Mobile phones Essay

In this cutting edge quick world, verifiably, cell phones turned into an inescapable piece of everybody’s existence with no age limit. In spite of the fact that, it has bunches of benefits, in my perspective, the serious utilization of cell phones among kids might be disheartened due to its antagonistic effects on them. In any case, cell phones have various advantages. Directly, it isn't only a basic gadget, which permits a simple network between individuals. It is supporting various different projects, for example, adding machines, morning timers, voice recorder, etc. these projects support their scholastic exhibitions, in the event that they use it astutely. For example, morning timers in cell phones are helpful for them to woke up promptly toward the beginning of the day or modify the time term to compose an article. The simple openness of guardians and companions make them agreeable and empower them to meet any crisis or sudden conditions. Guardians likewise will be abundantly loose, as they probably am aware their kids are protected. Then again, these superb gadgets have negative sides too. In particular, the radiations from these gadgets are unsafe for their creating cerebrums. Inquires about demonstrated that, these radiations may prompt malignant growths. The annihilation of studies is another matter of concern. The games in the cell phones make increments to kids. Visiting and telephonic discussions with mysterious individuals may bring about unconquerable effects on their young personalities. These contacts may humor them in awful organization and mafia particularly medication and sex, ruin their future. Besides, simple availability to web draws in them to unfortunate sites and their complete character may change. Moreover, youngsters can easily swindle their folks by persuading a bogus. To show, in the event that they are getting a charge out of a TV program at his companions home, they can make to accept their folks that they are en route to their educational cost class. To finish up, cell phones are helpful gadgets, on the off chance that we use it reasonably. Youngsters, as they are not full grown to deal with it adequately, it might leave radical weaknesses on them. Thus, I accept that cell phones are not good for kids, particularly on the off chance that it is utilized uncontrolled without appropriate direction and time limit.

How Is the Continual Battle of Nature vs Human Technology Represented Essay

Clarify how Bradbury utilizes this story to address human’s dependence on innovation The house was made for the sole reason for serving humankind. The house can't spare the family, or people, from the violence of an atomic bomb. When the peruser is presented to the house, the proprietors have been annihilated, â€Å"their pictures consumed on wood in one titanic instant†. The house keeps on causing breakfast, to have minimal automated mice that clean the house, and even read verse for, basically, nobody. At the point when the story starts, apparently hardware has triumphed over people. Mankind may have fallen underneath the ground-breaking atomic bomb, yet innovation has not. Besides, while the family depended on the house to deal with them, the house doesn't expect them to endure. Nonetheless, as the story continues, the peruser looks as the house is assaulted by a fire. As the house scrambles to spare itself, there is a feeling of frenzy. â€Å"Doors sprang firmly shut† and â€Å"blind robot faces looked down with fixture mouths spouting green chemical†. At long last, the house surrenders to the blast and disintegrates. The main piece of innovation remaining is the withering voice of the house, broadcasting the present day to be â€Å"August 5, 2026†. While innovation has at last lost the clash of endurance, people lost the war some time in the past. Bradbury utilizes this story as a notice of exactly how little innovation and nature care for the continuance of mankind. â€Å"Not one would mind, neither winged animal nor tree, if humankind died totally. What's more, Spring herself, when she woke at day break. Would barely realize that we were no more. † This is seen all through the story, as the house keeps on working without the guide of the family that claims it. People built up this innovation to support them, however the innovation couldn't care less if people are around to utilize its administrations. Eventually, Bradbury cautions not about the headway of innovation but instead the total reliance on it. The accommodations that the house gives seem, by all accounts, to be advantageous, yet at long last are totally futile. Bradbury likewise brings up the absence of â€Å"humanity† inside the apparatus of the house. Rather than a family cooking and clean, the house does it for them. There is no affection inside the house. While it would require more work, maybe it would be increasingly important for a family to cooperate to keep their home running appropriately. Rather than being a simple house, it would turn into a home. Methods Bradbury utilizes all through the story? 1)Personification 2)Foreshadowing 3)Suspense 1)The regularly utilized scholarly method to depict the house is embodiment, where you give lifeless things human-like attributes. The oven is given human activities, â€Å"In the kitchen the morning meal oven gave a murmuring moan and catapulted from its warm interior†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This section shows that Bradbury has enabled a morning meal oven to murmur a moan. Ovens are not genuinely ready to moan. Downpour is embodied, â€Å"And the downpour tapped on the unfilled house, echoing†. The downpour didn't truly tap on the house, it implies that the downpour was making commotion as it fell and came into contact with the house. 2)Bradbury utilizations is foretelling, implying pieces of information that recommend occasions that will later occur. The voice-clock sang, worriedly, â€Å"†¦ Ticktock, seven o’ clock, time to get up, time to get up, seven o’ clock! As though it were worried about the possibility that that no one would†. This shows the house was detecting something would have been distinctive today. It foretells that something awful may occur. There is a fire in the house, â€Å"Smoke and quiet. An extraordinary amount of smoke. â€Å". The quiet is foretelling that the house has surrendered and passed on. Portending is utilized by Bradbury to indicate later occasions. 3)Bradbury utilizations tension to make a compelling story. The pooch is harmed from the atomic bomb. â€Å"†¦once gigantic and meaty, yet now gone to bone and secured with sores†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This makes anticipation since it makes the peruser wonder if the pooch will endure. At the point when a fire is on fire in the house. â€Å"The fire burst the house and het it pummel level down, puffing out skirts of sparkle and smoke†. It makes the peruser wonder what will occur straightaway and how the house is going to result. Anticipation is utilized to develop the fervor of the peruser making them need to peruse on to discover. All in all, representation, fore shadowing and tension are utilized to make â€Å"There Will Come Soft Rains†. Bradbury utilizes artistic components to make an effective short story.

Literature Review On Some Fundraising Activities Finance Essay - Free Essay Example

