Meet Chad Norman - dad, blogger, "Go Green" founder, volunteer...and Blackbaud employee

I work with great people.  Seriously.  Every day, I come into work and am surrounded by great people (both in this building and within the larger Blackbaud community).  They're interesting, passionate about what they do, and ready to dive in and make things happen.

On top of all that, they also care a whole lot about giving back.  When we set about formalizing our corporate values, it was clear we needed one around volunteerism.  The concept of service -- of giving back in whatever form you choose -- has always been a part of the fabric of this company. 

With the value that "service to others makes the world a better place" now formalized these past few years, we've had an opportunity to celebrate those who give back, both as a way to say thank you and to encourage others to join in.  Each month on our web site, we profile a Blackbaud volunteer.  We share a little bit about these people, how they give back and why.

This month, we're highlighting Chad Norman, my colleague in internet marketing and the one who taught me the basics of blogging.  Chad volunteers at a number of places but is most well known for Go Green Charleston, a nonprofit resource he founded with his wife.  Check it out for yourself, and you'll get a sense of what this guy is all about.  Living green and "being the change you want to see in the world."

I love that sentiment.  It's one thing to identify a problem.  It's something completely different to dig in and drive change.  But it's the courageous few who do who become the leaders we want and need.  That makes me think about something Sidney Poitier said in his speech at the AFP International Conference last month.  "It doesn't matter how many times you get knocked down.  What matters is what you do with your time when you get back up."

Although I've heard comments like this before, what I love about this one is the focus on time as a precious resource that we can either invest or waste.  It's a personal choice.  I, for one, am glad that Chad and others like him at Blackbaud choose to make the investment in the community and themselves. 

To meet other Blackbaud volunteers, stop back each month and check out the philanthropy section of our web site.