I am amazed how time flies.  Our first high school football game starts tonight! (wasn't it just yesterday that the kids got out of school for the summer?)

Anyway, as we peer into the near future, we see school supplies, buses, teachers, homework, routines, and reading assignments.  This is a great time to consider a reading schedule for yourself.  And try the following titles on reading about giving (perhaps there are a few books you could consider reading to help you build a lifestyle of giving):

Attitudes of Gratitude

The Giving Heart

Gratitude: A Way of Life

Giving Book (for young readers)

this posted by guest blogger:  Scott Couchenour (www.servingstrong.com)

Diane handcrafted a Raggedy Ann doll. You remember the Raggedy Ann doll, don't you? It was a rag doll that was most known for its red yarn hair.

This particular Raggedy Ann doll was special. It was to be given to a needy child at Christmas. When Diane finished creating the doll, she gave it to her husband Bill with instructions to deliver it to an organization that could put it in the hands of a child who needed it most.

Bill set out to find that organization. To his amazement, there was no organization he could find that could share this love-filled toy with a needy child. Bill had to return home to his wife, who put so many hours of her time and love into the doll, and tell her that he could not find any such organization.

Diane could have felt heart broken.  She could have given up her dream of having that Raggedy Ann doll change a child's life. Instead, she suggested that her husband should start an organization that could put toys in needy children's hands. He did!

Bill Hendricks was a Marine Corps Reservist. His launch of this organization was so successful, that the Marine Corps adopted Toys for Tots. Marines have conducted successful nationwide campaigns at Christmas each year since 1948.

Through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program, Marines have distributed more than 370 million toys to more than 173 million needy children!

Toys for Tots would not exist today if it weren't for a wife who wanted to make a difference in a child's life and a husband who was willing to take action when he was presented with a need. They created the spark that set the world on fire.

What need are you aware of that you should be taking action on? Be the spark.

Note: This is one of my favorite nonprofit startup stories. If you have a nonprofit startup story you would like to share, please go to http://www.everydaygivingblog.com/2008/07/wanted-nonprofi.html.

I am in search of some tremendous stories about nonprofit organizations getting started. I use these stories for products and speeches I deliver on the topic of making a difference.

What is your favorite nonprofit startup story?

Please share the story in the comment section below no later than Sunday, August 3. It should have the ability to inspire and motivate others to give back in some way.

What will I do for your participation?

• Send a copy of Katya Andresen's book Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes to the nonprofit organization whose story I find most motivating and  inspirational
• Write a blog post thanking you for your submission and highlighting some of my favorite stories received

Don't delay and start writing your favorite nonprofit startup story now. I look forward to reading it!

Mark Rovner at Sea Change Strategies, wants to know what books I would recommend this summer for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers. He is the host of the next Carnival of Nonprofit Consultants.

I am an avid reader, especially when it comes to nonprofit marketing and fundraising. The books I enjoy and recommend tend to be easy to read, understand and implement.

It was difficult, but here are my top seven books for nonprofit markers and fundraisers:

1. Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes
   If I was to recommend one book on marketing for nonprofit organizations, this would be it. After reading this book by Katya Andresen, you will think differently about how to engage your target audience.
2. Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
   You may have a great mission, but your organization won't last if you can't get others to support it. This book by Chip Heath and Dan Heath will have you telling your stories in a way that will maximize your ability to get the support you need for now and in the future.
3. Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most
   This book by Marc A. Pitman should be read by everyone who is involved in any way with fundraising. It provides a step by step method to ask for funds that is not only effective, but also removes much of the fear that is attributed to fundraising.
4. Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-World Strategies That Work
   This is another great book by Ilona M. Bray that covers the basic elements of fundraising. It not only discusses one-on-one requests from potential donors, but also covers requesting grants.
5. Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits
   Whether you are a nonprofit marker or fundraiser, it is important to understand the qualities of a high impact nonprofit organization. This book by Leslie Crutchfield and Heather McLeod Grant is the result of a multi-year study that discovered those practices common across high impact nonprofit organizations.
6. Grassroots Philanthropy
   This is another great book by Bill Somerville and Fred Setterberg on ways that nonprofit foundations can be more effective. Again, understanding those wallet ease that make a nonprofit organization effective will help in developing an effective message to be used for marketing and fundraising.
7. Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time
   We all have challenges in getting things done in a busy world. This is a fun book by Brian Tracy that shares an important technique. It has helped me tremendously, I hope it will help you just as much.

Enjoy your summer with one or more of these books. Please share your opinion regarding the books you read in the comment section below.

Kivi Leroux Miller and Claire Meyerhoff have started a new show on BlogTalkRadio called Magic Keys Radio. The purpose of the show is to unlock the secrets of nonprofit marketing and fundraising.

I have been a fan of Kivi's nonprofit work for some time, so my expectations for Magic Keys Radio is high.

I listened to their first podcast this morning and I was not disappointed. The topic was primarily on annual reports.  One question Kivi suggested a nonprofit organization should ask when considering material for an annual report was:

"If your organization didn't exist, what good things would not have happened?"

What a powerful question!

Nonprofit organizations should be asking this question on a regular basis. Not just when the annual report needs to be produced.  Also, the question shouldn't be limited to nonprofit organizations. You and I should frequently ask this question about ourselves.

"If I didn't exist, what good things would not have happened?"

If we don't have a good answer to this question, then it is time to get realigned with our purpose and take action to make the world a better place.