Philanthropy is a subjective issue. It depends upon the value system of both the donor and the person who is trying to raise funds. Either way the quantum or effectiveness of the process of funding charity depends upon the subjective and incalculable factor of philanthropy. Fund raising by charitable institutions or organizations is more of a purposive process to accept gifts and grants from individuals, foundations and corporations. Institutions generally lack the human motive to provide charity but insisting or convincing them can make this daunting task happen (Kelly, 1991, p. 79, Courtney, 2002, p.163; Edwards, R., Yankey, J., Altpeter, 1998, p.155). However the process can be made effective by right targeting, segmenting and timing the call for donation. With this report, an attempt has been made to analyze the prospects of raising funds through call centres and spread awareness of recycling of ink cartridges and mobile phones. How this will prove beneficial to both the fund raising organization and the call centre in terms of financial as well as social reputation is also looked at. The benefit to both the stake holder is important for the process to be successfully and carried out with high energy as that is important in seeking funds and mot ivating other people. Certain tools and a questionnaire is also prepared to determine what the call centre employees and executives think about this idea since these are the only people who would be interacting with the clients over phone to donate money for charity. There is also a questionnaire to know the reaction of people who would be approached for payment of credit card bills on a call for donation for a charity. Background Raising fund for the charitable organizations has always been difficult. Since many people are too busy in their lives they are ignorant of the pains and problems of the humanity at large. But they are sensitive and when they come across such an event or news they consider donating money as their token of involvement in making the world a better place. Then there are also the problems of making people believe that they are paying for the right cause and to the right people and they are not being duped but genuinely sought for to help people and do that in convenience of their everyday life. Working for the British Red Cross as an Area Fundraiser and also Santander Cards Ltd. in the collections department, the idea of raising through the collection team of a credit card company came up. Since nonprofits not good at maintain an organised tele marketing service or dont have enough fund to outsource the job to a willing contractor, its best to tie it up with an established tele serv ice that can use the brand of the nonprofit like Red Cross to boost their brand through association. Introduction The overall research is focused on the fact finding of effectiveness of raising fund through call canters. Is it possible to raise funds through call centres for credit card collection department? The dissertation throws light upon a very common problem nowadays. People are busy in their lives working day and night. Helping hand is required by those who are deprived of basic amenities. Though the task is being fulfilled by charitable organizations working under this domain, yet they are also feeling helpless due to the ignorant attitude of public. Need of the hour is to contact and target people and try to convince them to lend some help to their brethren who do not get basic necessities of life (Grace, 2005, p.113; Hopkins Blazek, 2009, p.30). With the help of British Red Cross and Santander Cards Ltd. a call center, an attempt has been made to devise a plan or rather a new fund raising source by talking to clients over phone to donate or grant through credit cards and prom ote recycling of mobile phones and ink cartridges (Hopkins, 2005, p.72; Hopkins, 2009, p.35). These two institutions have served as the research areas to gather sample and responses for further evaluation and findings. Introduction Modus-operandi of call centers Call centres can be characterized along many dimensions. They provide very wide-ranging functional benefits like customer service, help desk, and emergency response services, tele-marketing and order taking. They vary to a great extent in their size and dispersion, from small towns with a few operators who take local calls to large national or multinational centres in which hundreds or thousands of employees may be on the phone at any time. The difference in the organisations is also huge from acroos the spectrum of call centres. Highly skilled people are needed in certain types of call centers where the interaction with the client is more sophisticated than just exchanging information. A center may cross-train every employee to handle calls that might be for more than one purpose. Calls may be handled first come, first-served (FCFS). In various centers when one call requires an employees to be skilled in more than one skill set then the call s are routed to more than one person who have different skills and the system is called In settings that require more highlyskilled work, each agent may be trained to handle only a subset of the types of calls that the center serves, and skills-based routing may be used to route calls to appropriate agents. In turn, the organizational structure may vary from the very flat in which essentially all agents are exposed to external calls to the multi-layered in which a layer represents a level of expertise and customers may be transferred through several layers before being served to satisfaction. Call centers and their contemporary successors, contact centers, have become a preferred and prevalent means for companies to communicate with their customers. Most organizations with customer contact private companies, as well as government and emergency services have reengineered their infrastructure to include from one to many call centers, either internally managed or outsourced. F or many companies, such as airlines, hotels, retail banks, and credit card companies, call centers provide a primary link between customer and service provider. Advantages of Call centers in a fund raising The advantages of call center in raising funds are multiple. The cost of tele marketing by an non profit is huge and unaffordable. Because of that unfortunate handicap , the next best thing is to ride on an established telephone service with a network of client already. All the tele marketing services are trying to sell something and are considered nuisance than help by the customer. So its not unreasonable to chalk them out of the list. Then there are call centers which are service oriented where people call in themselves. But those call centers try to supplement or compliment their other product or service and have no interest in servicing other nonprofits call for donation. The third type of call centers that are in business are the collection team of a credit card compan y or a bank. These people call to ask payments for over draft on peoples credit. Since these people are already asking for money which the customer is supposed to pay, they can probably ask for a little bit more for a charitable cause, there by not completely hurting the customers perception about the collection of money and giving enough reason to them to donate to a charity. Fund raising for charity as an exercise Strategies Nonstop fund raising Never is the fund raised when the need for it comes. Normally the fund has to be raised in advance for any charitable activity to take place in time. Hence its critically important to have the fund raising activity all the time. Successful nonprofit inculcate the fund raising activity in their daily operations. A targeted method is used with timely supervision control and target revision to keep the activity on track. A bigger group may be divided in sub-groups in order to continuously raise fund and others might be able to use the fund to keep the organization going and achieving its target. Advertising The mistakes some nonprofits make while fund raising is to think that its easy to show up and ask for money for a justifiable cause and people will donate. The fact that people are of different value system and they are moved and attracted by the knowledge they have than just gullibly believing the other person, fund raising is not all that easy. Like selling a product in a private corporation the fund raising is a sales exercise. So it is also important to keep customers (or donors) involved, informed and in the loop. Advertising is important function with respect to keeping the donors in the loop. The advertising will vary from flyers to commercials depending upon the budget of the campaign to the amount of money that needs to be generated. Celebrity Power People are lured by the attraction of the glomor or a celebrity. If they find their favourite celebrity endorsing something they would no t have a second thoughts over donating fund for that cause . Such donation is their way of identification with their favourite celebrity. They will gladly go to shows or follow it on television if the celebrity endorses or performs. Celebrities on the other hand get their image a boost by associating themselves to the right cause. So its a win win situation. Sizing it right Fund raising is very exciting for the prospect of working for a larger cause. However its a very tedious activity also. If the size of the fund raising is too big for the shoe it migh be morale breaking and people start to lose gas in their pitch to convince people. That is the most dangerous situation. So its mighty important to size it right. To start ith it should be in small steps and then when it comes to the results the size should be inspirational. Timing Its very crucial to time it right in all the ways. The right moment to encourage people and the right moment ask for donation is of great rel evance if you see the success rate of converting a prospect in to a donor. If you ask a person in financial distress to donate it will not only lead to refusal but complete antipathy for the fund raising organization.  Implication of charity association to a bank or credit card company The bank or the credit card company which will be a medium to pitch for the calls for donation will be an important stakeholder in the process. Its important to keep the interest of that stake holder in mind before making any process. Credit card collection teams are normally not the most loved people as they have to do the hard task to appropriate money from people which they have used on credit. However they can change their image from a greedy money demanding and extorting company to an organization devoted to social cause and there by ask for money without making and still has the right image. This might increase their credit card collection rate and improve their relationship with the customers. Not all credit card customers are inclined to donate money but some of them might think that when they are spending so much on themselves already they would rather also pay a fraction of it for what they think is mo rally right. Literature Review 1000words Overhead funding of nonprofit organizations is an important topic widely discussed in the study of nonprofit management. The research suggests that overhead funding of nonprofit organizations is crucial for their organizational effectiveness and ability to maintain operations. Some research implies that foundations play a major role in providing such funding to nonprofit organizations, while some suggests the role is minor. Wing, Pollak, and Rooney present a theory of nonprofits fragile nature which states that weak factors in the nonprofit system include nonprofits inability to acquire sufficient administrative funding to maintain effective and ongoing operations. Nonprofits face a distorted donor perception that high overhead costs are a sign of inefficiency (Wing et al, 2004). Research from the Nonprofit Overhead Cost Study found that many nonprofits, including those with substantial organizational budgets, have limited administrative funds from whi ch to operate. In particular, the case studies indicated serious consequences for nonprofits, which were then hardpressed to fund overhead budgets from individual donations and other unrestricted sources. Significant misstatements and underreporting of administrative and fundraising costs by nonprofit organizations occurred. The study found a circular dynamic where low overhead funding and spending created reduced organizational effectivenessÃÆ' Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¾ reduced effectiveness sectorwide generated additional pressure to underreport or misreport overhead. As a result, social norms for unrealistically low overhead levels became acceptable, which has caused low funding and spending on overhead (Hager et al, 2004). The studys case study organizations, both small and large, confronted significant organizational and budget challenges when largely funded by foundations, which paid either no or low overhead cost rates. The study found that some founda tions rewarded organizations who reported low overhead costs even though, in some cases, it compromised fulfillment of their mission (Hager, et al, 2004). These research findings echo what many nonprofit practitioners believe: foundations do not offer sufficient funding to sustain core operations. At a gathering of nonprofit practitioners, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy documented the concerns of those gathered. Many noted that foundations resist offering unrestricted grants because such grants do not allow for a direct measurement of impact. In addition, those gathered noted that foundations fear that those nonprofits receiving continued funding will become dependent on the foundation for their existence, or at least the existence of certain programs (NCRP, 2003). Commentary by Paul Brest noted that the foundation grantmaking trend evokes a tension between grantor and grantee that is akin to the overhead cost issue-the strategy o f providing general operating grants. Brest goes on to state that the nonprofit organization is compromised when foundations that support specific projects do not cover overhead costs (Brest, 2003). In a study of nonprofit executives and the turnover in leadership, focus group participants noted their frustration with institutional funds and indicated how those funders make their job more difficult leading to an increase in stress and burnout. In a survey of executive directors, the 5 number one way funders could be helpful to them was to offer general operating/unrestricted grants and more multiyear support (Bell, et al, 2006). A study of newly formed HIV/AIDS organizations found that those who relied on private support failed at a much higher rate (61 percent) than those that received public funds (18 percent). The major reason why these new or adolescent groups closed was their inability to raise adequate funds. Further when foundations did spur rapid growth through funding they did not cover startup or overhead costs, but demanded strong fiscal systems frequently leading to organizational crisis (Chambre Fitt, 2002). A study conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy found that most foundation grants are restricted, small, and shortterm program grants. The study found that while major foundations chief executive officers view operating grants as positively impacting nonprofits, they have higher priorities for their foundations. In the Center for Effective Philanthropys study of foundation grantees, they found that nonprofits prefer operating support and emphasized the need for larger and longerterm grants (Huang, Buchanan, and Buteau, 2006). Some research suggests that foundations overhead payment policies do not impact the nonprofit organization because nonprofits do not rely solely on foundations for revenue. In fact, foundation grants account for only 11.5 percent of nonprofit charitable contributions (Giving USA, 2006) and 2.9 percent of the nonprofit sectors total revenue. 