urban views weekly september 23, 2015

Sept. 23, 2015

Moses Malone

World Bike Fans Celebrate - 2015 UCI Richmond

2 Urban Views Weekly | September 23, 2015 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Fundraising in an Imperfect World– Part Two

What if your nonprofit isn’t comprised of people with power, wealth and influence? What if your board chair can’t pick up the phone and raise $1 million? How do you compete when you feel other organizations are supported by power-brokers and you can’t get your message heard?

Here are our thoughts. Use the assets available to you. Build a team and relationships that will serve you for the long run. You may be surprised by the resources and riches available within your network. Here are some suggestions to consider.

First, remember it’s hard to raise money from behind a desk. You have to be constantly out in the community making the case for your organization or institution and developing relationships. This is your work as CEO. It’s also the work of board members and your development director or vice president. Get the pulse of your community and find ways to implement your vision in partnership with others. Take names! Build your

list of contacts. Stay in contact. Don’t depend on social media for your communication – build and nurture mutual relationships.

Consistently grow your list of prospective donors. If you need to raise $250,000, we recommend creating a list of people, businesses, foundations and granting agencies who can give a combined total of $750,000. You don’t have the luxury of assuming people will give the amount you request: you need enough prospective donors to cover the reality that not everyone gives. Even if

you think it is a “sure deal”, make sure you have a Plan B.

Talk with your staff, advisors, board members and friends. Ask them who they know and who they can influence. It’s not only high profile people who can open

doors! You don’t know who knows who – if you don’t ask, you may be missing an opportunity. For example, our experience has shown that barbers, hair stylists, maids, waiters and waitresses have the pulse of a community.

Keep it personal. If there is someone within your organization who knows a donor or

Letter ToThe Editor

continues on page 5

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FUNdraising Good Times

How to fundraise without a powerful board

Civic Beat

3 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com Urban Views Weekly | September 23, 2015

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Whatever your political beliefs may be, what God you believe in, or even if you don’t believe in a God at all, there is an uncomfortable truth that you cannot deny. Racial and religious bigotry is planted in the soil of the United States of America. It is 2015 and hundreds of thousands of people are flocking together, in primarily homogeneous gatherings of white people, to demonstrate the fact that America has a long history of racial and ethnic hatred. This political season has assembled these worshippers together at the altar of racial hatred, animosity and fear-mongering. And who is their messiah, the one who carries their message forward to the masses? He is a reality-TV personality who whips the crowd into frenzy, not by addressing this nation’s politics or policies, no. This candidate for President of the United States, with an incredible sense of privilege and power, ignites the passions of the crowds by culling up the most barefaced racial bigotry, misogynistic paternalism and xenophobic religious hatred to be witnessed on national television during a presidential campaign since…. Well, since television was in black and white. What is even more alarming than the vitriolic disdain this candidate spouts against President Obama (the sitting POTUS) and other American citizens, who do not look like him or believe in the same God or practice the same customs, as he does while he mesmerizes the nation? It is the complacency and/or silent agreement of all those wannabe Presidents standing in his shadow, particularly in the GOP.

Whipping up anti- Muslim sentiment, as you stand and allow people to applaud ignorant comments like “What we have in America is a Muslim problem” is to fan the

flames of prejudice and hatred. To continue to make attempts to delegitimize our President by calling into question his citizenship, his birth certificate, and his religion is un-American and racist. To challenge someone’s belief system or the political policies and positions that they stand for is very different than challenging their personhood or their right to exist. This country may have elected a black man to the office of the presidency, but there is a large constituency of Americans who will not believe he IS the POTUS nor do they have any intention of respecting him as President, including many who are serving in the Congress of the United States.

It is this type of consistent undermining of President Obama that makes room for the appalling and unjustified arrest of a young 14 year-old named Ahmed Mohamed from Irving, Texas. Ahmed was suspected of bringing a homemade bomb to school. In fact, the student had built a homemade clock to impress his teachers. He, repeatedly, told teachers, school administrators and the police his endeavor was a clock, not a bomb. When police were called, Ahmed was denied his basic rights; his parents were not notified until he had been taken into custody and held in handcuffs at the police station. It must be stated that although the police were notified by school officials that they suspected a student had brought a bomb to school, the school was never evacuated, the bomb squad was never called and Ahmed was transported by police officers to the police station in a squad car together with the suspected bomb. Really? Here we go again. Racial profiling and the over-policing of communities of color comes into focus once more.

