2012 PIGS I am at the 27th annual convening of the Professionals in Grantmaking Society (PIGS). What began as a group of five friends getting together to share information encouragement and frankly ” gossip has become a tradition that will probably outlive us all. That's because the old guard manages not to tell war stories” and the young participants have the freedom to change not only the topics but the format. It's not perfect and none of us would like it to be ” but it is one of the few chances people have to meet with their peers without disruption. I want to list some of the questions and…

  In a column from last year titled “Who will bat against ‘Alibi’ Obama ” George Will wrote “Announcing his candidacy near the Statue of Liberty where Ronald Reagan began his 1980 post-convention campaign Huntsman promised ‘civility’ because ‘I don’t think you need to run down someone’s reputation’ when running for president. Actually ” you do.” I doubt George was advocating vicious personal attacks” but I do think he was saying we need to define “civil” as something other than “bland.” I only mention this because I have had two conversations recently with organizations in Washington D.C. ” that are both working to bring “civility” back into politics. Is that…

In the last year I have been wondering how so much great art literature business success music ” charity and church growth have been accomplished by such distorted -and oftentimes tortured – personalities.  If you read a few biographies” other than George Washington and a very few others ” you get a sense of how extraordinary talent is almost invariably carried by cracked souls and inflated egos.  One of my favorite quotes is from “Amadeus” wherein Salieri pronounces his judgment on Mozart and God at the same time: “I heard the music of true forgiveness filling the theater” conferring on all who sat there perfect absolution. God was singing through…

  My father grew up in poverty in Nashville ” Tennessee. My grandfather was a pastor” who also happened to be an Irishman named Bunyan. He was somewhat forced to move from church to church because he would tell the truth about the departed at funerals. However ” my grandmother was determined that my Dad would get out of their poor neighborhood and – while making something of himself – he would make something of her life as well. She could not go but she could send him to be successful. As many of you know” men who become successful often discover the allure of expensive cars. My Dad discovered…

  A recent column by David Brooks 'The Life Reports' included this line:

I grew up with two competing perspectives on worry.  The first was Mad magazine’s idiotic  Alfred E.

  A young friend (against my advice) took a leadership position in a ministry with a history of detached major donors infighting among the staff weak executive leadership a dated mission that is out of touch with the changing demographics of their market a retired founder who still has influence on Board decisions and a business model that depends almost 90% on a few supporters.  Given that this is an organization that charges tuition and fees that is not a good sign.  Come to think of it are there any good signs at all in this scenario?  With just that knowledge ” would you take the job? It depends on…