2 Data is also available about foundation policies and practices on unrestricted and overhead cost funding. The Foundation Center reports that in 2004 general support was 21 percent of all grant dollars (25.3 percent of all grants). If you also include support for equipment, computer systems/technology, land acquisition, and debt reduction, general support was 23 percent of all grant dollars (27.7 percent of all grants). 3 From 2001 to 2004 general support increased by 6.8 percent, while the other types of support such as program grants decreased (The Foundation Center, 2006). Researchers at the University of San Francisco found that larger California foundations are more likely to make general operating grants and multiyear grants. However, when a small foundation provides general operating grants, they tend to devote a greater percent age of their grants and a greater total amount to operating support. Few foundations believe that foundations should serve as the primary means for nonprofits to finance general operations. The University of San Franciscos researchers found that general operating grants allow foundations to partner with nonprofits to advance a longterm agenda, support a select number of organizations that are key to their strategic priorities, and help new organizations gain the necessary capacity to be more self sufficient (Silverman, Rafter, Fletcher, 2006). 2 In 2004, Foundations gave over $31.8 billion in 2004. (Source: The Foundation Center: Foundation Yearbook,2005). Public charities reported $1.1 trillion in total revenues in 2004 (Source: The Urban Institute, National Center for Charitable Statistics, Core Files 2004). 3 Another 18.l percent of grant dollars were not specified. 6 Some of the research suggests that differences in overhead funding occur by o rganization type. The Nonprofit Overhead Cost Study found that measures of overhead and fundraising efficiency are greatly influenced by the organizations size, age, and subsector (Hager, et al, 2001). The Foundation Center reports that 23.4 percent of all grant dollars are given to educational organizations (20.3 percent of all grants). While human services organizations received only 13.9 percent of all grant dollars, but 25.5 percent of all grants (The Foundation Center, 2006). The fields of health and education overwhelmingly received more large grants ($250,000 or higher) than other types of organizations such as arts and culture. Human services organizations received more small grants than other types of organizations, although educational organizations also received many small grants (The Foundation Center, 2006). Research Methodology Objective of the research Research Philosophy Research questions Primary research Secondary research Sampling Qualitative research Discussion with the management of the card company Secondary data analysis Qualitative research The Research Problem Charitable organizations always find a dearth of grants and donations from individuals and organizations (Oster, 1995, p.86). They have to go door-to-door to beg for grants and have to satisfy themselves in what they get at the end (GrantSelect, 2004, p.9). However, if we try to target call centers which interact with hundreds of clients on a daily basis, chances are positive that the call center employees are able to convert at least half of the prospective clients into donors. Through this report, this problem of charitable organizations is highlighted and the likelihood of success of raising funds through call centers is researched upon. The major problems coming this way could be: Attitude of call center employees The attitude of the call center employees will be judgmental in deciding upon whether they are ready to carry on with an extra effort on their part. They have to ask each and every client over phone and convince them to donate through credit card. This would involve patience and an inner feeling to help the society. (Sand, 2005, p.277; Werther Berman, 2001, p.203) The research would try to find out whether the employees are ready for a slight change in their job description, while carrying out with their routine tasks. Effectiveness of fund raising through call center activities Any fund raising activity implies certain costs to be incurred. The effectiveness of this novel concept has also to be measured to determine whether it is worth pursuing further or not, since if the costs exceed the revenues or the employees are not ready to move ahead with it, there is no point in carrying it over. (Young, 2003, p.129, Andreasen, A., Kotler, 2003, p.296) Application of concept to further more enterprises If the entire process is found efficient and productive, does it have the caliber to be incorporated into other call center and charitable organizations, keeping in mind the scale of operations and the mind set of employees. (Futter, 2007, p.207; Sargeant, A., Jay, 2004, p.202) Research Methods How are the fundraising efforts of an organization measured? Here I have made use of British Red Cross as the charitable organization making use of funds and grants as assets to provide public service. To test the new concept of fundraising through call centers, Santander Cards Ltd. has been chosen as the organization to apply the research methods and tools to judge the efficiency and effectiveness. (Kotler Andreasen, 1991, p.51; Pynes, 2004, p.187) There is no one universal technique or tool to judge the effectiveness of fund raising process by a non-profit organization. Thus, effectiveness and efficiency in this case will be determined by the extent to which the purpose is being fulfilled (Greenfield, 1999, p.1; Hankin, Seidner, Zietlow, 1998, p.109; Jegers, 2008, 298). First of all, a questionnaire was prepared to know about the human motives and philanthropist notions of people working at the call center. (Refer to Appendix 1 for the questionnaire) The questionnaire comprises of 10 questions determining what people think about the idea of fund raising through calls, recycling of ink cartridges and mobile phones. Would they feel comfortable in initiating this from their own side? This is being done to estimate the level of willingness to work for social benefit on the part of the private organizations. What do they expect in return out of this social service is also tried to be determined so that the motivational factors and levels of effectiveness can be judged. To measure the overall effectiveness, certain ratios have been used as follows (Passionate Fundraising 2009): The growth rate The growth rate here will be determined by the grants coming from new donors or recaptured ones. Profits will be determined if the grants exceed the previous year data while losses will be registered if the reverse happens. An annual growth rate of 10% can safely be said to be effective fund raising initiative. The average grant size This ratio will be calculated by dividing the total amount of grant by the total number of responses received. The variables used in this method will be limited to the call center group to compare it with other soliciting groups and check out its feasibility and viability also. The reliance ratio This ratio will measure the effectiveness of British Red Cross in using multiple or varied sources of fund raising. Here, the particular source is divided by the total of that source. It helps in determining whether the organization is over-dependent on a particular source or has distributed its earnings over a variety of methods. The risks which are encountered while allocating a pre-determined budget to one source can be monitored and judged by this ratio. Cost of fundraising This is perhaps the most relied upon tool or method in examining the profitability of the fund raising activity. Here, the fund raising expenses are divided by the fund raising revenues to come up with a percentage that can be compared with other sources, previous years and even with other organizations. For instance, if there is $1 spent on per call made by the call center asking for donation and it was targeted to 300 clients, the total expense comes out to be $300. If on an average, each call provided revenue of $1.25, the total revenue comes out to be $375 and so the efficiency is 80%. Average cost per grant This ratio is a trade-off between costs incurred to receive grants. Here, the total expenses or costs incurred are divided by the total number of responses or the grants received. This helps in ascertaining the efficiency of a smallest as well as the largest grant from a single source. Through this ratio, future costs which are anticipated to be incurred can be determined based on the responses. Qualitative Research 1000 words Quantitative Research 1000 words Primary Data 1000 words Secondary Data 1000 words Research Approach 1000 words Research Questions Hypothesis Formulation Research Techniques Findings Conclusions 1000 words Analysis and Findings On the basis of the drafted questionnaire, the inherent willingness to help and donate to charitable organizations would be revealed. This is important to judge as quantitative measurement of effectiveness will follow only after qualitative judgment of the involved characters. The five ratios will help determine the costs incurred and the revenues or grants received as a result of the initiative through the call center. It will also help in chalking out future plans of securing grants and donations from the call center source and its profitability aspect. If it comes out to be successful in Santander Cards Ltd. this concept can be applied well to other call centers and charitable organizations as well. The ratios mentioned above will be calculated every month to know the progress of the procedure and comparison between successive months to carefully know about the returns accruing against the expenses. This would help determine any short comings in the process and respective corrective measure could be taken. Conclusion After conducting the test ratios and analyzing the questionnaire, the research topic can provide productive and eye opening results for the benefit of charitable organizations which are striving hard to gain grants and donations. It could also prove to be a qualitative analysis in judging about the social and human aspects of people and their capacity and willingness to help when demanded or required. Thus, some light could also be thrown upon the nature of working professionals and their attitudes. If found suitable, the favorable results of this study could be well applied to other organizations seeking financial help to carry out their activities and operations. Appendix 1 Questionnaire Have you ever initiated in any charity or donation programme? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Do you think charity or donation should be exercised by each individual and organization? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. If you are given an opportunity to make someones living better, would you give a helping hand? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. If you are required to build upon your skills to capture more grants, are you ready? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å ¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Out of the following ideas of raising funds, which one do you think would be best suited to your organization and your job profile? Asking for grants from call customersÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ Recycling of mobile phones and ink cartridgesÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. Do you expect returns for your charitable initiative? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Do you think this fund raising initiative will result in building a social image of your organization? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Do you think this could be an efficient method of raising funds by your organization? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Would you like to expand this initiative to your family or other similar organizations? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€ šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦. No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. Would you like to provide any comments or suggestions on this initiative? Yes ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦Ã ƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ No ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦ÃƒÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¦.. For many years customer survey has been an important source of market study or research by the organised profit making businesses in markets. Such kind of market study of potential, target segment, conversion ratio, preliminary study , dip test etc can be crucial for nonprofits sector also. Awareness of the Organization * Degree to which donors can recall your organization vs. the names of other similar organizations without aid. * Degree to which donors can recall the vision/mission of your organization. * Degree to which donors feel they understand the vision/mission of the organization. Priorities and Motiva tion for Giving * Degree to which donors give to your organization compared with other similar organizations and to non-profits in general. * When deciding to donate to an organization, what characteristics do donors look for? What information do they seek? * What is the most important factor that motivates donors to give to your organization? What is the second, third, etc.? * What circumstance/appeal first motivated donors to give to your organization? How did they feel about this experience? Perception of Organization * How effective is your organization perceived in fulfilling the goals of its mission? * How satisfied are donors with the way your organization spends its funds? * What concerns might donors have about how your organization spends its funds? * What do donors like best/least about your organization? * How do donors rate your organization overall? (This and other questions can be used in shorter, intermittent surveys to determine how don or satisfaction and related variables are changing.) Communications * How much do donors feel they know about your organization? * What aspects of your organization would donors like to learn more about? * How satisfied are donors with the communications they receive from your organization overall and specifically regarding: The progress of the work. The use of donor gifts. The magazine. The appeals. Other topics. The American Express Charitable Gift Survey is the first nationally representative study to address two Frequently Asked Questions in the charity world: 1) How much do people give at any one time to types of charitable recipients? and 2) Do online and offline donations differ in size? The study also asked people about why they give online or why they dont. By collecting information about gift amount-not total giving, as prior studies have done-this research demonstrates the importance of relatively small contributions. The resul ts of this research are surprising and contradict some conventional wisdom about charitable giving. We asked a random sample of Americans in the last two weeks of September 2007 about their most recent gift. Unlike prior studies of giving, this research seeks to ascertain how much people give at any one time to different types of charities and the methods they use (Internet or not, and whether by cash, check, or credit card). About two-thirds (65 percent) of Americans in this study gave to charity in the past year, and 6 percent gave online. This means one in every 10 donors gives online. The median charitable donation, whether online or not, is $50. Two-thirds of donations were $100 or less. These averages take into account all gifts, except outliers,1 including donations to churches or other houses of worship. Just under one-quarter (22.9 percent) of the most recent donations went to religious organizations. These religious gifts ave raged $284, and the median gift amount was $75. There are too few online religious gifts to draw conclusions when comparing online and offline religious giving amounts using statistical procedures. When considering only secular (non-religious) giving, online and offline secular gift amounts are not different when using statistical tests. The median gift size for secular gifts is $50. ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The secular gift average is $138, with online and offline averaged together. ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The secular offline gift average is $137. ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ The secular online gift average is $144. The large number of gifts less than $100 demonstrates clearly that nonprofit organizations rely on many low dollar donations to fund their vital work. 1 Twelve gifts were excluded as outliers. We defined an outlier as a gift amount that is three or more standard deviations from the mean. A separate outlier analysis i s in Appendix 1. Of the outlier gifts, eight were to religious organizations. All outliers were $7,000 or more (up to $49,000). This study examined more than 900 online and offline gifts. Overall, the average gift amount is $172. When looking at the online amount ($165) compared to the offline amount ($174), there is no statistically significant difference. 2 American Express Charitable Gift Survey November 2007 Fifty percent of online donors are aged 35 to 54. One-tenth of donors in this age group make online gifts, but that 10 percent come from an age range of people who are more likely to be donors (68 percent) when compared with people younger than 35 years old (45 percent of whom give to charity). Though the younger group is somewhat more likely to use the Internet in their giving (15 percent said they do), the fact that a relatively low share give to charity explains why they are not the largest number of online donors. Convenien ce or speed is the top reason for giving online (64 percent of online donors). Not having a computer is the top reason for NOT giving online (24 percent of offline-only donors). The next most-frequent reasons show that charities online presence is important for whether or not donors of all ages and all income groups give online. Regardless of income, the single largest reason- after not having a computer-that people offered when asked why they did not give online is being unaware of online contribution options. More than one quarter (28 percent) of offline-only donors said that they did not give online because they couldnt find an online giving site; they didnt know they could make a gift online, or they didnt think of giving online. Looking at gift mechanisms used, offline-only donors who contributed using a credit card made larger gifts (averaging $297) than online donors giving by credit card (an average of $267). Offline-only donors u sing check or cash had average gifts of $197 and $160, respectively. Differences are not statistically significant. The median amounts were all $50. Nearly 6 in 10 donors said they gave about the same during the holidays as during the rest of the year. However, among all donors, on average, 24 percent of donated dollars are given between Thanksgiving and New Years. The most frequent reason for giving more is the emotion/spirit of the season (38 percent of those who give more). The next most common reason is an appeal made by a charity (30 percent of those who give more). This survey reached 1,300 households in a nationally representative sample and contacted another 205 to obtain responses from 300 online donor households (an oversample of online donors). Donors were asked about their most recent charitable gift, and online donors were asked about their most recent online gift. Responses were weighted to match U.S. Census Bureau data abou t population distribution (race, age, income, and region of residence) to ensure that the results are nationally representative. With the weights applied, the total sample (including oversample) is 1,428 usable responses, and there are 996 donor households. American Express sponsored the research. Innovative Research Group fielded the telephone survey; the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University did the analysis and wrote the report; and Hart Philanthropic Services Group/tedhart.com managed the project. Among those who contributed online, one in five (20 percent) said the primary reason for the online gift related to the charitys own online initiative. Donors in this group received an appeal from the charity with a link or easily found an online giving option. 24 percent of total dollars given in a year are estimated to be contributed in a six-week period, or about twice as much as one would expect if all donations were e venly spaced during the year. 3 American Express Charitable Gift Survey November 2007 INTRODUCTION In September 2007, the American Express Charitable Gift Survey of households sought to identify amounts, recipient types, and methods of making charitable contributions. In addition to asking about the most recent gift, the survey asked households about online and offline giving, typical gift amounts for their charitable donations, and whether or not they give more during the holiday season than at other times of the year. This study fills major gaps in the knowledge of how households contribute and provides useful benchmark findings of importance to nonprofit organization managers, donors, and financial advisors working with nonprofit organizations. Background The American Express Charitable Gift Survey examines how much Americans contribute at any one time in a single gift transaction. This study uses a nationally representative telephone survey with an oversample of online donors, and asks how much donors are giving online and offline so that baseline data to track fundraising success can be generated. It also presents a picture of the gift market by examining what donors do, how they make their contributions, and what percentages are contributing to specific types of charities. Nonprofit organizations track average gift size as one measure of fundraising effectiveness, yet the only available benchmark is typically their own organizations historical performance. There are only a few national studies that situated gift sizes into a broader context. It is this context that the American Express Charitable Gift Survey seeks to provide, by looking at the other side of the fundraising experience information abou t: how much the donors contributed most recently; the size of a typical gift; and a view of fundraising occurring at one time by all types of charities. A 1982 report summarized average gift information from 125 participating health, welfare, and educational institutions.2 That study, part of the Average Gift Size Project of INDEPENDENT SECTOR, found that 40 percent of the number of gifts received were less than $100 (equivalent to $253 in 2007 terms). This suggests that 25 years ago, 60 percent of the number of gifts received came from contributions of $250 or more (in todays dollars). That analysis studied the funding going to particular charities, rather than looking at how donors make their contributions. The American Express Charitable Gift Survey examines donors and how they make their gifts. The primary contemporary analysis of charitable gift size is released quarterly by Target Analysis Group and relates to direct-mail/direct-response fun draising results from participating charities (about 70 organizations, as of March 2007). While this information is presented by type of recipient, it applies only to one fundraising method and cannot be generalized to all fundraising techniques. 2 W. Levis and A. New, Report on the Average Gift Size Study, Philanthropy Monthly, June 1982, found at https://nccsdataweb.urban.org/PubApps/levis/gift_s.html. See Table 1 for the gift size table (which also includes cost of fundraising information). 4 American Express Charitable Gift Survey November 2007 $172 $284 $138 $174 $280 $137 $165 $334 $144 All (religion and secular) Religion Secular Both giving avenues Offline Online by online, offline, and both giving avenues together All gifts, religion gifts, and secular gifts GIFT SIZE: MOST GIFTS ARE RELATIVELY SMALL The American Express Charitable Gift Survey examines all gifts reported by donors and includes all types of recipients reported by donors. Most contributions are less than $100, no matter the type of recipient or method of donation. Average Gift Size is $172 The American Express Charitable Gift Survey collected data about a total of 948 gifts (weighted result including outliers and excluding donor households that did not report a specific gift amount). Taking all gifts together (and excluding 12 gifts that were outliers), the average gift size is $172. The median gift amount is $50 for all giving and for both online and offline secular giving. Gifts to religion had a median of $75. Figure 1 summarizes average gift size for all giving, religion gifts, and secular gifts. The table following the figure also shows the median gift amounts. Figure 1: Mean gift size Data table for Figure 1 Mean and median gift amounts by type of gift All Religion Secular Mean Median Mean Median Mean Median Both $172 $50 $284 $75 $138 $50 Online $165 $50 $334 $50 $144 $50 Offline $174 $50 $280 $75 $137 $50 Online religion donations are shown, but the number of donations is fewer than 30. No firm conclusions can be drawn comparing online religion giving to any other type of donation. There is no statistically significant difference between online and offline giving for All and Secular gifts. Analysis cannot be done for religion because there are too few online religion gifts to use in statistical comparison. 5 American Express Charitable Gift Survey November 2007 45% 21% 16% 10% 3% 2% 1% 0.5% $50 $50 $100 $100 $199 $200 $499 $500 $999 $1,000 $1999 $2,000 $4,999 $5,000+ Amount of Gift Most Gifts are Less Than $100 Giving, both online and offline, is very likely to be in small amounts. Two-thirds (66 percent) of the gift amounts in this study were below $100, and 45 percent were below $50. These findings are based on the gifts reported by a representative sample of households, but these gifts will not be a complete sample of all giving in the United States because it includes only the most recent gifts from those households. Some households may make larger (or smaller) gifts at other times of the year that could shift this distribution. Figure 2 summarizes the gift sizes found in this study. Figure 2: Percentage of gifts by gift amount Data table for Figure 2 Percentage of gifts by gift amount Gift size Percentage of gifts in this study Percentage of gifts not including outliers Percentage of all dollars in this study Percentage of dollars not including outliers $50 43% 44% 3% 5% $ 50 $ 99 21% 21% 4% 6% $100 $199 16% 16% 5% 9% $200 $499 11% 11% 9% 15% $500 $999 4% 4% 7% 12% $1,000 $1,999 2% 2% 7% 12% $2,000 $4,999 2% 2% 14% 26% $5,000+ 1% 1% 8% 13% Outliers, $7,000 1% 44% Total* 100% 100% 100% 100% * Total may not equal 100.0 percent due to rounding. Of the number of gifts, two-thirds (66 percent) are below $100. These gifts accounted for 7 percent of the dollars (when the outlier-size gifts are included in the dollar total) or one-tenth 6 American Express Charitable Gift Survey November 2007 (11 percent) of the dollars excluding the dozen gifts of $7,000 or more. This distribution of gifts most likely reflects annual giving for operations, and the outliers are likely to be ma jor donations for special purposes, such as a capital campaign. Donors of less than $100 at a time often give more than one gift in a year to the same organization, especially their churches. Research has shown that nonprofit organizations with successful long-term fundraising programs may receive relatively small amounts at any one time.3 For the nonprofit charity, the fundraising cycle emphasizes attracting donors, who often make small gifts and then give again, perhaps over many years, as the charity demonstrates effective work and good stewardship. As long ago as 1992, research confirmed the practical experiences of nonprofit organization managers: donors who start giving to an organization frequently continue to give, and often increase gift amounts over time.4 Average Gift Amount Varies by Type of Recipient All gifts in this survey averaged $172, or about 8 percent of the estimated average total household contribution of $2,065 for a year.5 Prior research has shown that in the United States, when totaling annual donations, more than half of household charitable giving is directed to religion, and about 45 percent of households make at least one gift to religion during a year. The annual household total giving to religion by donors who give to religion is $1,887.6 In this study, nearly 23 percent of the most recent gifts were gifts to churches and for other religious purposes (media ministries, Bible translation societies, and missionary work). These donations averaged $284, which is nearly $150 more than the average gift to other causes. Nationally, 55 percent of households contribute in a year to secular causes, and the average secular contribution in a year is $940 by donors who give to secular causes.7 In this study, all secular gifts (non-religious activities, even if faith-based) averaged $138. Secular charities include the following: ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Arts and cultural organizations. ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Educational institutions (including public or parochial schools). ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Organizations engaged in work to preserve the environment or to care for animals. ÃÆ' ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚ ¢ Health care and health research charities.