And it has become Reality TV.

The uncomfortable truth is that we have a bigotry problem in America. As for the political season, we can never underestimate the influence of a charismatic personality to stir up a mis-informed and mis-educated populous. Historically, the blood and shattered bones of millions provide irrefutable evidence of the power that is harnessed in rhetoric seasoned with hatred and bigotry, and the silent complicity of those who refuse to call it out for what it is.

Up Next Week: A Parade for Justice

ViewPoints By Dr. T

Tawnya Pettiford-Wates, Ph.D.Founder and Artistic DirectorThe Conciliation Project andAssociate ProfessorVirginia Commonwealth UniversityDrT@Margins2theCenter.comwww.theconciliationproject.org

The Uncomfortable Truth

TanyaFree.com/Urban Views Weekly PollRepublican Presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Carly Fiorina are both touting their experience in the business world. While Trump has enjoyed success operating a conglomerate of businesses, he has reportedly filed Chapter 11 several times. Fiorina has been president or CEO of several corporations. Her performance as CEO of Hewlett-Packard was less than impressive. She was fired as CEO of HP in 2005. Shares of HP fell 45% during her tenure, followed by thousands of layoffs. Neither Trump nor Fiorina have ever held public office.

What’s your take? Do you think business experience, in the absence of political experience, is adequate to be president of the United States?

Check out the story and respond to this week’s poll at TanyaFree.com and the Urban Views Weekly FACEBOOK Page. Listen to the Tanya Free and Friends Talk Show Wednesdays @ 2 p.m. on WCLM1450AM streaming LIVE @ TanyaFree.com and BlackTalkRadioNetwork.com.

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From Fundraising page 2

volunteer, ask them to take the time to personally thank those who give their time and money.

Always debrief with your development director. Let him know who you are visiting. Make sure contact information for those you meet is entered in your database. Don’t assume you are the only person with relationships: ask team members for suggestions before going into a “big meeting”.

Become politically astute – know your government leaders and make sure they know you and the priorities of your organization.

You may feel frustrated that your board or staff needs to “catch up” with you. Don’t let that get you down. It is your responsibility to communicate with passion and vision, set direction, and invite others to join you.

Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw

Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising, visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

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Like millions of basketball fans, Ronald Robinson of Chesterfield County was shocked to learn that Moses Malone, the legendary three-time NBA MVP player, died Sept. 13 in Norfolk, Va.

Malone, whose death was attributed to cardiovascular disease, was 60 years old. A member of the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame, Malone first captured the nation’s eye as a 6-foot-10 center at Petersburg High School where he led the team to 50 consecutive wins and two state championships in 1973 and 1974. He later led the Philadelphia 76ers’ win of the 1983 NBA finals over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Robinson, who played basketball with Malone, first as a seventh grader on Virginia Avenue in Petersburg, Va., then later on the courts at Petersburg High School, read and listened closely to news media reports about his former teammates’ untimely death.

“Gentle,” “sweet,” “fierce” and “noble” are just some of the labels bestowed on Malone, who during his 21-year career with eight different teams was affectionately known as “Chairman of the Boards” for his dominating athleticism and rebounds.

While Robinson appreciates the continuing coverage of Malone’s stellar career, he can’t help but think that much of what he’s read fails to fully capture the Moses Malone that he and other Petersburg residents knew and loved.

“Back then, guys played 12 hours a day during the summer,” said Robinson, who adds that it wasn’t unusual for Malone to eschew parties and other adolescent pastimes to practice the game, alone with his ball

under the glow of a single streetlight.

The youth’s diligence paid off.

“By the time of my senior year and his junior year, Moses was considered to be one of the best players in the country,” said Robinson, an enrollment specialist for Richmond Public Schools. “Moses made it by dominating the team.”

In addition to being a student of the game and having “incredible” coordination and dribbling skills, Malone also was a strong role model.

“He never talked back to the coach (Carl Peal) or tried to get out of practice,” said Robinson. “He was so humble and modest. He never said ‘I got 200 colleges beckoning

me.’”

Probably because he didn’t have to.

“All the famous coaches were calling him, but that never fazed him,” said Robinson. “He never changed.”

However, life did change for Malone once he chose professional basketball over college. Petersburg took second place to cities such as Utah, Houston and Philadelphia.

Yet the glow that Malone left behind continues to burn bright for Robinson and others who knew him.

