Conflicting Themes of the Help for Romeo and Juliet- myassignmenthelp

Question: Talk about theConflicting Themes of the Help for Romeo and Juliet. Answer: The subject an abstract report involves the focal subject of the content that the storyteller rewards for portraying his story. In other manner, the topic of the contemporary scholarly works presents the underneath significance of the work meaning the focal plan to the readers[1]. A story can have a few unique topics associated with the plot. For instance, the focal topic of the Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is the topic of adoration. The whole story mirrors the predominance of affection among Romeo and Juliet and spotlights on the various episodes and clashes around the focal topic. Another case of the adoration topic principal all through the story is Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. The storyteller in the story depicts the topic of adoration basic the subject of the retribution. Illegal love among Edward and Bella is the focal subject of the novel, which the storyteller has depicted essentially all through the story. So also, one of the focal subjects of the novel The Help is again lo ve, which is differentiated by the topic of unpleasant detest. The tale doesn't mirror the affection topic as sentimental, yet the complexity and the contravention between the stifled love and prevailing disdain. The topic of adoration in The Help isn't simply like the subject of Romeo and Juliet and Twilight. In spite of the fact that the focal topic of these three books are same, however the delineation and the treatment of the topic is unique in relation to one another. Aside from the subject of affection, there are other clashing topics of social class, race, savagery and loathe. The storyteller has appropriately portrayed the social states of the contemporary society. The racial classification of the upper and the lower class has been finished by the skin color[2]. The white individuals of the general public had a place with the high society, though the individuals of color are intended to be the house cleaners and workers for the white individuals. The epic delineates the particular relationship of the high contrast individuals through different parts of feelings. The two unmistakable class of the contemporary society are intended to act in specific manners so as to achieve the social desires. The individuals having a place with the high society are the decision class who direct the lives of the lower class individuals of color. Elizabeth and Hilly is the ideal delegate of the privileged who is driven by the bigot culture[3]. While, Skeeter, one of the focal character of the novel doesn't fit in the high society as she has sympathy and love for the lower class individuals serving white individuals. Indeed, Skeeter, later in the novel distributes a book, which recounts to the narrative of the lower class individuals of color. Aibileen and Minny are staying focal characters who help Skeeter composing the book. In any case, the book Skeeter distributes toward the finish of the novel is named The Help. The storyteller has symbolically kept the name of her novel same as the book distributed in the story by the focal character of the novel. The exertion and the activity to compose a book on the lives of the house keepers in the contemporary society makes Skeeter to not follow the social desire as indicated by the racial division of the general public. She is anyway not hesitant to lose her social poise, since she realizes she is following the correct way. The tale likewise tells the difficult outcomes of Skeeter for not playing out her customary job. The storyteller additionally has introduced the topic of savagery with the by introducing the occurrences that diffuse the caring discourse and the abusive behavior at home on the dark people[4]. There are a few subjects introduced in the novel. The tale and the book distributed in the novel by the focal characters make a feeling of disguise in the novel, however both imply the powerless state of the individuals of color. The tale notwithstanding, depicts the topic of affection under the dubious pervasiveness of loathe. Reference: Kelm, Rebecca. Stockett, Kathryn. The Help.(Brief Article)(Book Review).Library Journal, vol. 134, no. 1, 2009, p. 83. 2017, https://www.penguin.com/static/pdf/teachersguides/the_helpTG.pdf. Carroll, Joseph, et al.Graphing Jane Austen: The transformative premise of artistic importance. Springer, 2012. The Help Themes From Litcharts | The Creators Of Sparknotes.Litcharts, 2017, https://www.litcharts.com/lit/the-help/topics.

