  • Put your devices away. Our biggest distractors become more dangerous on a night like Halloween.
  • Drivers: be alert! Drive slowly through residential areas and where trick-or-treaters are present.
  • Turn the headlights on early.
  • Do not text and drive! Distractions can be deadly on Halloween where crosswalks may be less utilized by children and families. 

Keep these points in mind to keep the fun safe. Happy Halloween to all our friends celebrating today.

Networking Week

May 7, 2019
, , News

International Networking Week Fundraising at BNI Oregon & SW Washington

The Oregon & SW Washington BNI chapters used International Networking Week as an opportunity to bring members and local business leaders together to raise hundreds for local youth focused non-profits. The first event, a networking mixer in Vancouver, attracted 70 BNI members and local business professionals. All of the proceeds from the event were donated to Bridge the Gap, a nonprofit that provides resources to children in the foster care system.

Next in Portland, a networking mixer brought in over 100 BNI members and local business professionals. This event raised $500 in support of Young Entrepreneurs Business Week. This statewide, Oregon initiative helps to educate youth in business, leadership and teamwork while encouraging them to explore the business world through hands-on experiences.

“It was great to come together to network with local businesses and give back to the community at the same time! BNI Oregon & SW Washington is proud to support Bridge The Gap and Young Entrepreneurs Week,” said Mary Burleson, BNI Oregon & SW Washington’s Regional Communications Coordinator & Chapter Launch Coordinator. Congratulations to everyone involved for a successful couple of events.

BNI Global Convention 2018

December 2, 2018
, News

BNI Global Convention 2018 – Bangkok Thailand

A Word From BNI Foundation Vice Chair, David Kauffman

We had a GREAT convention and I would like to thank all of those who supported the foundation at this historic event!

 A number of our supporters flew in early and visited the Friends of Thai Daughters, a charity that the BNI Foundation supports. They were able to visit with many of the girls and help distribute needed supplies to a few of the local villages. We were also honored that 3 of the girls were able to attend our Gala event. Through the generosity of the 1200 attendees we raised over $36,000 USD for the BNI Foundation that we immediately donated to Friends of Thai Daughters to make sure the girls have continued support.

I would also like to thank the following authors for donating a portion of every book sold at our booth. Norm Dominguez, The Magic of Positivity, YP Lai and Paulo Corsi, Networking Quotient. We sold hundreds of copies of each.

The Foundation gave out several awards to countries and directors with outstanding Business Voices teams. The BNI Foundation Award of Excellence was given to team BNI Canada and BNI Japan. While the Ivan Misner Excellence in Giving Award went to Monica Passini and Dario Castagna from team Italy. Team Italy held a Business Voices awards banquet this year to celebrate their 18 teams and had over 500 members in attendance. Their teams accomplished over 80 projects this year including insulating schools to keep the environment quiet and conducive to learning. They held a number of medical screenings at local schools and taught over 1000 children about dental hygiene.

From the main stage in conjunction with our round tables and breakout sessions we were able to raise global awareness about the BNI Foundation and Business Voices (our boots on the ground program). Members and directors learned how the BNI Foundation belongs to them and how they could get involved and truly make a difference in a child’s life! See photos from the BNI Global Convention in our gallery.

We are working hard to grow the foundation and hope to be in at least 6 new countries before the next Global Convention in Warsaw next year. The Business Voices teams around the world keep growing, even in countries that do not yet have foundations. We need to get your stories. If you are apart of a team please send us your stories at bnifoundation.org/monthly-business-voices-form/. If you would like more information on the BNI Foundation or Business Voices Teams, please contact us at bnifoundation.org/contact-us/.

Austin Award

August 22, 2018
, News

Beth Misner Awarded for Her Philanthropic Work with Children

This weekend, at the 7th Annual Austin Originals Benefit Concert, BNI Foundation founder Beth Misner was awarded the Community Activist Phyllis Richards Austin Icon for Children Award. The award, which is presented each year by the Austin Child Guidance Center, recognizes Mrs. Misner’s contributions to, and engagement with, the community, which have resulted in positive changes for Austin’s children.

Beth Misner, along with her husband, Ivan Misner, founded the BNI Foundation 20 years ago to support students, schools and educational organizations around the world. The BNI Foundation congratulates Mrs. Misner on this prestigious award given in recognition of her volunteerism and philanthropic spirit.

Opened in 1951, the Austin Child Guidance Center works to improve the mental health of children and their families by providing early intervention, diagnosis and treatment. In the decades since it’s establishment, The  Austin Child Guidance Center has provided treatment to more than 140,000 children and families.

BNI Manhattan Teams Up With Operation Backpack

August 20, 2018
, News, School Supplies

BNI Manhattan Teams Up With Operation Backpack

In New York city, there are more than 16,000 homeless children who start each school year with no school supplies. Operation Backpack, organized by Volunteers of America, is dedicated to providing brand new backpacks with age-appropriate school supplies for children in grades 1-12. Last year Operation Backpack provided 18,000 backpacks full of school supplies to homeless children in New York.

Several BNI Manhattan members volunteered this month on to help stuff backpacks. Additionally, the BNI Manhattan 62 chapter has committed to providing 24 supply stuffed backpacks themselves. “Many of us in BNI have children and know how much it means when our kids go back to school each year with brand new supplies and a new backpack. I’m so happy that we as a BNI franchise and community of business professionals are able to support this effort, both financially and through volunteering.” said Jennifer S. Wilkov, BNI Manhattan’s Philanthropy Coordinator.

Volunteers of America is a nonprofit organization of nearly 16,000 paid, professional employees and 60,000 volunteers dedicated to helping those in need including veterans, at-risk youth, the frail elderly, men and women returning from prison, homeless individuals and families, people with disabilities, and those recovering from addictions. Learn more at voa.org.

GTS at Ashley Park Elementary

June 18, 2018
, , News

Global Support Team Takes Ashley Park Elementary Under It’s Wing

The BNI Foundation Global Support Team had a great year with it’s sponsored school, Ashley Park Elementary! This year the team made a concerted effort to really make a difference for the students and teachers. Below are highlights of the results of the team’s hard work, time and funds invested toward Ashley Park Elementary.

  • In September the team collected school supplies and BNI HQ donated book bags for the preschool classes
  • In December they collected PJ’s for the Preschoolers
  • In February they collected belts for the students
  • In March they collected Navy colored polo shirts for the students’ uniforms
  • In April they collected Khaki pants for the uniforms
  • BNI HQ sponsored a field trip for the 5th grade class to Laser Tag as well as a stop at BNI HQ for free ice pops from “King of Pops’ and a tour of the offices and a talk with CEO Graham Weihmiller
  • In May they held a teacher appreciation for the amazing teachers that work in very difficult situations day in and day out.  The team collected money and had a Coffee truck available at the school in the teacher parking lot to offer all of the staff free specialty coffees.  There were also donuts, bagels and other yummy treats in their teacher lounge.  The staff was blown away and so appreciative of this gesture.

Congratulations to the Global Support Team for a great year sponsoring a deserving school. Keep up the good work. Check out the video below and the gallery at this link.

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