Infectious Disease Essay - 2531 Words

Unit 4222-264 The principles of infection prevention and control Outcome 1 Understand roles and responsibilities in the preventiont and control of infections 1.1. Explain employees roles and responsibilities in relation to the prevention and control of infection. Infection is a major cause of human suffering. Even relatively minor infections can become more serious, leading to major infection and can, in some cases, lead to patient death. In addition to patient suffering, infection causes distress to family and friends.The costs to the health care system of providing care for those with infections are huge. In addition to concerns over the growing costs to health care, the use of antibiotics to treat these infections is thought to†¦show more content†¦The Public Health (Control of Diseases) Act 1984 - Provides information on the legal requirements for the reporting of contagious or infectious diseases, for example, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis, HIV and Legionella. Food Safety Act 1990 The requirements of this act apply to any area where food is prepared, stored or eaten. Control is required to ensure that the risks of any infection, as a result of bad handling of food, are minimised. Local and central government employ staff to inspect premises without any advance notice. (Environmental Health Officers). Food hygiene In many health care environments there may be infection control responsibilities under the Food Safety Act 1990 and the Food Safety Act (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995. Under this legislation, care workers who handle food must:  · Keep themselves and their workplace clean  · Wear suitable clean, washable or disposable, protective clothing  · Protect food from any possible contamination  · Abide by regulations setting out safe temperature controls for storage, preparation and display of food  · Inform their employer of any illness which may affect their safe handling of food. 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More than half of all people dying in the United States died because of germs. Today, they account for a few percent of deaths at most. We owe much of that, of course, to antibiotics,† states Aaron Carroll a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine (Carroll). Now, once easily treated bacterial infections are increasingly difficult to treat and rid from a patient’s system because antibiotics can no longer effectively treat some common diseases. Antibiotics

A Sample Of P Acetamidobenzoic Acid - 1354 Words

The objective of this procedure is to produce a sample of p-acetamidobenzoic acid from the oxidation of p-acetotoluidide with potassium permanganate. Procedure Part A- Preparation of p-Acetamidobenzoic Acid †¢ In a 250 mL Erlenmeyer Flask, 5 g (0.02 mol) of magnesium sulfate crystals were mixed with 1.9 g (0.013 mol) of p-acetotoluidide in 125 mL of de-ionized water. The resulting solution was placed on a hot plate and was steadily boiled until the solution reached 85 °C, or until the solution reached a gentle boil (it was emphasized that the solution should be heated slowly, in order to maximize the efficiency of the reaction). While this was occurring, a separate solution was prepared from 5.1 g (0.032 mol) of potassium permanganate and 20 mL of boiling water, which were placed in a separate 250 mL beaker, which was placed on a slowly heating hot plate (in order to keep the solution as warm as possible, but not warm enough that the water could evaporate). It was observed that this solution was characterized by a very distinct purple color, and a small amount of precipitate could be observed at the bottom of the beaker. Once the p-acetotoluidide solution had reached a gentle boi l, it was vigorously stirred with a stirring rod, and every so often (about every 5 minutes) a small portion of the potassium permanganate solution was added to the solution; at this point, it was emphasized that the potassium permanganate solution, or the oxidizing agent, should be added in small