Servervault Analysis free essay sample

There are a few methodologies which are worth for SeverVault to consider. The primary option is Status Quo (SQ), it implies sit idle and let the business continues running in the old way. Since Severvault is going to meet the investors who are keen on taking a value stake in SeverVault in return for a money speculation, there are barely any prospects that may might occur in the event that it has chosen to utilize Status Quo. The principal probability is that ServerVault has neglected to draw in those financial speculator to contribute. At that point, because of the restricted money that ServerVault is holding and the negative income, it will record a negative money parity of $706422 in September 2000 (Appendix 1). In this way, as there is not any more extra capital interest in this period, ServerVault won't have the option to continue working its business and will consequence of bankrupt at long last. The subsequent chance is that if the financial speculators contribute just 5 million. We will compose a custom article test on Servervault Analysis or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page This measure of capital can keep up its business in a short run. In any case, since putting resources into facilitating organization is delegated long haul speculation, and ServerVault is still in the beginning time of its turn of events. 5 million isn't satisfactory to keep up its activity in since a long time ago run. Since the expense of building the new offices and the PC equipment are the significant money outpouring, the net income will in any case be negative. In this way, November 2000 will be the latest month recording of a positive income of $798678 and it will have a negative money equalization of $876022 in December 2000 (Appendix 2). ServerVault is as yet strolling towards the method of chapter 11. The last chance is that if the financial speculators contribute 15 million. For this situation, in spite of the fact that ServerVault won't have adequate money to maintain its business, it will have the option to work for a more drawn out time contrast with the subsequent chance. Concurring the Appendix 3, Servervault will record its first negative money equalization of $102422 in July 2001. To put it plainly, citing to the a year income gauge of ServerVaut in Appendix 4, the money outpouring is surpassing than its money inflow. On the off chance that there isn't extra financing other than those investors, ServerVault won't have enough money to continue working and will announce bankrupt in the long run. The subsequent option is the converging among ServerVault and the other facilitating organization. There are a few favorable circumstances of converging with the other facilitating organizations in a similar market. Above all else, consolidating can grow its piece of the overall industry in facilitating industry. Since each facilitating organization has gotten certain level of the piece of the pie, its piece of the pie might be adequate to influence the market cost of web facilitating administration. On the off chance that consolidating occurs between two organizations, their pieces of the overall industry will transform into a solitary organization. In this manner, that organization will have more piece of the overall industry. More piece of the overall industry will empower an organization to have a bigger haggling capacity to its providers, clients, financial specialists. For this situation, Serervault will have additionally dealing capacity to its investors. Not exclusively will the investors have a higher opportunity to contribute 15 million, yet in addition it will pull in more business people to contribute. Take the case of the two biggest online video firms Tudou and Youku, the procurement of Todou can allow over 35% of piece of the overall industry which giving it all the more bartering power with potential sponsors . In addition, The joint activity is required to enable the organizations to reduce expenses in regions, for example, copyrights, transmission capacity and server buys. To put it plainly, combining can build the piece of the overall industry, yet in addition diminish the working expense. In this way, if combining can diminish the working cost, for example, set up, facilitating, and benefits cost will be certainly decline in a huge part. Another preferred position is that blending can expand the seriousness of its organization. As the piece of the overall industry will be expanded by consolidating two organizations, it will has a lower creation cost (working expense). Therefore, ServerVault can furnish the equivalent facilitating administration with a lower showcase value in view of the lower creation cost. Hence, since ServerVault has been doing the item differentiator in light of its one of a kind security innovation, it can move its cost driver from item differentiator to cost pioneer bit by bit. So it can broaden its client base not just for the individuals who are searching for quick and secure web access, yet in addition for clients who can't manage the cost of at the first cost. Concerning the case of facebooks Instagram obtaining, since Instagram has become a well known application utilized on facebook, a website that has fabricated a crowd of people of nearly 950 million users,and its tendency is comparable with facebook about sharing photographs on the web, the securing can help facebook to take out a huge rival in photograph sharing business sector. This development encourages facebook to keep up its seriousness in the market. On the off chance that ServerVault converges with the other facilitating organization, it will bring a comparative impact as facebook and Instagram. To wrap things up, converging with the other facilitating organization can help Servervault to take care of its money related issue. In the event that the combining organization has satisfactory money balance, it empowers ServerVault to actualize its unique arrangement of extending its business and building all the more new offices. In the event that the investors contribute 5 million, ServerVault needs $11140422 to continue working its business until it record a positive income (Appendix 5). On the off chance that they contribute 15 million, it needs $1140422 until there is a positive income (Appendix 6). (This figuring depends on the expense before consolidating, the genuine cost will be lower in light of the lower activity cost in the wake of combining) However, there are a few downsides about the blending. Right off the bat, the control intensity of the organization will be shared between the consolidating organization and ServerVault. In this manner, ServerVault might not have the full dynamic force on its unique arrangement. It might need to help out the blending organization to think of another arrangement for its future. Besides, the classified data, for example, the safe innovation will no longer exclusively have a place with ServerVault yet the consolidating organization also. Subsequently, there are a few dangers that ServerVault needs to take on the off chance that it has chosen to converge with other facilitating organization. All in all, if Servervault picks the option of Status Quo, it will no longer make due over the long haul. Regardless of whether the financial speculators put 15 million money in it, the longest life expectancy of Serervault will be in Decemeber 2001 and because of liquidation. Subsequently, as there is an appeal of money in working a facilitating organization, I firmly prescribe ServerVault to think about converging with the other facilitating organization. In any case, there are a few game plans which Servervault should concern. The first is which organization is the most proper one to converge with. To respond to this inquiry, we should concentrate available offer and the monetary situation of that organization. Servervault won't ready to endure if the organization has small piece of the overall industry and lacking money parity to help its extension plan. Also, concerning Appendix 4,the expected development of web facilitating industry are distinctive among organizations in various section. Since the development pace of oversaw area is route better than the co-found and shared (from 1million 2000 to very nearly 11 million 2004), we ought to consider converging with organization which is additionally in overseen segment. The suggested organizations are Digex, IBM, Data Return, and furthermore Carpathia. In the event that there is no organization which can satisfy the above necessities, it implies that extending of its business quickly is not, at this point an astute decision for Servervault.

Blog Archive Long Term MBA Planning Enhancing Your Community Profile

Blog Archive Long Term MBA Planning Enhancing Your Community Profile Many candidates are already looking toward next year. Thus, we are reposting our series on Long Term MBA planning, with a keen eye toward helping candidates seize the next few months to maximize opportunities and mitigate problems. Our second entry follows: As we noted in our previous post on Establishing Application Milestones, if you have not yet become involved in a community organization, now is the time to get started. If you start to volunteer in September, your gesture will seem far less sincere, and you will lack the track record to credibly discuss your experiences in your essays. When considering volunteer activities, you should â€" first and foremost â€" become involved in an organization about which you feel passionate. If you are excited about your volunteer experience, you will be more committed, have a more profound experience and have a far more genuine story to tell. Ideally, you will have a record of community experience that complements and supplements your profile: the accountant who volunteers with Junior Achievement is complementing his existing profile, showing a commitment to his professional path and the desire to give back in this area; the accountant who coaches soccer in his community is supplementing his profile in that he is offering a new window into his personality. Your community activities have the power to show a true passion for your field (complementary) or enhance the committee’s perspective (supplementary) and thus differentiate you from many others. In the example above, we use Junior Achievement and soccer coaching to illustrate our point; while a solid commitment to any organization will be helpful to your candidacy, the more esoteric the organization, the more distinct you become. While you should not volunteer in a completely obscure organization just to be different, if you are truly passionate about both soccer and antiquities preservation, you should consider volunteering in the latter field, thus increasing your opportunities to discuss this unusual hobby/interest. Regardless of the organization and the nature of your activities, if you can (to cart out a cliché) “make a difference” within your organization and show true leadership in doing so, you should be able to add an entirely new dimension to your application. We offer specific pre-application services for those interested in charting a clear course to their MBA. Share ThisTweet Long Term MBA Planning

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

Sample details Pages: 23 Words: 6944 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Finance Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this 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. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Literature Review On Some Fundraising Activities Finance Essay" essay for you Create order 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.

