Philanthropy Untold Stories – ‘Til Now!

Merriam Webster considers the word ‘til a poetic shortening of the word “until”. I think of this book as a poetic shortening of some great stories.

Dallas author and social connector extraordinaire, Bob Hopkins, brings to light very brief but illuminating narratives of people who have touched the world in some way. The book came about after years of hearing a familiar response when he spoke to people about philanthropy. “Oh yes, when I win the lottery, I am going to give a lot of money to charity.” Yet, he kept uncovering remarkable people who sought to change the world – or at least a few lives - without fear or funding.

Featuring stories about 100 people, the book is a mosaic of age, ethnicity and ingenuity. Some had the good fortune to have good fortunes. Others lacked fame and funding but built something really inspiring. A favorite story came from the two little girls, now 13 and 16 years old, who made origami creations, all to raise money to build water wells in far-flung places. The girls were moved by the fact that young girls their age could not go to school because they spent their days hauling water buckets. A whirlwind success has led them to trips to India with a U.S. ambassador, to a Navajo reservation, and even to Neiman-Marcus, where they proudly sell their origami ornaments.

Thank you, Bob Hopkins for including me in this rich tapestry, from your not-so-rich friend!

More information about the book, or how to purchase can be found here:
Philanthropy Misunderstood - http://philanthropymisunderstood.org/
All proceeds go a children's charity.