Beowulf A Noble King Essay Example For Students

Beowulf: A Noble King Essay The epic poem Beowulf describes the noblest king of the Anglo-Saxon times, Beowulf. Beowulf is a man who demonstrates all the good qualities of a king, this can be seen by just looking at what he has accomplished. Beowulf is a man who was loyal, powerful, and charitable. Beowulf was loyal to his promises and his country. When he decides to kill Grendel for King Hrothgar he doesnt back down even after the stories hes heard. After he has killed him the Danes still need him, so he kills Grendels mother. He was very dedicated to what he did and he never gave up. We crossed the sea to come here; it is time to return, to go back to our beloved lord, Higlac. 1818-1820. After he has killed the monsters and earned glory he knows he must go back to his country, because that is where he belongs and who he represents. Towards the end he proves his love for the Geats when he faced the fire-blowing dragon. Deep down he knows this will be his last fight, but he does it for the good of his country. A noble king has also got to be powerful something which he proves by killing numerous times. Beowulf is strong enough to kill Grendel, who has been terrorizing the Danes for a long time, by using only his hands and ripping off Grendels arm. Defeating Grendel, he shows that a man, without armor and weapons, can defeat evil in any form. When Beowulf is fighting Grendels mother, who is seeking revenge on her sons death, he is able to slay her by slashing her neck with a sword that can only be lifted by a person as strong as Beowulf. When Beowulf fights the fire- blowing dragon he knows this will most likely be his last battle, nevertheless he doesnt give up. With a little help from his cousin he kills it. And Beowulf drew his battle-sharp dagger: the blood-stained old king stll knew what he was doing. Quickly, he cut the beast in half, slit it apart. It fell, their courage had killed it . . . 2702-2706. Beowulf was a very charitable man. He gave treasure whenever possible. Beowulf has brought his king horses and treasure-as a man must . . . And Beowulf gave Welthows gift, her wonderful necklace, to Higd, Higlacs queen . . . 2165/2172. This demonstrates that after he got the treasures for killing Grendel he went back to his country and gave them the treasures that were his. After he had became king he gave his men treasures, armor and swords. These were all gifts to them because they said they would always stand up for him and their country. Then that brave king gave the golden necklace from around his throat to Wiglaf, gave him his gold-covered helmet, and his rings, and his mail shirt, and ordered him to use it well . . . 2809-2813. He gave his most precious belongings to  his cousin when his death was near. Beowulf is the prime example of a noble king. His bravery and strength surpass all mortal men. He gave all that he could for his people. There could not have been a more nobler man or king than Beowulf. He achieved glory very early on in his life. He set a noble example for all human beings, relating the necessity of brotherhood and friendship.

Organizational Challenges and the Role of Leadership

Introduction The global economic recession, which began in 2007, emphasized the importance of leadership in modern organizations. Such scholar as Warren Bennis argues that these challenges can force educators and managers to reconsider their understanding of leadership if they want to better respond to various challenges (2007, p. 1).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Challenges and the Role of Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More These individuals will have to change their attitude toward communication, decision-making, and structure of their organizations. There are numerous definitions of this concept; overall, it can be understood as the ability to influence and inspire other people and make them committed to ones ideas and strategies (Northouse 2009, p. 5). Many researchers such as Penny Tamkin and Stephen Overell believe that post-recession leaders will have to meet much higher standards in order to sustain their companies during this recession (2009, p. 1). Furthermore, special attention should be paid to negotiation strategies since they are an integral element of leadership and have to reflect the interest of an entire organization. This paper is aimed at analyzing the impacts of economic recession on leadership theory and practice. In particular, it is necessary to single out those aspects of leadership and negotiations practices which become important during this crisis. Economic crisis and its impact on leadership Overall, the ongoing economic recession prompted many people to reconsider modern definition of leadership and leaders. Many corporate executives as well as educators understood this term as the exercise of power and authority within hierarchical structure of the organization (Tamkin Overell 2009, p. 8). Yet, this strictly functional interpretation of this concept overlooks the responsibilities of leaders and their roles. The fallacy of this defini tion has been eloquently illustrated by numerous corporate scandals which broke out during the recession. It has become apparent that many corporate executives failed to take into account the interest of different stakeholders, especially investors, customers, and employees. This crisis showed that some foundational principles of should be reevaluated. This is one of the reasons why a group of scholars under the guidance of Craig Perrin suggested a new model for evaluating the work of leaders. Their framework singles out several aspects or â€Å"zones† of leadership, namely 1) people; 2) society; 3) business; 4) reflection, and 5) ingenuity (Perrin et al, n.d. p.6).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There are several peculiarities of this model. First of all, it expands the range of a leader’s responsibility. This person has to be accountable to shareholders, emp loyees, and community. This responsibility and accountability were often overlooked by corporate executives before the recession. The second principle is that he/she should be aware about the incompleteness of his/her knowledge (Perrin et al, n.d. p.8). Although this recommendation may appear to be self-evident, it is particularly relevant in the light of economic crisis which was largely caused by irresponsible managerial policies and complete confidences in ones knowledge and decision-making skills. Additionally, this zonal approach to leadership attaches great importance to ingenuity and innovation. According to Perrin et al, the efforts of corporate executives were focused on the preservation of status quo and gaining short-term profits. As a result, their organizations were unable to respond to challenges such as economic recession. It is worth mentioning that many managers attempted to predict and measure specific risks to which their organizations were exposed. This is why th ese organizations were unable to respond to various economic, social, and technological changes. Thus, the ability of leaders to adapt quickly to changing environment becomes crucial during the time of turmoil. In addition, many practitioners and scholars indicate that a leader should be able to see opportunities for the organization and explore them (Tamkin Overell 2009, p. 18). In other words, this person should have a vision of how the company can grow in the long term (Ihlenfeldt 2011). Unfortunately, this aspect has often been neglected executives. To some degree, the ideas of these scholars are supported by corporate leaders whose companies survived the recession. For instance, one can mention Herbert Henkel who restructured the company Ingersoll Rand, developed contingency plans, and reduced inventory long before the recession (Carey, Patsalos-Fox, Useem 2009, p. 2). His ideas were highly unpopular, and many people believed that he had been almost incompetent. Yet, his poli cies helped the company sustain itself during the crisis. His example indicates that a leader should have the courage to do the unpopular thing. Moreover, he should be able to see the challenges which an organization can face.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Organizational Challenges and the Role of Leadership specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The crisis has shown that autocratic management is not the most effective way of leadership because it essentially slows down the exchange of information and decision-making within the company. A good leader is a person who can empower other people (Tamkin Overell 2009, p. 18). To better illustrate this point, we can mention Eric Foss who is the CEO of Pepsi Bottling Group. This corporate leader emphasized the importance of involving board into decision-making (Carey, Patsalos-Fox, Useem 2009, p.5). This cooperation enabled the company to see the magnitude of oncoming rec ession and work out contingency plans. Responsibility and integrity can also be viewed as an attributes of leadership. They can be the key to the survival of a company. In this case, one can mention Terry Lundgren, the CEO of a retailing company Macy. Inc. He warned both investors and employees about future crisis and this helped him gain the trust of these people (Carey, Patsalos-Fox, Useem 2009, p.6). He preferred to say something very unpopular, but in this way he averted panic among investors and workers. Overall, corporate managers described in this paper preferred democratic style of leadership. Similarly, we can mention the companies which failed during recession. One of them is Lehman Brothers. Its executives lacked the qualities typical of leaders, especially integrity and sense of responsibility toward investors and employees. Moreover, they preferred autocratic style of leadership. There are numerous theories and models of leadership, for instance, one can mention trait theory, transformational leadership, role models approach, style theory, and so forth. They describe the character traits of a leader and his/her behavior (Ephross Vassil 2005, p. 53). It is rather difficult to say that the economic recession called a dramatically new approach. Yet, these challenge demonstrated that leadership should be closely tied to such things as social responsibility, ability to innovate and make organization more agile, empowerment of other people, and understanding of ones limitations. These are the main concepts that were highlighted by the recession.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Negotiations concepts and economic recession Negotiation is one of the most important activities in which leaders participate. Such researchers as Chia-Jung Tsay and Max Bazerman point out that very often corporate executives prove to be extremely egocentric and overconfident (2009, p. 7); as a result, they disregard the interests of other stakeholders. Additionally, these scholars identify another fallacy which leaders should definitely avoid, and it is motivated illusion (Tsay Bazerman 2009, p. 8). The thing is that many senior executives tend to be over-confident in their ability to control events which can hardly be predicted (Tsay Bazerman 2009, p. 8). The recent economic recession highlighted these errors. It demonstrated that many corporate leaders were over-confident and egocentric. Therefore, they endangered their companies. Overall, a person, who takes part in the process of negotiations, must know his/her limitations, especially if we are speaking about knowledge and co ntrol. Otherwise, negotiations will essentially be fruitless. Thus, a leader, who takes part in negotiations, should avoid cognitive biases which prevent him/her from taking irresponsible decisions. On the whole, negotiation is an inseparable component of leadership. Those people, who are responsible for the management of different organizations, can negotiate with their business partners, competitors, colleagues, and so forth (Lewicki Hiam 2006). Additionally, the process of negotiations should certainly reflect the interests of the main stakeholders. Unfortunately, very often it is driven primarily by ambitions of corporate executives, willingness to achieve short-term gains (Silkenat, Aresty Klosek 2009). The leaders should represent the entire organizations. Therefore, they need to think about the effect of negotiations which is dependent on their company. Thus, managers and leaders should focus on intellectual and ethical elements of negotiation since they are equally necessa ry for the success. Again, the significance of ethical and intellectual elements was emphasized by the crisis which was caused by unscrupulous business policies, orientation toward short-term results, and the belief in ones infallibility. These pitfalls have to be overcome by modern leaders. Conclusion Recession is one of those organizational challenges which prompt leaders to display their best qualities in order to sustain their companies. The failure of many executives to cope with their duties calls for a new type of leadership. It is possible to single out several elements of leadership, in particular, vision, social responsibility, empowerment of other people, willingness to improve ones professional qualities. These elements are essential for the sustainability of profit and non-profit organizations. This essay has touched upon negotiations as an important element of leadership. This activity has to reflect the interests of various stakeholders can effect the organization. Th e changes notion of leadership can have significance implication for the training of future business administrators. Moreover, it can affect the policies of different organizations. References Bennis, W. 2007, ‘The Challenges of Leadership in the Modern World’, American Psychologists, vol. 62, no. 1, pp. 2-5. Web. Carey, D., Patsalos-Fox, M. Useem, M. 2009, ‘Leadership lessons for hard times’, McKinsey Quarterly, pp. 1-9. Web. Ephross, P. Vassil, T. 2005, Groups that work: Structure and process, Columbia University Press, NY. Ihlenfeldt, W. 2011, Visionary Leadership: A Proven Pathway to Visionary Change, AuthorHouse, NY. Lewicki, R. Hiam, A 2006, Mastering business negotiation: a working guide to making deals and resolving conflict, John Wiley Sons, NY. Northouse, P. 2009, Leadership: Theory and Practice. SAGE, London. Perrin, C., Blauth, C., Apthorp, E. et al., Developing the 21st-century leader: A multi-level analysis of global trends in leadership c hallenges and practices. Web Silkenat, J., Aresty, J. Klosek, J. 2009, The ABA guide to international business negotiations: A comparison of cross-cultural issues and successful approaches. American Bar Association, NY. Tamkin, P. Overell, S. 2009, After the collapse: Post recession leaders and leadership. Provocation Paper 5, The Good Work Commission. Web. Tsay, C. Bazerman, M. 2009, A decision-making perspective to negotiation: A review of the past and a look into the future. Working Paper, Harvard Business School. Web. This essay on Organizational Challenges and the Role of Leadership was written and submitted by user Cody D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

