Inspiring Non-Profits

I have been a member of Toastmasters International for several years.

If you have a mission or a message that you want to share with others, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to develop public speaking skills.

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs.

Joining Toastmasters has several benefits:

You Will Become a Better Public Speaker
Club members work through a series of educational programs designed to improve their ability to write speeches, design presentations, and deliver them effectively.

You Will Overcome Public Speaking Fears
Speaking regularly in front of a group helps you calm your nerves and communicate effectively. Toastmasters club audiences are positive and supportive.

You Can Practice Presentations for Other Audiences
Club members have different reasons for improving their speaking skills. You may want to sharpen your presentation skills for your career. You may want to promote yourself as an author, business owner, or other professional. You may have a spiritual message to share. One of the members of my Toastmasters club has a strong desire to start a youth ministry at his church. Toastmasters is a great place to practice your presentations and get valuable feedback.

You Will Gain Valuable Leadership Skills
Leadership and communication go hand in hand. As your communication skills improve, your ability to lead will improve as well.

You can learn more at the Toastmasters International website.

There is almost certainly a Toastmasters Club that meets near you. I encourage you to visit your local club as a guest, and find out if Toastmasters is right for you!

In the spring of 1980, 7-year-old Chris Greicius dreamed of becoming a highway patrol motorcycle officer like his heroes, Ponch and John from the television show, “CHiPS”. His dream was not likely to become a reality. Chris was being treated for leukemia, and he was only expected to live a few more days.
 
U.S. Customs Officer, Tommy Austin, befriended Chris and worked with officers at the Arizona Department of Public Safety to make Chris’s dream come true. One of the motorcycle officers who was asked to participate was Officer Frank Shankwitz.
 
Chris spent the day as a police officer, rode in a police helicopter, received a custom-tailored police uniform, and was sworn in as the first honorary Public Safety patrolman in state history. He died a few days later.
 
Officer Frank Shankwitz was so moved by the experience of granting the child’s wish that he was inspired to create the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
 
You can learn more about Frank Shankwitz in this video.
 
Do you have an idea for a foundation that could uplift others?
 

Earlier this week I talked about Amy Purdy, and how she overcame the loss of her legs, and a critical illness that nearly took her life, to become one of the one of the top ranked adaptive snowboarders in the world.
 
After the loss of her legs, Amy made three decisions: (1) She would snowboard again. (2) She would not feel sorry for herself. (3) She would help other people.
 
Amy did exactly what she set out to do. By trial and error, Amy learned to snowboard with her prosthetic legs. And she got good at it. Really good.
 
Amy co-founded Adaptive Action Sports in 2005, which is a non-profit with the goal of growing the sport of adaptive snowboarding. You can learn more about her mission in this video.
 
I love the way Amy Purdy used her passion for snowboarding to inspire and uplift so many people, and to make the world a better place.
 
Do you have a passion that you can use to make the world a better place? Consider starting your own non-profit!