“I remember how we played Hopewell High, Thomas Dale, Colonial Heights,” said Robinson. “We played all of those games at Virginia State University because so many people wanted to see Moses play.”

When the team traveled to away games, Petersburg and surrounding communities often followed them, said Robinson.

“It showed that the city had a lot of support. Moses helped put Petersburg on the map.”

Indeed, Malone, an only child who was raised by his mother after his father moved to Texas, became a role model for young black males throughout the country, especially when he turned pro.

Malone began his professional career out of high school in 1974 with the American Basketball Association’s Utah Stars. He went to the NBA’s Buffalo Braves two years later and later was traded to the Houston Rockets where he became a five-time All-Star in six seasons with the Rockets. After leading the NBA in rebounding in 1979, he was named league MVP for the first time. He led the Rockets to NBA Finals in 1981, and won his second MVP award in 1982. Malone was traded to Philadelphia the following season, when he repeated as MVP and led the 76ers to a championship in his first year. In his first of two stints with Philadelphia, he was an All-Star in each of his four seasons.

“‘Fo-fo-fo,’ Malone said of his 1983 championship-year run with the 76ers,” recalls Wayne Dawkins, a journalism historian and associate professor at Hampton University, referring to Malone’s response when asked his prediction for the upcoming playoffs. Malone, speaking in the vernacular, meant that the Sixers would sweep each round of the playoffs. However, it turned out to be “fo, fi, fo,” (four,

6 Urban Views Weekly | September 23, 2015

Ronald Robinson

Remembering Moses Malone: A Gentle Giant Who Made Petersburg, Va. - and America – Proud

five, four) as the Sixers needed five games to beat the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals.

“It was amazing to watch him pound hapless opponents on the offensive glass,” said Dawkins. “So Malone, Darryl “Chocolate Thunder” Dawkins [RIP] and the guy from Englewood, N.J. who did not stick were the first high school ballers to jump to the NBA.”

Yet, long before the glitter of the ABA and NBA, Petersburg High

School basked in its own special glow molded by Malone.

“Our team was the first team to ever win a state championship and to go undefeated,” said Robinson, who, upon graduating from Petersburg High School, played basketball for Three Rivers Community College and Southwest Baptist Union College in Missouri.

Although Robinson eventually returned to Virginia, he said that, to his knowledge, Malone seldom came back. And although the high school basketball team was close during its heyday, over time members drifted apart.

“I last saw him two years ago when his mom passed,” said Robinson. “We didn’t do a whole lot of talking.”

Perhaps because Malone, who was never known for much talk, preferred to let his actions speak for him.

Thus, Robinson believes that Malone’s final words to current and aspiring professional athletes might read something like this:

“A lot of guys want to be good, but they don’t want to put the time into it,” he said. “They (the best athletes) make the game look easy. But champions are made when people aren’t looking. A lot of work takes place behind the scenes.”

Bonnie Newman Davis is a veteran journalist and journalism educator who has written for several local and national news outlets. Davis currently is a visiting professor in School of Media and Journalism at the University of North Carolina -Chapel Hill.

7 www.UrbanViewsWeekly.com

Remembering Moses Malone: A Gentle Giant Who Made Petersburg, Va. - and America – Proud

By Bonnie Newman Davis

Moses Eugene Malone Born: March 23, 1955 in Petersburg, Va. High School: Petersburg (Va.) Drafted: ABA’s Utah Stars (1974)

Height: 6-10

Weight: 230 lbs.

2001: Elected to Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

1983: National Basketball Association champion

1983, 1982, 1979: NBA’s Most Valuable Player

1979, ‘82, ‘83, ‘85: All-NBA First Team

1980, ‘81, ‘84, ‘87: All-NBA Second Team

1983: All-Defensive First Team

1979: All-Defensive Second Team

1996: 12-time All-Star; One of 50 Greatest Players in NBA History

Career Path:Drafted by Utah Stars, ABA, 1974 (third round). Sold to Spirits of St. Louis (12/2/75); Selected by Portland Trail Blazers in ABA dispersal draft (8/5/76); Traded to Buffalo Braves (10/18/76); Traded to Houston Rockets (10/24/76); Signed as free agent with Philadelphia 76ers (9/2/82), Rockets matched offer, traded Malone to 76ers (9/15/82); Traded to Washington Bullets (6/16/86); Signed as free agent with Atlanta Hawks (10/16/88); Signed as free agent with Milwaukee Bucks (7/10/94); Signed as free agent with 76ers (10/12/93); Waived by 76ers (6/17/94); Signed as free agent with San Antonio (8/10/94)Source: www.nba.com


Ervin Clarke


The DealBy Nathaniel Sillin

10 Open Enrollment Mistakes to AvoidHow much time do you spend reviewing your benefits before open enrollment each year?

If your answer is “not much,” you’re not alone. A recent survey by insurer Aflac says that 90 percent of Americans choose the same benefits year after year and that 42 percent forego up to $750 annually by making poor choices.

