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“To live with a generous heart and helping hand brings purpose and vitality to my life. Awareness of my gifts sprouts tremendous gratitude.  Sharing my gifts to benefit others fosters tremendous joy.  For me, this is the true meaning of “The Circle of Life."

There is always joy in giving.  It is a gift we should give ourselves. A gift could be a small token to a child that makes him smile from ear to ear.  Equally important is the large check you write to the Institute that is conducting research to find a cure for the disease that has put that child into the hospital in the first place.  It makes sense to direct your dollars towards a positive outcome. Enjoy the moment!!

Donating to scholarship recipients is the most worthwhile form of giving.  It has  great potential for changing a person’s  life.

"The generous spirit sees needs of others, and shares the gifts of their time, talent, and treasure, without expecting anything in return. The generous spirit finds fulfillment in the love and care for others."

“Generosity, whether time or treasure, should mean that you truly care from the heart for the cause or the person asking you.”

We have contributed to numerous organizations every year and our highest priority has been to financing our daughters educations.   Now with seven grandchildren, all of whom have been or will be in college, for the time being, helping them is all we have been able to do. And we are happy to support their education.

My experience with Swell is like a giant wave rolling toward shore displaying its momentum and beauty. Swell began with the opportunity to engage with interesting, bright women to think more deeply about the charitable contributions we make. The process continued after the meeting as I reflected about our conversations and how I can be more deliberate and self-determined in my giving. Through our collective efforts swell is certain to SWELL and make the world a better place.

After 17 years as a development officer (fundraiser) for social impact organizations, I resigned from my position to open my own philanthropic advising practice, focused on helping philanthropic individuals live their life’s purpose through their giving. On one of the last days at the office, I was chatting up with a colleague. She had bought a new piece of art with a quote from Andy Warhol: They should teach a class on love in first grade. I have been thinking about that quo

My thoughts on philanthropy are numerous: I receive more enjoyment giving than receiving. Helping others is a way of thanking those who helped me or others in the past and keeps the spirit of caring and kindness alive. When individuals and organizations help others they not only satisfy a specific need but they also send the message that they respect and care about the recipient .They want to help and enable the recipient to achieve their goals. If I am helping an individual

“When we consider sharing our gifts and talents with others that is when the magic happens. It is no longer about who we are and what we do, it is just about lifting each other up a simple act of service.”  A Piece of Art I Made Years Ago, Still Bringing Me Joy Dianne Mattina

When you have more money that having a decent life, it’s natural to share with those who are in need, that’s all. I also regularly donate a little amount for survival of wildlife. They are important part of ecology, and when those animals stop existing, it will start breaking the order of life in this world. I also volunteer my time at American Translators Association to return what I had gained there, but this is not financial. Photos of Izumi, ballerina

In a world where cash is king sometimes the greenback dollar isn’t the only way to get things done, and it is certainly not the only way to give. As a perpetual student, in these early stages giving can be a smile, a funny antic, or through old fashion wo(man) power with strong knees and hands that like labor. In the words of poet Alberto Rios in When Giving Is All We Have:  “Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand, mine to yours, yours to mine. You gave me blue and I g

Giving, it’s a major blessing for places that need the money. I hope they use it wisely. I donate to non-profits and places that touch my heart. I feel good doing it. As editor, I, Julie, asked Sheryl to tell about a part of her life that she would never even consider charitable giving. She has “just taken kids in” when they had a problem and needed help or some place to stay. Maybe for a short time, or as long as a year. “It’s something inside me. It never occurred to me tha

My longest charitable effort has been with the Christian Children’s Fund (now Child Fund), which I began contributing to in the early ‘70s with my first sponsored child in India. I have continued sponsoring a child in various countries for over 50 years. Otherwise, I tend to support women’s and community groups, which have given me so much in friendship. Lastly, my grandchildren’s college fund is not fully funded and that’s a priority! Their generation is the future.

Rise- reflects my belief in the quiet strength and generous spirit of women. When I created this piece, I wanted to capture the journey of rising above distractions and embracing each moment with intention and excitement. The layered colors and movement in the painting symbolize resilience and the courage to live authentically, while its message encourages a limitless, faith-filled approach to life. For me, this work is both a reminder and an invitation—to trust that we are e

I have been helping out a single mother with 3 children over the past 3 years. They were homeless, and the mother had not been working for years. Through continued support and weekly commitments to getting together, the family is now in a very nice section 8 home, the mother is currently working, her children are in a supportive school, and the daughter has a dance scholarship generously donated from Eisenhower Dance Detroit. Working together through their challenges and diff

I sit sipping tea while reviewing Museum grant applications. I am surrounded with Chilkat Valley Historical Society’s treasurer paraphernalia; file folders for the Haines Borough Code Review and Public Safety Commissions; and could at any moment be called out for a fire or ambulance run. We talked more about giving money at SWELL meetings, but I began with the above because giving of your time is as important--especially in an era where organizations all over the country are

Words of thanks are not enough to express my delight in participating in your “Swell” concept. The gathering of women in discussion of what their interests are which then leads to commitments within our community and beyond was informative and inspiring. Our group arrived to your home not knowing one another and yet left connected via interests and coincidences. Izumi M. a ballet dancer, Whitney S. who lives in our neighborhood, Sophie S. whose husband and mine worked togethe

Financial giving is easy...and although it’s a blessing that I’m able to do so... I believe time is the most valuable resource we have and personally, spending time with those in need is far more fulfilling than writing a check.  Each week I visit a 99-year-old and we reminisce about “the good old days” when we were bridge partners and how well we played together. Those memories bring shared smiles. And, as we share our Presbyterian beliefs, she gets a weekly update on what’s