History of the 1900 Olympics in Paris

History of the 1900 Olympics in Paris The 1900 Olympic Games (also called the II Olympiad) took place in Paris from May 14 to October 28, 1900. Planned as part of the immense World Exhibition, the 1900 Olympics were  under-publicized and completely disorganized.  The confusion was so great that after competing, many participants did not realize that they had just participated in the Olympics.   It is important to note, however, that it was in the 1900 Olympic Games that women first participated as contestants.   Chaos Although more athletes attended the 1900 Games than in 1896, the conditions that greeted the contestants were abysmal. Scheduling conflicts were so great that many contestants never made it to their events. Even when they did make it to their events, athletes found their areas barely usable. For instance, the areas for the running events were on grass (rather than on cinder track) and uneven. The discus and hammer throwers often found that there wasnt enough room to throw, so their shots landed in the trees. The hurdles were made out of broken telephone poles. And the swimming events were conducted in the Seine River, which had an extremely strong current. Cheating? Runners in the marathon suspected the French participants of cheating since the American runners reached the finish line without having the French athletes pass them, only to find the French runners already at the finish line seemingly refreshed.   Mostly French Participants The concept of the new, modern Olympic Games was still new and travel to other countries was long, hard, tiring, and difficult. This plus the fact that there was very little publicity for the 1900 Olympic Games meant that few countries participated and that a majority of the contestants were actually from France.  The croquet event, for example, not only had just French players, all the players were from Paris. For these very same reasons, attendance was very low. Apparently, for that very same croquet event, only one, single ticket was sold to a man who had traveled from Nice. Mixed Teams Unlike later Olympic Games, teams of the 1900s Olympics were often composed of individuals from more than one country. In some cases, men and women could also be on the same team. One such case was 32-year-old  Hà ©là ¨ne de Pourtalà ¨s, who became the first female Olympic champion. She participated in the 1-2 ton sailing event aboard the  Là ©rina, with her husband and nephew. First Woman to Win a Gold Medal As mentioned above,  Hà ©là ¨ne de Pourtalà ¨s was the first woman to win gold while competing in the 1-2 ton sailing event. The first woman to win gold in an individual event was British Charlotte Cooper, a megastar tennis player, who won both singles and mixed doubles.

Community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Community - Essay Example My notion of community was confined to this setting and usually my mind wandered to the rural area or the countryside with old folks and relatives doing small jobs at home. Champion swimmers are Olympians who win gold medals. To me that was a fact that was always at the back of my mind. They compete to win but are a rare kind of people and they don’t compose a community. They are single individuals, motivated and driven to win but are never living together, or concentrated in a geographic area. A community is different – it is a group of individuals with a common objective and situated in the same place. This opinion is just an opinion which later turned out to be wrong when I came to love the world of sports, particularly swimming. As I grew older in knowledge and spirit, I came to believe that a community is not confined to a small group in one geographic location. Community and sports can be joined together. Swimmers can be one community, people who connect to each other just like other individuals with the same hobby and likes in life. Chess players socialize and connect with other chess players in far places of the globe. Basketball players play hard to get that championship trophy but they form a community of real athletes who must have the stamina, physical endurance and, above all, teamwork. Swimmers love to talk and be with swimmers. We enjoy reading the lives of Olympian swimmers, their hardships and pains, and their successes. The world of sports is as big as the world itself, and swimmers who come from all walks of life can be a community. In my younger years, few dull thoughts formed in my young mind – that I was not made to win and that I would not belong to a sports community. As I learned to swim, I realized I was part of a community, even if that community is composed of people who do not know each other

Happiness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 5

Happiness - Essay Example According to statistical data, the most successful countries are the unhappiest and the wealthiest people are the unhappiest in the society. Research maintains that the more money an individual has, the unhappier they are. Several reasons have been provided to back this up as well as the main reason why the individuals with lower income are happier. First, the wealthy individuals are always in pursuit of more possessions as they view another individual with more possessions as happier and more successful. This ensures that they have less leisure time, which is the time that they can spend with friends and family to help in reducing stress levels that come from work. Therefore, reduced leisure time and the more disconnected the wealthy people are, more unhappy they become. Second, expectations also determine the stress level, which in turn reflect a person’s happiness. In U.S, expectations are very high and mostly with regard to material possessions. If these expectations fail, these individuals become depressed and bury themselves in work so that they can try to achieve them. On the other hand, if they succeed, they will still see another person who has more possessions and their stress level will increase as they try to achieve what the other person has. Research indicates that concerns of material possessions are deep seated in the human brain to the point that they can be very harmful to one’s health both physically and emotionally This clearly indicates that material possessions, although appear good and satisfying, are the main causes of unhappiness. While the wealthy are considerably poor happiness-wise, the lower level individuals are wealthier in the happiness regard. This is because of several reasons. Firstly, these individual do not have many things to do that keeps them busy. In addition, since they do not have many possessions, they rely on one

