Philanthropy411, is currently covering the Council on Foundations conference with the help of a blog team. This is a guest post by Rob Collier, CEO of the Council of Michigan Foundations.
by Rob Collier
WOW, starting a Monday morning with Arianna Huffington was the perfect antidote for this sleepy guy from Michigan! She got my attention by quoting Homer right away in reminding me that a sense of wonder and a sense of gratitude characterizes all of us in this field as we strive to make a difference.
She shared the importance of work at the community level and decried the sense of urgency missing at the national level. While familiar with the Knight Foundation’s Community Media Initiative with community foundations, which our Grand Rapids Community Foundation participates in, I must confess she introduced me to the AOL Patch Network. Check it out at patch.com as I did – amazing to find that 26 Michigan communities are participating in this local online service focusing on towns and cities with populations of 15,000 to 75,000.
What a therapist! She ended by recommending that we all get more sleep and take time to recharge, so we can come back with a renewed sense of gratitude for the opportunities we have to make a difference. Thank you Arianna!
I am off to get some Philly chocolate and recharge before the Washington Update begins.
Wishing you all wonder and gratitude,
Rob Collier
Council of Michigan Foundations
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Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2010.
