About
“Giving three” is my shorthand description for the giving of “time, talent, and treasure”–or as Martin Novom prefers, “work, wisdom, and wealth.” In 2007 when I was becoming more academically interested in the practice and understanding of philanthropy Martin encouraged me to articulate my thoughts through a journal or a similar exercise. I decided that writing a private cache of my thoughts would be of limited usefulness, however a weblog would allow others to challenge my ideas and allow me to grow and consider alternative perspectives.
Knowing that my professional identity should not be confined to my place of work and that I didn’t want this new adventure to be about me (e.g. Ben’s Blog), I set out to create a neutral place where I could share my reflections. It’s been my experience that fundraisers (at least in North America) focus most of their attention on the “treasure” or “wealth” aspect of philanthropy, meanwhile “time and talent” or “work and wisdom” take a backseat.
The earliest posts on GivingThree include copies of an e-newsletter that began in late 2006 under the name “Philanthropy Thoughts.” In late 2007 the name of the e-newsletter was changed to “The Philanthropy Primer” and provided readers with links to current events in the nonprofit sector and brief 1-3 sentence commentary and analysis. Today GivingThree, aspires to explore all dimensions of philanthropy through original articles, links to interesting content, or other resources I find interesting for the fundraising profession and for the advancement of philanthropy.
There may be guest articles from time to time, but for the most part, content on this site is primarily written by myself, Benjamin T. Mohler, M.A., CFRE. I work as the Director of Philanthropy and Development for The William States Lee College of Engineering at UNC Charlotte. I’m responsible for designing and implementing the strategic fundraising goals of The Lee College of Engineering and have worked in this role since mid 2007. During this time I’ve had the incredible opportunity to advise donors and oversee a fundraising program responsible for securing over $16M in gifts and commitments, including the two largest gifts in the 46 year history of the college—supporting the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center (EPIC). Prior to moving to North Carolina, I was on the fundraising staff for two other universities, most notably the College of Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin.
I obtained my Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2008 and was able to do so through the continuing educational opportunities provided through professional organizations where I am a member; Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). I have also completed the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota graduate program in Philanthropy and Development.
I serve AFP International as a member of both the Publishing Advisory Committee and International Development Committee and support AFP at a local level through my involvement with the AFP Charlotte Chapter where I serve as the vice president of membership, lead the chapter’s mentoring program, and am an active member of the chapter’s Board.
You may find more information about me on LinkedIn.