Managing Internationally Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Internationally - Essay Example Tomboy can be analyzed as a company that operates internationally due to its system of production, subcontracting and distribution where the entities involved are situation in different locations typical of international companies. Production of a simple mechanical pencil may be simple, but in the case of Tombow, the process seems to be complicated. Tombow was founded by Harunosuke Ogawa in 1913 and operating its main headquarters in Tokyo (Mishina 1993). It has pursued modifications and innovations to make its product line-up competitive and the company profitable. Communication is one of the essential elements in the effective management of an organization. There seems to be a communication problem with Tombow. For instance, Yohei Ogawa (president of Tombow) said, when the stockouts of its products have been increasing, that the company’s subcontracting system had not efficiently performed its functions. He is at a loss on what is happening in the subcontracting level. He is wary on what the problem could be, or how would he know the problem. Late deliveries had also been a perennial problem of the sales department. Keitaro Ogura (head of sales promotion department), expressed dissatisfaction with the way the production people had been doing their work (Mishina 1993). Selling the products is easy he said, but the late deliveries are causing uneasiness in the sales department. As in the case cited above, Mr. Ogura is unaware of what is happening at the production level. In fact, he seems be disgusted with the way the production people had been doing their job. He said that, â€Å". . . we can’t tell if they’re just not trying hard enough,† referring to the production sector (Mishina 1993, p. 4). During meetings, the problem with late deliveries are not discussed and threshed out. Definitely, when problems are presented to the higher level of management and not settled or attempted to be settled, this would affect the morale of the m iddle level managers. Communication is the process of sharing and exchanging information within a common interpretative framework so that the information can be useful and meaningful (Booth 2008). Without the established communication channels and protocols, there will be a breakdown in communication (Patterson 2009). Appropriate communication channels must be formed within the organization and between the organization and the suppliers, vendors, retailers, dealers and sales agents. Regular meetings can help in threshing out business and management issues. However, issuance of memoranda and letters are sufficient to share information. At present, the advanced information technology can help a lot in bridging the gap in information among the different components of the organization. The information system has been contributing much to the changes in the organization (Mills 2005). It is clear in the case study that the use of computers and information technology has not been utilized by Towbow in any of its processes. A computer system must be set up to facilitate communication among the components. IT can also help in one of the main problems of Tombow – inventory control and tracking. As expressed by the head of the sales department, there had been delays in the deliveries and he was not aware of what was happening. The problem of uncertainty can be solved by a global inventory system for all stakeholders of Tombow, each component with specific access to the database. For instance, the orders of retailers, dealers of sales agents will be posted by the sales department in the database. The sales department will inform the main headquarter of the orders through letter or email. The sales department will post in the global inventory

The unsuccesful use of ethanol :: Alternative fuel bio-ethanol

The Unsuccessful Use of Ethanol Current interest in ethanol fuel in the United States mainly lies in bio-ethanol, produced from corn, but there has been considerable debate about how useful bio-ethanol will be in replacing fossil fuels in vehicles. Concerns relate to the large amount of arable land required for crops, as well as the energy and pollution balance of the whole cycle of ethanol production. I don't think the US could implement the use of ethanol or other alternate fuels successfully as Brazil has done for many reasons: firstly, ethanol production in the United States does not benefit the nation's energy security, its agriculture, economy or the environment because ethanol production requires large fossil energy input to produce these fuels than you get out from the combustion of these products. Therefore, it is contributing to oil and natural gas imports and U.S. deficits. The country should instead focus its efforts on producing electrical energy from photovoltaic cells, wind power and burning biomass and producing fuel from hydrogen conversion. Secondly, in Brazil reducing the rate of deforestation seemed likely to be more effective for taking carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. In the United States, reliance on ethanol to fuel the automobile fleet would require enormous, unachievable areas of corn agriculture, and the environmental impacts would outweigh its benefits, destroying bio-diversity. Ethanol would be mainly made from bio organic material that will be especially grown for this purpose. It also uses a lot of fuel to grow these plants. The same goes for various kinds of vegetable oils that are said to be environmental friendly. Ethanol cannot alleviate the United States? dependence on petroleum, may, however, still be useful in regions or cities with critical pollution problems, and to make use of agricultural wastes. Basically, an increased demand for ethanol would cause land use changes - destroying forests and grasslands to grow corn or other ethanol crops - ethanol and other bio-fuels actually add to global wa rming. Thirdly, as demand for ethanol fuel increases, food crops are replaced by fuel crops, driving food supply down and food prices up. Growing demand for ethanol in the United States has increased corn prices by 50% in Mexico. Average barley prices in the United States rose 17% from January to June 2007 to the highest in 11 years. Prices for all grain crops trend upward, reflecting a progressive increase in farm land devoted to corn for the production of produce ethanol fuel.

Business Plan Essay

We all know that there are already many kinds of perfume that is being  produced by different local manufacturers. Now days, many consumers are becoming conscious on how they smell and they are very choosy of the kind of perfume that they buy and use at a very reasonable price. This kind of perfume is made from various oils that is blended to come up an enchanted perfume that every body will surely love. The plan in putting up this business started, when the proponent compose of the 4 girls of Lumabas-Sibbaluca Family who love to try various perfume scents and they are very fond of using colognes. They cannot go out of their house without spraying cologne so they decided to put up a business which is close to their heart and that is manufacturing perfume. Brief Description of the Project The SCENT of the ORIENT is a company that manufactures perfume which is extracted from various flowers that can be found in our country. This product is chemically proven to be hypo-allergenic so that it can be used by every Filipino and even those who are sensitive to some chemicals. The proponents decide to manufacture this product because every Filipino specially women who love to put perfume whenever they go out or even at home to feel fresh and fragrant all day. Mission The company is drive by its mission by providing competitive, low cost, hypo-allergenic, good quality perfumery products to every Filipino who wanted to have a positive effect to everyone they will encounter by their capturing scent. Objectives The company aims to expand its market not only in the country but other parts of the world. The company wanted to promote their product internationally to prove the ingenuity and talent of every Filipino. The company also aims to give jobs to Filipino to be able to help in the unemployment problem of the country. Brief Profile of the Entrepreneur The Scent of the Orient is a corporation owned by Maria Rosela Aznar, Maureen Marie Doctora, Mary Rose De Leon and Cleta Sibbaluca. The eldest daugther Ms. Rosela Aznar, is a trainor on Perfume making which had initiated to put  up the corporation. The other owners would like to have an additional source of income which will eventually be the major source of income on the success of the business. Project’s Contributions to the Economy The Scent of the Orient deals how the corporation can help uplift the economy of the country by providing income generating activities that will increase number employment as well as the contribution it will do to the government. SECTION 1 MARKETING PLAN 1.1Description of the Product Since the beginning of recorded history, humans have attempted to mask or enhance their own odor by using perfume, which emulates nature’s pleasant smells. Many natural and man-made materials have been used to make perfume to apply to the skin and clothing, to put in cleaners and cosmetics, or to scent the air. Because of differences in body chemistry, temperature, and body odors, no perfume will smell exactly the same on any two people. Natural ingredients flowers, grasses, spices, fruit, wood, roots, resins, balsams, leaves, gums, and animal secretions as well as resources like alcohol, petrochemicals, coal, and coal tars are used in the manufacture of perfumes. Some plants, such as lily of the valley, do not produce oils naturally. In fact, only about 2,000 of the 250,000 known flowering plant species contain these essential oils. Therefore, synthetic chemicals must be used to re-create the smells of non-oily substances. Synthetics also create original scents not found in nature From the name of the product, the consumers will know that this perfume that acquire sweet and mild scent that is very pleasing to the nose. The product label has been design in a creative logo and that is a beautiful sensuous ans care free spirited young lady. This product which is one kind of perfume, is basically made by the proponent as perfumes that can be used even in day time and that it scent last for a long time even if you sweat due to strenuous activities like working out in a gym, doing households chores or just do malling with your friends. 1.2Comparison of the Product with Its Competitors