Computer Software Operating System Software - 1158 Words

Computer Software Computer software is a program that enables a computer to perform a specific task. Computer is useless without a software. For example without internet browser you cannot search anything on the internet. You need system software such as word processer, which enables a user to perform a task, and system software such as an operating system, which enables software to run properly. Computer software has to be installed within the computer storage (such as hard drive, memory, or RAM). Once the software is installed, the computer is able to execute the software. Types of software’s: Operating System Software: An operating system is a software that enable the computer hardware to communicate with the computer software. Without†¦show more content†¦It is a multitasking computer operating system. It was designed to be a small and flexible operating system. DOS-command line: Disk Operating System (DOS) was the first operating system used by IBM computers. It was originally available in two versions â€Å"PC-DOS† and â€Å"MS-DOS† Linux-command line: Linux is a software that enables application and the computer operator to access the devices on the computer to perform desired functions. Windows 95, NT, 98, ME, 2000, XP, Vista, and Windows 7: These are the computer operating systems designed by the Microsoft. Novell Netware: Novell Netware is also a brand of operating system designed for networks or simply a local area network (LAN) operating system. Netware is a product of the popular IT-centred company called Novell. MAC OS: Mac operating is series of graphical user interface (GUI). Mac operating system was developed by Apple Inc. It was first introduced in 1984. MAC OS X: This operating system was released in 2001. It is the latest version of Mac OS. It is a series of UNIX based graphical interface operating system. Virus: Virus is a software program that are designed to spreads from one computer to another and to interfere with computer operations. While using the internet your computer may have come in contact with computer viruses. A computer virus might corrupt or delete data on the computer, or erase everything on your hard disk. Viruses also spread ether by portable media, such as external

Special Education Requires a Lot of Education, Time and...

What if students with special needs had to sit in a classroom and try to learn like a normal student? The success of students would not be existent without special needs teachers. Special education teachers help students with disabilities fit in as best as they can by teaching them to do everyday things. These tasks can include brushing their teeth, going to the bathroom, and feeding themselves. Special education teachers put in a lot of work to create the best lifestyle for the students that they teach. Fourteen percent of the kids in the United States have special needs. Those fourteen percent need teachers to help them. Special Education requires a lot of education, daily work, tools, technology, and testing, but it is a very rewarding job. Special education can be a very confusing field and varies with the location and circumstances. Very few special education teachers work with students with severe disabilities (â€Å"Teachers-Special Education† 2). The majority of employ ees in the special education field work with mild to moderate disabilities (2). Most special education teachers work with students one-on-one in a normal classroom environment (2). There are a few teachers that work with their students in separate rooms aside from the student’s normal classroom (3). There are very few special education teachers that work in residential places, at home, or in a hospital (2). There are some teachers that work with a baby at home (2). A special education teacher needs toShow MoreRelatedNational Center For Learning Disabilities1217 Words   |  5 Pageshave confused and mixed feelings. Everything has a purpose and a reason. I am hoping if and when this happen is to benefit the students. Students are the ones that will be dealing and adapting themselves to a new curriculum. Special education students need to time, dedication, and help when it comes to adjusting themselves. Hopefully not implementing common core will help students achieve higher and teachers will be able to focus on the students more. â€Å"A student identified under the IDEA categoryRead MoreI Am A Special Education Teacher1138 Words   |  5 PagesPresently I am a Special Education teacher working with children who have a wide range of disabilities. My class setting is integrated, which mean half of the class is general and the other half is special. My primary goal is to modify general education lesson plans to meet each student’s needs and abilities. These needs may include, but not limited to emotional, physical or cognitive disabilities, teaching basic literacy and life skills. I have an interest in this field because I feel with the properRead MoreEssay on Common Traits of Entrepreneurs597 Words   |  3 PagesIn the past few years, there has a lot of attention paid to the concept of entrepreneurship; however, many still struggle to find the exact meaning of what an entrepreneur is and how he is different from other regular business-owners. This query has gotten people to come up with different definitions and studies in the search of a final answer and, even though there is still a debate for a complete designation accepted by all, now there are certain traits that are recognized by everyone as basicsRead MoreEmotional And Behavioral Disorders Impact Today s System Of Learning1459 Words   |  6 Pagesunderstanding of the emotional and behavioral disorders is the best way of maintaining the control of productive educational learning. To understand how both emotional and behavioral disorders affect the relationship between teachers and their students’ education, all diagnosed cases should be examined thoroughly. This paper explains several types of disorders that may occur and the studies of credited authors that proposed their thoughts on how to adapt and conquer different disorders to allow an environmentRead MoreHomeschooling Persuasive Speech1000 Words   |  4 PagesHomeschooling. Journal Of Philosophy O f Education 44.4 (2010): 497-514. Sorey, Kellie, and Molly H. Duggan. Homeschoolers Entering Community Colleges: Perceptions Of Admission Officers. Journal Of College Admission 200 (2008): 22-28. Home Schooling Quotes. (20 Feb 2015). Retrieved from http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/home_schooling.html ORGANIZATIONAL PATTERN: Chronological Comparative OUTLINE I. Introduction A. 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Stress claims many victims daily through differen t factors like work, school, and/or family. It is often hard for people to cope with stress because they can’t find a solution, or often times, stress can’t be managed and we have to adjust to it. College students go through a lot of stress, causing many problems, and not enough solutions. College students go through various situations that can cause stress. Work can be very demanding, especially when your boss is very strict. SomeRead MoreA Career in Speech and Language Pathology1414 Words   |  6 Pagesschool to receive their Masters Degree and are paid a good amount, and their career gives them a rewarding prize of being able to strengthen their students minds to help them understand and learn better. Like all jobs there is a certain amount of education that an employee must complete in order to get the job he or she is wishing to do. Specifically, speech and language pathologists go through getting there bachelors and masters degree (â€Å"Speech Language Pathologist - Career Profile† 1). Before even

