2011 was a remarkable year.

It is hard to believe that Excellence in Giving will soon celebrate its 10^th Anniversary. Some days it feels like it’s been 20 years, other days it seems like we have just gotten started.

As I reflect on the past year, I am filled with gratitude. It is a true joy to have a talented, dedicated team to serve our clients. It is a privilege to serve generous families who have a passion and desire to truly make a difference. We are thankful to have served many of our clients for five or more years, while adding a significant number of new clients in the last two years.

2011 Highlights:

1. International trips with clients. It was educational and enjoyable to spend time with clients in Israel, India, Bermuda and Cuba during 2011. There is no substitute for an in-person visit to understand the people, needs and opportunities around the world.
2. Significant high-impact gifts. Several clients used Excellence in Giving to source and research projects and organizations that resulted in seven-figure gifts. Now we get to track the exponential return on their significant charitable investments.
3. Highly Satisfied Clients. The joy on our clients’ faces makes it all worth the effort.  Turning a $50,000 gift into a $900,000 gift by leveraging movie premieres and launching reading rooms at Denver schools multiplied and maximized the joy of our clients’ giving in 2011. One retained client said, “I’ve never had more fun in my giving” and another remarked, “I never had such clear returns on my giving before working with Excellence in Giving.”
4. Launching Intelligent Philanthropy. At the end of the first quarter, we went live with IntelligentPhilanthropy.com. As a result of the hard work of Dr. Paul Penley and James Herr, 2011 ended with over 300 nonprofit organizations in the database and almost 100 subscribers. We look forward to growing the database and users substantially in 2012.
5. Hiring Jessica Bocker as Director of Client Service. Jessica has been a huge blessing to Excellence in Giving and our clients. She has raised the client service level to the high level that Dr. Paul Penley has taken our research.
6. New research projects. We were hired by several prominent individuals and private foundations to execute substantial organization and industry research projects this year. It shows exceptional trust in our capabilities and our clients’ unique commitment to maximize the impact of their giving.

Finally, let me express my sincere and enormous gratitude to everyone who has contributed to the success of Excellence in Giving. Most of all, we appreciate our clients who have allowed us to join them on the journey of effective generosity. Over the last 10 years we have all learned how difficult but rewarding that journey can be.

May 2012 bring you increasing joy and good health as you are generous toward others.

Al Mueller
President of Excellence in Giving