Dear Friends:

Today is independence day, and we want you to celebrate with us.

As of July 1st, we officially "semi-retired" from 30 years as organizers, writers, counselors and workshop leaders in the fields of donor organizing and philanthropy promotion. Anne shifted out of her staff role at Bolder Giving while remaining on the board, and Christopher shifted from board member to board member emeritus. This completes a transition that began two years ago to the day, when Jason Franklin became Bolder Giving's Executive Director. 

We make these shifts joyfully. It's truly incredible to see in bloom many of the seeds we planted through the decades. To name a few:  

• Bolder Giving: We're confident that Bolder Giving will continue to flourish with the capable and sensitive leadership of Jason and the rest of the staff. It's deeply fulfilling to know that Bolder Giving's stories helped to inspire the billionaire's Giving Pledge! Who knows what unexpected impact lies ahead? 
• Resource Generation: We were among the original midwives of this national organization that challenges and supports people age 35 and under to use their privilege for social change. We're delighted to see it now stronger than ever. 
• More Than Money: Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, our More Than Money Journal has new life: the 43 back issues are available online now as free downloads, and Kindle e-books and print compilations on the themes of giving, relationships, values, identity, children, and lifestyle are in the works. 
• DonorNetworks.org: For decades, we've been promoting greater connection and collaborative outreach among the donor networks (including organizing the former Donor Organizers' Network). Bolder Giving has just received a major grant to create a collaborative, online portal that will help this dream come true. 
• We Gave Away a Fortune: Jason's forthcoming book, Outrageous Generosity, will carry forward the message and incorporate key thinking we articulated in We Gave Away a Fortune, winner of the 1993 American Book Award. 

All these projects join a stream of other voices: Giving What We Can, The Life You Can Save, The Power of Half, The Generosity Plan, JaziGiving, Giving While Living, to name just a few... all calling us to respond to the urgency of our times and step into our full giving capacity. We began this work in our early 20s when there were relatively few players, and we were fortunate enough to help shape some important ideas in the philanthropic promotion and donor education fields. Now the ball is rolling with more creative players than we can track. 

On August 23rd at noon eastern, we'll be talking about our own giving journey and this latest phase of "founder transition" as guests on Bolder Giving's monthly "Bold Conversations" teleconference. Please RSVP to join the conversation.  We'd love to have you there.

We now feel called to put our primary energy into another longstanding love: arts for social change. Many of you have seen us excited to perform with our Playback Theatre company, True Story Theater.  We started the company  as a side project in 2001 -- and now do over 30 shows a year. Plus we're helping to organize Playback North America (see 90 sec. video), a network to strengthen the social change impact of the 76 (and growing) Playback Theatre companies in the U.S. and Canada, and to give Playback the visibility it deserves as a powerful process tool for team-building or fostering healing dialogue. 

If you resonate with the power of the arts to make change, we hope you'll contact us to explore collaboration or to invite us to come perform for a group you are connected to.  Come to the Playback Festival in Washington DC on October 5-8, or informational Playback house parties in NYC on July 5th or Los Angeles on November 13th. We're also keeping a list of people who might want to be part of a future funding circle focusing on Arts & Social Change. Email us about any of these for details. 

And oh yes, in addition to this we will rest and play and keep loving each other. 

  
  Don't be a stranger!  
  We're not retiring from life.

  With gratitude, 

  Anne and Christopher 

Anne and Christopher Ellinger

Founders, Bolder Giving and More Than Money 

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