Kennedy vs. Nixon free essay sample

â€Å"Peace,† the overall message is about experience and knowing what to do during though times. Nixons campaign tried to convey this seriousness by shooting its commercials of Nixon perched on a desk and speaking directly to the camera. In JFK’s 1960 â€Å"Debate,† political ad, he addresses the people in a snappier way, and by â€Å"facing the issues squarely. † However, neither of the candidates ads was about issues; rather, they were more contrast in styles.The messages focused on the era as a dangerous time; it was really an election about change versus experience. In Kennedy’s ad, he expresses his ideas directly, specifically, and offers â€Å"new American leadership for the country. † His tone is very magnetic and appealing, and it is quite pleasing to an American to hear that Kennedy thinks that America is a great country, but â€Å"it could be a greater† one. Whereas Nixon speaks with such composure and a serious-minded tone in his ad, it almost seems he is not excited (or even cares) to be there. We will write a custom essay sample on Kennedy vs. Nixon or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The way Kennedy carries himself while giving speeches is an especially confident, poised, and self-assured one, so much that he even comments on whether if people think that America was doing everything satisfactorily, that he agreed with them, that they â€Å"should vote for Nixon†! Furthermore, on the Kennedy-Nixon debate, Kennedy appeared looking â€Å"tanned, confident, and vigorous,† while Nixon was â€Å"wearing no make up and a light-colored suit that blended into the background looking exhausted and pale, and sweated profusely. Also, Mr. Nixon’s tone is exceedingly formal, thus making him look a tad bit uncharismatic, (unlike his likable contender). His way of speaking directly to the camera and giving detailed answers to an offscreen speaker, presented him â€Å"as a though, experienced leader able to stand up to the Communists. † In general, while Nixon was not as charismatic and pleasant as JFK, he was a seasoned, experienced, and mature leader ready to stand up to Khrushchev.Moreover, Nixon kept arguing that while Khrushchev was a â€Å"cold, hard, ruthless man,† that we won’t â€Å"be coerced, that we will not tolerate being pushed around,† that he’d continue to â€Å"deal with Communism and the Soviet leaders†¦firmly, and always with vigilance. † In contrast, Kennedy attempted to turn his youth into an advantage, proclaiming in his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, â€Å"We stand today on the edge of a new frontier. †

What Is Meant by Relevance, Reliability and Comparability Essay Example

What Is Meant by Relevance, Reliability and Comparability Essay Explain what Is meant by relevance, reliability and comparability and how they make financial Information useful. 10 marks) (b) During the year ended 31 March 2006, Porto experienced the following transactions or events: 0) entered Into a finance lease to rent an asset for substantially the whole of its useful economic life. (ii) a decision was made by the Board to change the companys accounting policy from one of expensing the finance costs on building new retail outlets to one of capitalizing such costs. He companys statement of comprehensive Income prepared using historical costs showed a loss from operating Its hotels, but the company Is aware that the increase in the value of its properties during the period far outweighed the operating loss. Explain how you would treat the Items in (l) to (Ill) above in Ports financial statements and Indicate on which of the Frameworks qualitative characteristics your treatment Is Dates (15 marks) 2. Elite Leisure is a private limited liability company that operates a single cruise ship. The ship was acquired on 1 October 1996. Details of the cost of the ships components and their estimated useful lives are: component (hull, decks etc) fittings 150 original cost ($million) appreciation basis Ships fabric 25 years straight-line Cabins and entertainment area 300 12 years straight-line Propulsion system Useful life of 40,000 hours At 30 September 2004 no further capital expenditure had been incurred on the ship. In the year ended 30 September 2004 the ship had experienced a high level of engine trouble which had cost the company considerable lost revenue and compensation costs. The measured expired life of the propulsion system at 30 September 2004 was 30,000 hours. Due to the unreliability of the engines, a decision as taken in early October 2004 to replace the whole of the propulsion system at a cost of $140 million. The expected life of the new propulsion system was 50,000 hours and in the year ended 30 September 2005 the ship had used its engines for 5,000 hours. We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Meant by Relevance, Reliability and Comparability specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Meant by Relevance, Reliability and Comparability specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on What Is Meant by Relevance, Reliability and Comparability specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer At the same time as the propulsion system replacement, the company took the opportunity to do a limited upgrade to the cabin and entertainment facilities at a cost of $60 million and repaint the ships fabric at a cost of $20 million. After the upgrade of the cabin and entertainment area fittings it was estimated that their remaining life as five years (from the date of the upgrade). For the purpose of calculating depreciation, all the work on the ship can be assumed to have been completed on 1 October 2004. All residual values can be taken as nil.

