Philanthropy
Social responsibility is a core element of emotional intelligence, and one of our key values. Social responsibility involves a willingness to contribute to society, to the greater good, even though you might not benefit personally. On this page, we have included some of the non-profit organizations that Nora supports financially and/or through volunteerism.
Periodically we will encounter an organization that wants to bring Nora in to keynote a conference or facilitate a leadership retreat but they do not have the budget for her fee. As many (if not most) organizations we work with have a philanthropic arm, we have a program allowing organizations to apply for a philanthropic split. This results in up to half the fee being paid from the philanthropic giving budget directly to one of these select charitable organizations.
If you would like to apply for this program, please contact us.
The Ruth Burns Reading Room at the Theresa Public Library
June 2024: The library is working on a new website. In the meantime, you can connect with them via Facebook, or by phone: 920.488.2342
In 1962 my mom, Ruth Burns, founded the Theresa Public Library in our small town in rural Wisconsin. When she died in December of 2011 the library honored her memory with "The Ruth Burns Reading Room".
Financial support of this space, and the library as a whole, is important not only for mom's legacy, but because of the importance of rural libraries. Libraries provide resources and connections for residents in a variety of ways that impact core community strength and security.
My mom fundamentally believed, "as long as you knew how to read and had access to books, you can learn about almost anything". I agree.
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Photo of mom and me from November 2011
If am ever in the hospital, please bring a dog to visit!
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Nora and her rescuedoodle are a registered team with Denver Pet Partners (DPP). DPP is dedicated to advancing the human-animal bond to improve the quality of life, benefit human-animal interaction and enhance animal-assisted intervention (AAI) services in Colorado.
DPP teams visit schools, nursing homes, hospitals, workplaces, and special events bringing joy, laughter, and stress relief to our community. Oh, the heartwarming stories Nora has from these visits with her current pup, as well Bella who preceded her as a therapy assistance dog.
Starlight Outreach and Rescue (S.O.A.R.) is a foster-based animal rescue. It was established by my friend Amy Castro in 2017 to support the efforts of local area shelters to provide a better quality of life for stray and abandoned animals, medical attention beyond the scope/capabilities of the facilities, and fostering and rescue services for animals with special needs.
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Amy and her family have been willing to put their own comforts aside to care for hundreds of animals - cats, dogs, donkeys, chickens, and more! They are doing great work. Financial support allows them to save and care for more animals that need help finding their forever homes.
Nora has volunteered with Habitat for Humanity since she was 18 years old. She has hung drywall, installed floors, mixed concrete, cleared debris... you get the idea. In addition to volunteering within the United States (Wisconsin, North Carolina, Illinois, and Colorado), she has volunteered for Habitat in Macedonia (see photo).
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Habitat's focus is "building strength, stability and self-reliance through affordable housing".