generosity-GENROZT: (n) "a gracious act that creates a joyful ache every time it is remembered" Tapa blanda - 2012

After 30 years in fundraising and 2,500 face to face major gift conversations helping raise over $200 million, Stephen Kahnert is certain of two things: everyone has a story about the generosity that marked their life; no one will tell that story unless you ask, and then listen. Really listen. Stephen traces his storytelling to his mom, Rita, who did a fabulous job listening to the hearts of her seven sons-plus one. Stephen has four sons. His wife, Sheila, has a key leadership role at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Stephen is a graduate of Brebeuf Jesuit College School in Toronto, and took an honours degree in English Language & Literature at St. Michael's College, University of Toronto. (Marshall "The Medium is the Message" McLuhan was one of his professors.) His life's highlights include: bring founding member of the Toronto Sherlock Holmes club, The Bootmakers; having his reflection on Lincoln as a hockey player accepted into the archives of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum in Springfield, IL; receiving the top award given by Canada's largest radio station, CFRB, from the hands of acclaimed broadcaster Gordon Sinclair. (Stephen spent the summer of 1971 finding, listening to, writing up, and then voicing on-air stories of good news.) His career includes consulting and executive staff roles in nonprofit organizations in the United States and Canada, as well as roles in corporate marketing, television production, and public relations. Stephen has two goals for his first book "generosity-GENROZT": 1. to inspire millions to recall the gracious act that marked their life, then write it out, then mail it to The One (our world could use more gratitude). 2. to then get work groups to begin every agenda with a few attendees recounting their GENROZT memory. With everyone listening. (our discourse needs a starting point of everyone of us as a recipient of at least one gracious, generous act).