Rushing through annual benefits updates or making such uninformed decisions in insurance, retirement or other workplace-based benefits are actually part of a bigger story. Open enrollment is just one part of an overall financial plan: Unfortunately, too many employees see it as the only financial planning they have to do all year.

In reality, a safe financial future depends mostly on the savings, investing and spending decisions you make outside the workplace. As many employers are looking to shrink or discontinue the retirement and health benefits they offer, it’s time to take a fresh look at open enrollment.

Here are 10 benefits mistakes you might want to avoid.

1. Not having an overall financial plan. Your company may offer excellent benefits now. However, the Labor Department reports that average worker tenure at U.S. companies is only 4.6 years, so the biggest open enrollment mistake might be assuming your current benefits assure your financial future. It’s important to work alone or with qualified advisors to determine the right work-based benefits as part of overall spending, savings and investment activities throughout your lifetime.

2. Making choices at the last minute. Your benefits are

important and deserve time for consideration. Put your open enrollment dates on your personal calendar with a reminder a few weeks ahead of time to coordinate with qualified advisors if you have them.

3. Forgetting to coordinate with your spouse or partner. Many employers are planning big changes to spouse/partner benefits. While the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) lets parents keep children on their health plans until age 26, more employers are instituting “spousal surcharges” or excluding spousal coverage altogether if they already have access to employer health insurance.

4. Ignoring your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace. Even if you have employer health insurance, things change. If you lose a job or cannot stay on your spouse or partner’s health plan, it might be worthwhile to familiarize yourself with your state’s ACA-mandated health insurance marketplace ahead of time.

5. Underestimating how big life events might affect your benefits. Salary changes, marriage, divorce, serious illness or starting a family are big signals to check your benefits, preferably well in advance of open enrollment. Think through every potential situation you might face and ask questions about how those changes might affect your benefit selections.

6. Passing on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs). FSAs are workplace-based accounts that allow you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis to help you pay for healthcare and dependent care expenses during the calendar year. HSAs, if you qualify, also allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars in a qualified investment or savings account for long-and-short term

medical expenses not covered by insurance. They don’t require you to spend out those funds every year. Your workplace benefits counselor, qualified financial advisor and Internal Revenue Service Publication 969 can assist with eligibility, types of accounts, contribution limits and tax issues associated with these choices.

7. Leaving retirement selections unchanged. As the Aflac data indicates, many individuals don’t change their investment focus in self-directed retirement plans for years. That’s why reviewing options in advance is essential.

8. Overlooking wellness options. Many employers pay for exercise, cholesterol screenings, weight loss, smoking cessation, immunizations or related benefits that can make you healthier, save money and possibly lower health premiums.

9. Bypassing transportation breaks. If you drive or take public or company-sponsored transportation to and from work, you may qualify for specific discounts or tax deductions. IRS Publication 15-B covers these programs and how to use them most effectively.

10. Forgetting education benefits. If an employer is willing to train you to advance in your career, don’t pass it up. However, get advice on the possibility of tax liability for these benefits. Separately, check out employer-sponsored education grant or scholarship awards for you or your kids – that can be free money.

Bottom line: Open enrollment is just one piece of a well-organized financial puzzle. Make sure your employer provided benefits choices complement savings, investing and spending decisions you’re making on your own.


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“What size shoes do you wear?” That was what we heard. We saw a well-dressed woman casually take off her sneakers and give them to a woman who appeared to be homeless. Both were getting cream and sugar for their coffees at Starbucks. One walked out with designer sneakers on her feet while the other got into her car wearing socks.

We looked at each other. It happened in less than five minutes. A casual conversation between strangers that ended with an act of charity and kindness that made an immediate material difference in one woman’s life. If we hadn’t been sitting right next to where the conversation took place we would never have known it happened.