Free Essays on Statement Of Purpose

I remember the day as if it were yesterday. During my second year in college, I was attempting to transmit a group of characters comprising my name from one computer to another. I connected the computers using RS-232 cable, wrote the necessary programs and executed them. I typed my name on one terminal and rushed to the other to see the results. "Wow, this is magic!" I exclaimed as I read 'Tom' on the screen. While I realized intuitively that a complex version of this elementary network could achieve much, at the time I had no real idea what. Now, four years later, I know that Networking makes possible a plethora of applications, from video-conferencing over the Internet to linking banks through private networks. It still seems like magic. Or rather, a grand adventure - one that I most certainly want to be part of. My interest in applied science dates back to my school days. During high school, I was fascinated with electronic gadgets. Soon thereafter, designing and building basic circuits started as a hobby. Along the way, however, I realized that the problem-solving aspect of making electronic gadgets was what I enjoyed the most. Engineering was a natural career choice after this. During my undergraduate studies at the Electronics & Communication department of M.K. College of Engineering, subjects like Microprocessors, C-Programming, Computer Networks interested me the most. I was awestruck by the potential of Intel 8086 microprocessor, more so by the manner in which its faster and more powerful cousins revolutionized the working of computers in a decade. I was now determined to focus on microprocessors during my Final Year project. I elected to do the project at National Space Research Organization (NSRO) as it has an outstanding infrastructure setup and a stimulating, world-class research environment. This enabled me to work with some of the best minds dedicated to engineering research in my country. I gained a lot from ... Free Essays on Statement Of Purpose Free Essays on Statement Of Purpose I remember the day as if it were yesterday. During my second year in college, I was attempting to transmit a group of characters comprising my name from one computer to another. I connected the computers using RS-232 cable, wrote the necessary programs and executed them. I typed my name on one terminal and rushed to the other to see the results. "Wow, this is magic!" I exclaimed as I read 'Tom' on the screen. While I realized intuitively that a complex version of this elementary network could achieve much, at the time I had no real idea what. Now, four years later, I know that Networking makes possible a plethora of applications, from video-conferencing over the Internet to linking banks through private networks. It still seems like magic. Or rather, a grand adventure - one that I most certainly want to be part of. My interest in applied science dates back to my school days. During high school, I was fascinated with electronic gadgets. Soon thereafter, designing and building basic circuits started as a hobby. Along the way, however, I realized that the problem-solving aspect of making electronic gadgets was what I enjoyed the most. Engineering was a natural career choice after this. During my undergraduate studies at the Electronics & Communication department of M.K. College of Engineering, subjects like Microprocessors, C-Programming, Computer Networks interested me the most. I was awestruck by the potential of Intel 8086 microprocessor, more so by the manner in which its faster and more powerful cousins revolutionized the working of computers in a decade. I was now determined to focus on microprocessors during my Final Year project. I elected to do the project at National Space Research Organization (NSRO) as it has an outstanding infrastructure setup and a stimulating, world-class research environment. This enabled me to work with some of the best minds dedicated to engineering research in my country. I gained a lot from ...

Business strategy discussion board Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business strategy discussion board - Essay Example These confused and uninspired thoughts make us lose our initiative to express our thoughts freely and openly. Our confusion and lack of motivation led some of us to actively fail to involve ourselves in the project. Also, because we can't logically express ourselves out, we find it difficult to bind and unify our ideas together. As a result of this, there have been clashes and contradictions of ideas along the way that have just surfaced out as we passed our individual contributions for the group assignment. This even made our group even more difficult to manage. Another problem that we encountered is difficulty in interacting with each other. I admit that the internet makes our lives easy and more productive. But for me face-to-face conversation is still effective in a group project. I believe the atmosphere would be more enthusiastic and more interactive if meetings are done personally. I think this could have been solved if there is someone in the group will stand out and act as a leader. An effective leader streamlines any confusing or contradicting thoughts that the members in the group have. He also gives motivation for each member to eagerly involve themselves and participate in group meetings and discussions that are very vital for the success of the group.

Improving our Ethical performance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Improving our Ethical performance - Essay Example (Annual report, 2004, swisslife) When a large retailer like TESCO is considered, one can find that they made ethical trading an integral part of the way they do business. They took care that the buyers, technical managers and ethical trading team to work with their suppliers to upheld labour standards in the supply chain. The company have developed a core regarding Ethical issues. TESCO started implementing ethical issues in business and ended up in making their staff earn more while the share market was jittering. This was made possible to make staff to save while they earn. (Social responsibility 2006). The company started investing in Kenyan flower supply base, South African wine producing and Dominican banana producing. The investment in these areas has linked the productin with social responsibility. As a result the living standards of flower, wine and banana producers in the above mentioned areas were enhanced and resulted in quality produce for the present and in future. (Social responsibility 2006) When we consider the marks and Spencer's ethical issues the communication, equality and diversity pay and benefit, training and development, health, safety and well being, business ethics were considered in the ethical practices. (2006, work place, Marks & Spencer) The communication between the management, suppliers and the emp... result the living standards of flower, wine and banana producers in the above mentioned areas were enhanced and resulted in quality produce for the present and in future. (Social responsibility 2006) When we consider the marks and Spencer's ethical issues the communication, equality and diversity pay and benefit, training and development, health, safety and well being, business ethics were considered in the ethical practices. (2006, work place, Marks & Spencer) The communication between the management, suppliers and the employees was well maintained to share knowledge that helps in the promotion of the business. By retaining the culturally and socially diverse work force the company is maintained equality and diversity in maintenance of the work force. The pay and benefits for the employees were at the right level and they are attractive for the people who want to join it. This made the employees feel secure and work for the promotion of the business as the company is maintaining continuous communication with the employees to be attentive. The company took care of training and development issues of the employees, which made them, develop their skills according to the need of the hour. It is taking care of health and safety and well being of their employees which makes the absence due to illness scarce. Along with the company the employees and suppliers are made to behave and trade ethically while working for and trading with the company. 2. Comparison of TESCO and Marks and Spencer's When we compare marks and Spencer's regarding their ethical trade practices the similarity lies in maintaining cordial relations with employees and suppliers by communicating and taking care of them. The communicating with employees is a difference of marks and Spencer's from that of

