26 Nov 2006

Books for Africa

When I first founded Functionall Books, my husband was full of advice and classic business axioms, some of which I heeded, other bits, not so much.One piece, however, I squirreled away and have since come to embrace: start the way you intend to finish. This, of course, can mean a multitude of things. For me, it has meant: don’t cut corners; end-point visualize; be true to yourself; keep learning and growing…and so on. Most importantly, though, it has meant: be philanthropic. From the start. Embed it in your business plan, in your corporate culture. Don’t wait until you’ve made it to spare your buddy a dime. However little I make in the beginning, a part of my profits will always be earmarked for something more significant than lil’ ol’ Functionall Books or lil’ ol’ Fiona. Hence, Books for Africa and, hopefully, other mutually beneficial partnerships down the road.

In the words of Kofi Annan, former U.N. Secretary-General:“Books for Africa is a simple idea, but its impact is transformative. For us, literacy is quite simply the bridge from misery to hope”.

Our Books for Africa Bookraiser and bookband Launch in May, 2009 raised over 300 books and almost $800.00 for shipping costs. Thank you friends and colleagues!