By Tami Keenan
December 3 is Giving Tuesday, meant to highlight giving after all the hoopla and noise that surround Black Friday and Cyber Monday. On Giving Tuesday, NCRF urges members to give back to the profession by donating to our Foundation, by becoming an Angel, by donating thoughtful tributes, joining the Legacy Society, or by simply giving a one-time donation.
The holiday season fills people with good tidings. Often this time of year, they open up their pockets to give presents, toss loose change in the buckets (think Salvation Army and bell ringers), and participate in an Angel Tree or donation opportunities made possible by charities and their praiseworthy missions.
Here’s my question to you: Why is giving only limited to one day a year? NCRF provides avenues for members to give every day! If you become an Angel, you can register for an automatic monthly payment through our Mobile Cause platform. Just text NCRFAngel to 41444 and then follow the prompts.
Whether you choose to donate only once or sign up for regular contributions, all of us from the Foundation appreciate your generosity and support of our mission.
Think about it: Hasn’t our court reporting profession been good to you? We should always feel the need to give back to our profession. It allows us to have a full, rewarding, and satisfying career. What a great journey we are all on! Court reporting gives us the chance to learn something new every day. We are blessed to have the ability to write history – perhaps literally via captioning on television or to report in the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives. I am sure you have your special court reporting moments.
More importantly, that witness who fell in a parking lot or slipped on steps — that’s their history. It’s probably more important to him or her than it is to an expert who would opine for whichever side is paying them. In addition to all our benefits from this challenging career, our industry pays us generously. Now, you have the chance to give back to your profession.
I’m the current Chair of NCRF so, of course, I’m going to ask you to donate to your Foundation, our Foundation. You can also give back to your profession by donating your time to your state association or NCRA. The A to Z® Intro to Steno Machine Shorthand program needs more volunteers, and many leaders also need steno machines to make the program work for our many eager participants.
Do you have an old machine gathering dust in the basement? Contact your state association to see if it can be of use. I know it can. NCRF has already offered its first round of scholarships to court reporting students who have decided to move on to court reporting programs after completing an A to Z program, and we are looking forward to awarding more scholarships to this growing group in the spring.
Don’t isolate your giving to one day a year. Give all year. Give today. Our trustees will ensure that your donation helps those who are dedicated to our industry who might need a helping hand.
Tami Keenan, FAPR, RPR, CPE, Battle Creek, Mich., is the Chair of the National Court Reporters Foundation Board of Trustees.