Concept of freedom Essay Example for Free

Concept of freedom Essay 1. Is it possible to measure if anyone is free to any degree? Can freedom be proven? Freedom can hardly be measure as freedom is a controversial abstract concept which people have different interpretations over it. We do not have an absolute definition over the term freedom and thereby there is no absolute operationalization used to measure freedom up to these days. Still, it is commonly agreed by the sociologists that freedom is bounded by many social forces including culture, social institutions, social positions and the like; and under all these social forces, the control over choices and directions that one can enjoy is freedom. By this commonly agreed definition, it is obviously that there is no absolute freedom because of the social constraints; whats more, the definition of freedom is always changing according to the unceasing change of social forces. Therefore, we can never measure the extremity of freedom. Be that as it may, freedom can still be proved and measured in relative terms by comparing the indicators of political rights, economic rights, and civil liberties of different societies as they shows the controls over choices and directions that one can have under social constraints. The more control one has, the more freedom one gets in general. Lets take China and Hong Kong as example. China has a relatively stricter norm in terms of freedom of speech when comparing to Hong Kong, hence we can say that people in China have less freedom of expression compared to those in Hong Kong. By comparison using different indicators, we may measure the relative freedom of different societies. 2. Do you agree that free thought is necessary for free action? I absolutely agree with such saying. Our actions are bounded by social positions and social institutions that have long been constructed no matter whether such practices are genuine or not. These social forces have been parts of the social construction of reality which shape our thinking from the day we are born and control the way we act and live. However, such socially constructed reality is not always legitimate as it seems and in occasions it limits the actions that we may enjoy. Free thoughts in such sense allow critical evaluation over the existing socially constructed reality and may bring changes to the social institutions, structures or positions to allow freer action that people previously cannot enjoy. However, we should also noted that sometimes though social forces have already been mended because of new ideas generated through free thoughts of some people, actions are still being limited because of the deeply rooted old belief in society as a whole and it is always hard for people to have free thoughts. For instance, though the caste system has been legally abolished since 1950, the lower class especially the Dalit people are still seriously discriminated against by the other classes of the society and their actions, such as receiving education and having political rights, are greatly constrained because the thoughts of people in general are still controlled by old social position system that Dalit are outcasts and thus fail to think freely. 3. How would you define freedom? Is it different from this chapters definition? I totally agree with the definition of this chapter that freedom, which refers to the ability to control oneself, ones thinking and ones actions, are restrained by external factors mainly the society and different social forces. Rather than being imprisoned by the existing social constructed reality, free thoughts and free actions are what we should practice. Thinking out of the box and acting according to ones own thought is the only way to truly take control of our lives. 4. Based on the piece by Weber, come up and illustrate with your own examples instances of traditional, charismatic, and rational-legal authority that your are familiar with. Explain why you classify these instances the way you do. Traditional authority: In some indigenous communities which still have a extended family structure such as the communities in walled villages of Hong Kong, the first born male child enjoy the privilege of inheritance. He is also the authority figure of the community. It is legitimated by the sanctity of tradition handed down from the past and is through heredity under patriarchy system. Charismatic authority: Mother Teresa, a very well-respected Catholic religious figure who is regarded as one of the real servants of God because of her morality and contribution to charity in the third world countries. Her exemplary character, faith and spirit inspire Catholics around the world to live truly as a Catholic following Gods will. Her heroism of ministering the poor and needies of the third world countries impresses Catholics and greatly influence their attitudes. Rational-legal authority: Any bureaucratic officials or political leaders. Their authorities are empowered by legal rationality, legal legitimacy and bureaucracy. They implement policies without any interference of people but based on law with legitimacy to govern people.

Aspects of Darkness in Shakespeares Macbeth :: Free Macbeth Essays

Aspects of Darkness in Macbeth      Ã‚   Lady Macbeth has a fear of the darkness of hell: "Hell is murky" (5.1) What are the other aspects of darkness displayed in Shakespeare's tragedy Macbeth?    Roger Warren states in Shakespeare Survey 30 , regarding Trervor Nunn's direction of Macbeth at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1974-75, how the witches represented the darkness of   black magic:    Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the witches, who even chanted 'Double, double to the Dies Irae. (283)    In "Macbeth as the Imitation of an Action" Francis Fergusson states the place of darkness in the action of the play:    It is the phrase "to outrun the pauser, reason [2.3]," which seems to me to describe the action, or motive, of the play as a whole. Macbeth, of course, literally means that his love for Duncan was so strong and so swift that it got ahead of his reason, which would have counseled a pause. But in the same way we have seen his greed and ambition outrun his reason when he committed the murder; and in the same way all of the characters, in the irrational darkness of Scotland's evil hour, are compelled in their action to strive beyond what they can see by reason alone. Even Malcolm and Macduff, as we shall see, are compelled to go beyond reason in the action which destroys Macbeth and ends the play. (106-7)    L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" describes the moral darkness into which Macbeth lowers himself:    The main theme of the reversal of values is given out simply and clearly in the first scene - "Fair is foul, and foul is fair"; and with it are associated premonitions of the conflict, disorder and moral darkness into which Macbeth will plunge himself.   (95)    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare comments on the "images of night" and their impact on the audience:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which