Something inspired the more affluent woman to take action immediately. She saw a need and she filled it. She didn’t wait for someone else to take action. She didn’t refer the other woman to a nonprofit, church, or government agency. She took the shoes off her feet and gave them to her.

It was a touchstone event for us. It reminded us that at the heart of nonprofits is passion; concern for others; a desire to make a difference. This beautiful, personal act of kindness reminded us of the goodness that surrounds us. We saw it as a reflection of the spirit, compassion, and love that is a driving force for so many nonprofits.

In this column, we typically share information and suggestions related to the art and science of fundraising. Yet, at its heart, fundraising

– or philanthropy as it is referred to in some circles – is about a love for humanity. It is that love which we need to keep front and center when we get tired, angry, disappointed, or frustrated. That is what draws so many of us to the nonprofit sector in the first place.

That love should be the cornerstone of building strong and vibrant organizations that address

the immediate concerns of people in need. That love should be what sustains us in long-term policy and advocacy work that addresses the underlying causes of poverty, inequality, and injustice. Love and compassion can temper our tongues when

we want to lash out at others, or when we wish people would “just give” so we can get on with the important work of our organizations.

Love in action binds us together in a united vision. Love in action keeps us at the table as board members when we disagree on a specific matter. And love in action sustains us when the road seems long and our vision appears clouded.

Our suggestion: let’s try infusing love more fully into our consciousness and our actions, including fundraising. Let us lift up those who give and invest. And let us give with an open heart.

Copyright 2015– Mel and Pearl Shaw

With open hearts Mel and Pearl Shaw position nonprofits, colleges and universities for fundraising success. For help with your fundraising, visit www.saadandshaw.com or call (901) 522-8727.

FUNdraising Good Times

Walking a mile in her shoes

Civic Beat


Bicycling is a favorite pastime for many. Using a bicycle as transportation has rapidly become more popular as people look for ways to help cut down on smog, save money and get exercise.

Cities around the country encourage their citizens to ride bikes every day. There are bike lanes and even buses with bike racks. Some companies offer incentives to employees who bike to work.

Whether you live in the city or the country, you can enjoy the fresh air and sunlight while getting great exercise.

Riders have plenty of choices when it comes to finding excellent bicycles. When looking for a bicycle shop, whether to purchase a new bicycle or for accessories, keep these suggestions in mind. CHOOSE A SPECIALTYDifferent shops specialize in different kinds of bikes. In the U.S., bicycles fall into four main categories - comfort bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes and fitness bikes.

Comfort bikes are the least expensive. People ride them for pleasure. You should use them on smooth surfaces while sitting in an upright position.

Mountain bikes are mostly for rugged terrain. These sturdy cycles have wide, knobby tires that will not go flat easily. They offer great shock absorption to keep riders comfortable while riding over rocks and bumpy surfaces.

Road bikes are usually lightweight cycles. People like to use these aerodynamic bicycles on pavement and over long distances.

Fitness bikes can help you get into great shape. They are more comfortable than road bikes, but less aerodynamic. It requires effort to pedal, which increases the number of calories burned.

DO THE RESEARCHOnce you decide on the type of bike, research shops that offer that specialty. Scour the Internet, read reviews of shops and ask other cyclists for recommendations. Store reputations can vary widely. Look for a shop that has a long track record of service. You want people who will be in business for years to come so they can service your bike after the sale.

The best shops will have education programs to teach

you the pros and cons of each bicycle. The salespeople will help you make a selection based on your needs and goals.

Your neighborhood may have events in your biking specialty. There may even be bike clubs for you to join. Look at who sponsors these events. Ask attendees about their experiences with various bike shops.

GO SHOPPINGOnce you have a list of stores, visit your top two or three choices. Observe

the salespeople. They should be knowledgeable about manufacturers, warranties, and the different aspects of the bicycles. Some of them may even talk about bikes from a personal experience.

It is best to find a store that offers fully assembled bikes. It is a great way to know that your bike has been correctly assembled and adjusted. Each nut and bolt has a purpose. You don’t want your bike to malfunction at a critical point in your ride because it wasn’t put together correctly.

Quality shops will allow you to test drive various bikes. It might be necessary to leave a deposit with the store, but your experience will be well-worth it. A sales associate should help you choose the right sized bike and adjust it to fit your body.

Finally, the best stores offer activities to help you meet other people with similar cycling interests. Going to these events is a great way to exercise and meet people.

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