To Blog or Not?

I’ve spent quite a bit of time deciding if I wanted to enter the world of blogs. Between my full-time job, part-time consulting and a very active family (I have two young children) the last thing I need is another responsibility. And yet here I am. I’m a geek at heart, so perhaps the lure of yet another technology-driven forum is too powerful to overcome. Or maybe it’s just because I have stuff to say, and this is a place I can say it.

To be honest, I don’t know if anyone will read this and if they don’t I can live with that. It’s more of an exercise in ‘thinking out loud’ as I find it helpful to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) when thinking about various topics. It helps me digest my thoughts, decide if I agree with myself, and further clarify the issues. It will be interesting to see if anyone does read the blog, if they have additional comments or questions, and how often I will blog.

I have made the following commitment to myself and the blog:

1. I will write at least one original entry each week for a period of one year. If it’s going well and I enjoy the process, I’ll continue until it becomes too much work and not enough fun;

2. Between my entries, I will occasionally post links to stories, information or other blogs that I feel are interesting and worthy of discussion. I may or may not agree with what has been written, and I may or may not comment on these external readings;

3. At least 90% of the blog will be related to the fundraising profession. It may be nearly 100%, but I’m not making any promises. It’s my blog, it’s free, and I’ll post whatever I want! Sometimes I may just need to rant about a subject that isn’t related to the profession, and I admit to having some outside hobbies that might come into play occasionally. If the readers aren’t interested in those posts, they can simply skip forward to whatever comes next;

4. If anyone is crazy enough to read what I’ve written and make comments or ask questions, I will read and respond to as many as I can, and take all points and dissenting opinions as an opportunity to learn from others and share information to the best of my abilities;

5. I consider fundraising to be a serious business, but don’t want to write just another stuffy blog. I think work is fun, this profession is fun, and I like to have fun with it. If you don’t enjoy a bit of irreverent humor, this may not be the blog for you. There are plenty of great blogs and resources out there to enjoy, so I decided if I’m going to write, I should at least have some fun with it occasionally. If you want something else, I might recommend my book ‘Conducting a Successful Annual Giving Campaign’ which is published by Jossey-Bass and available on Amazon.com. It is a great introduction to annual giving, but not exactly an exciting read. And for the record, I make exactly zero dollars for every copy sold;

6. I will continue to remind everyone that while gainfully employed, my blog and the content of my blog are my opinions and experiences – they do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of my employer. I hope that bit of legalese will satisfy the ‘electronic communications and blogging’ language in our code of conduct;

7. Finally, I have promised myself that I won’t obsess about proofreading. I know myself well enough that if I do, a 15-minute blog entry will become a 2-hour ordeal. I’ll write, re-write, edit, re-edit, and eventually start over several times. I just don’t have that kind of time. If you see a typo, just know that I do know how to use spell-check - I was probably in a hurry.

Now on to the obligatory ‘Meet The Blogger’ portion of the first entry. . . .

My name is Jeff Lindauer, I have the pleasure of serving Indiana University as Associate Vice President for Development at the Indiana University Foundation. I’m an Indiana grad with a degree in Public Administration, and also am adjunct faculty at the University. Occasionally I teach a fundraising class which really pays almost nothing but I like that whole ‘adjunct faculty’ thing – has a nice ring to it.

I have a wife (Angie), almost-five-year-old daughter (Chelsie) and just-turned-two son (Josh). Not to mention a dog who sheds too much and a cat who really doesn’t like anyone. I really need to introduce the dog to some shears soon. As for the cat. . . . .

I am a true Hoosier, having grown up in the southern part of the state. I decided IU was in my future at a very young age, came to Bloomington as a freshman and decided it was a great place to live. I think it may be true that ANY college campus is a great place to live, especially as an undergrad with no morning classes.

That’s enough about me. I’d guess you’ll learn more about me if you continue to read the blog. I don’t want to provide too much up front, then there would be no incentive to continue.

Until next time. . .

To Blog or Not?