Alberta Tar Sands

â€Å"Only when the last tree had died and the last river has been poisoned†¦will we realize that we cannot eat money†. This is an old Cree saying that is very applicable today. Is the mining of the Alberta tar sands worthwhile, knowing its devastating effects on the environment? There are very valid points for both arguments, being them economical, political, environmental, or moral. The mining of bitumen is not something that is sustainable for the environment, or the companies involved. Although these open-pit mines produce much of the world’s oil, people should consider paying more at the pumps rather than destroying the only world we have to live in. The tar sands in Alberta essentially benefit every country but Canada, and everyone will have to pay the price of the damage caused to the environment. Pollution is caused in the production of bitumen, as well as in its consumption. The first documented European discovery of the tar sands in the Athabasca region of Northern Alberta was made by Alexander Mackenzie in 1773. Over one hundred years later in 1899, Charles Mair and a party of Dene natives explored the Athabasca area by request of the Canadian government. 1 Mair and his party stayed at the northern fur trading post of Fort Chipewan. 1 Following his visit to the region, Mair made a very prophetic statement: â€Å"That this region is stored with a substance of great economic value is beyond all doubt, and, when the hour of development comes, it will, I believe, prove to be one of the wonders of Northern Canada†. 1 Commercial development of the Alberta tar sands first began in 1967 by Suncor . The oil crisis in 1973 sparked investor’s interest in mining development in Alberta, and Herman Kahn proposed that the Canadian government begin mining the tar sands. 1 However, the Trudeau government believed that it would overheat the economy, create steel shortages, unsettle the labor market, and drive up the Canadian dollar. 1 Now, instead of Canada mining the tar sands, global companies from the United States, China, Japan, Korea, France, and Norway have invested a total of 200 billion dollars in the Alberta tar sands. These investments account for sixty percent of global oil investments. Bitumen is defined as a naturally occurring semisolid mixture of hydrocarbons. The fields of bitumen are naturally occurring all around the Athabasca water basin. Most of the Alberta tar sands lie so deep underground that it must be removed by first separating the bitumen from the sand using steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). 1 SAGD works by using water from the Athabasca River and heating it into steam. 1 The steam is then pumped into the ground using hoses. Steam melts areas of bitumen from top to bottom, and the liquid bitumen drains from to the bottom of the pit where it can be collected. This method was created by University of Alberta chemist, Dr. Karl Clark. It was first used by Suncor in 1965. Bitumen is considered one of the world’s dirtiest oils, because of its many impurities. 1 These impurities make a complex mining system necessary. Clearly, the harsh reality of having mined all of the clean oil is that we must now mine the dirtiest. Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta has changed dramatically due to the growth of the mining industry’s presence in the tar sands. 1 The growth in the area is said to be exponential, with no chance of slowing down anytime soon. This growth has completely changed the identity of the city. Housing in Fort McMurray is scarce and expensive. 1 It is nearly impossible to live in Fort McMurray unless you work in the mines. This has destroyed small business owners in the city, because they cannot get anyone to work for them at a reasonable wage. Also, the high average family income has caused high inflation rates. The mine employees who live in the city temporarily have caused the city shortfalls in roads, schools, and health care. Although shocking, these are typical problems that face cities that experience such a large econo mical boom in such a short period of time. The Canadian government has no regulations for the reclamation in the Athabasca region. 1 There is also little known as to how the diverse ecosystem of the region can ever be returned to its natural state. The wetlands that once covered the area cannot be replaced. Also, the large oil companies have not found any way to destroy the toxic waste byproducts in the tailings ponds. 1 In an effort of reclamation, 7. 5 million tree seedlings were planted in the area, but many did not survive because of the state of the soil. Syncrude spent 0. 20% of its total budget on reclamation efforts in 2005. There is estimated to be no bitumen left in forty years. The Alberta government fears that the cost of the reclamation will fall on taxpayers when the global companies leave. This is why it is essential for hold these companies accountable for reclamation while there is still money to be made in the tar sands. Bitumen requires much more energy in production than standard crude oil. 1 Producing one barrel of bitumen takes three times as much energy as producing a barrel of crude oil, and it creates three times as many pollutants. However, bitumen only sells for half the price of crude oil. Every day, the amount of natural gas needed to heat four million homes is used to boil water into the steam needed in SAGD. 1 The mines also use as much water per year as a city of two million people. To produce one barrel of bitumen requires the excavation of two tons of earth, and three barrels of fresh water from the Athabasca River. 1 1. 3 million barrels are exported every day. 1 Because of the oil production, the region has some of the most polluted air on the planet. The three hundred tons of sulphur that is released into the air per day has caused Alberta’ s eastern neighbor, Saskatchewan, to have recurring acid rain. This is just another example of how the destruction caused by oil production will ripple throughout the country. The forests in the area of the Athabasca oil sands have experienced extensive clear-cutting to make room for open-pit mines. 1 It is estimated that the mining developments in the region will eventually destroy a forest approximately the size of Florida. 1 Because of the destruction of the soil, the spruce and pine trees that once covered the region will never be able to grow in the now salt-rich soil. 1 This will obviously have a detrimental effect on the wildlife in the region. Already, the moose, deer, beaver, waterfowl, and other animals that once lived in the region are now scarce. 1 The delicate ecosystem of the area has been destroyed. The tailings ponds along the Athabasca River are used to hold the toxic waste that is produced in the production of bitumen. 1 These ponds now cover twenty-three square miles, and 400 million gallons of this toxic waste is produced daily. 1 It contains salt, phenols, benzene, cyanide, arsenic, as well as other carcinogens. 1 The tailings ponds pose a threat to wildlife that unknowingly enters the ponds believing them to be fresh water. This reality made headlines when 500 ducks were killed in the ponds on April 28, 2008. 1 The ponds are also not properly contained. Not only to the toxins leak into the groundwater, but many of the ponds leak directly into the Athabasca River. 1 There seems to be no real solution to this problem, as not even the experts know how to properly discard the waste in the tailings ponds. Canada has no official water policy, as well as the worst record of pollution enforcement among industrialized nations. 1 The tailings ponds contaminate the water, and Suncor and Syncrude are legally allowed by the Alberta government to ump 150 pounds of arsenic into the Athabasca River per year. 1 One hundred years ago, all of the water in Alberta was potable; it must all now be chemically treated. 1 Also, twenty-three percent of Canada’s freshwater can no longer support aquatic life because of watercontamination. Already, deformed fish are being found in Lake Athabasca. 1 Fort Chipewan is downstrea m from Fort McMurray and the mining operations. As an aboriginal people, they eat fish and wild game from the area. 1 They also drink the water from the Athabasca River. Five cases of cholangiocarcinoma, a rare cancer of the bile duct, have been recorded in Fort Chipewan in the last five years. 1 Cholangiocarcinoma typically occurs in one in 100, 000 people. 1 In 2006, Fort Chipewan’s population was 915. 1 These statistics speak for themselves; however, the province has denied the community a thorough health study. 1 The current state of Fort McMurray is due to the exponential growth that has taken place in the city. 1 However, the city’s seemingly thriving state makes it at risk for drugs, prostitution. Nearly half of mine workers test positive in drug screening. Therefore, most companies don’t do drug testing, because they would have nobody to work if they did. 2 The city and surrounding area have high rates of people driving while impaired, and road fatalities on Highway 63. 1 As well, the province of Alberta has the lowest voter turn-out in the country. 1 Fort McMurray has a high divorce rate, and a suicide rate thirty-one percent above the provincial average. 1 The city also has a high drop-out rate for high school students. The entire city is caught up in the money, not seeming to realize that their income is based on an unpredictable and unreliable market. The people living in Fort McMurray expect the money to keep on coming, and the people from outside of the city are only there for the money; when they’ve made the money that they went there to make, they will eventually leave. Alberta women also experience the highest level of abuse in the country. The province’s premier says that this is â€Å"the price to pay f or prosperity. Unfortunately, to some degree, he’s right. ElDean Kohrs is quoted as saying that â€Å"a history of power production synonymous with boom development usually leaves behind spiritual depression, divorce, drunkenness, dissension, and death†. The people of Fort McMurray can only hope that once the bitumen is gone, the city will not end up like the Klondike City of the gold rush. Although there are many devastating environmental effects of mining bitumen in the Alberta tar sands, the mining gives way to many opportunities for economic gain. The global demand for oil is a huge factor in why it is beneficial to mine the area. The Alberta tar sands are the world’s last remaining oil field, and have attracted sixty percent of global oil investments. 1 Although bitumen is referred to as ‘dirty oil’ it cannot be argued that all forms of oil cause some kind of environmental damage. Canada is now the second largest exporter of oil in the world. It is without doubt that the tar sands would eventually need to be mined, knowing our growing rate of oil consumption; but the rate of the growth is what has frightened people away from the idea of mining the area. Many of the large oil companies are making large strides in making better environmental choices. Suncor has reduced its water consumption by thirty percent in the last two years, and Syncrude has reclaimed twenty-two percent of its disturbed land. The Canadian government has also spent six billion dollars on climate change projects in the last fifteen years. 1 These are positive signs showing that the ways of mining land are changing for the better. The tar sands have also prompted growth all over Alberta. All major cities in Alberta have seen substantial growth in population over the past five years, and this growth as made Alberta one of the wealthiest provinces in Canada. Bitumen mining has also had a large effect on the Canadian dollar. 1 Between 2003 and 2006, the Canadian dollar went from sixty-four cents to eighty-seven cents on the U. S. dollar. This value is nearly parallel with the price of crude oil. Canada’s main exportation priority has become providing the United States with oil. 1 Canada is now the single larger exporter of oil to the U. S. 1 The U. S. has a high demand for oil, as U. S. citizens currently consume twenty-five percent of the world’s oil. 1 However, because of our high exportation, the Free Trade agreement is under intense scrutiny. It would seem that the agreement is no longer benefitting both countries. In summarizing the arguments, you could come to several conclusions. You may believe that the devastating effects on the environment are not worth mining bitumen. You may believe that to stay economically strong, Canada must mine the Alberta tar sands and have high exportation to the Unites States. Morally, it is clear what is right; however, economic decisions are never easy to make. The mining has devastated the region, and it is easy for a person to say that is wrong. However, these same people would not be ok with walking to work, or with paying high prices at the pumps. It is an ethical dilemma that faces the people today, between what we know is right, and what we are willing to go without. It is undeniable that the argument for the thesis is much stronger, but it may not have much validity to people concerned with the economy. The mining of bitumen is not sustainable, and will eventually recreate the identity of northern Alberta. 1 We can conclude that mining the Alberta tar sands has a detrimental effect on the environment that will eventually affect the entire world. â€Å"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world†-John Muir.