– I am so delighted to be with you here today because I have money to give to charity – says Elisabeth Misner, Co-Founder and Administrator of the BNI Foundation while presenting Anna Radziejowska from Junior Achievement Poland a $1000 Givers Gain® Grant. Junior Achievement teaches young people about money management and how business really works. The mission of this worldwide, non-profit organization is toinspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.It’s the kind of challenge that JA takes on with creative energy, fervor, and decisive action. BNI supports their activities in many countries. Today, JA programs are delivered by more than 178,000 volunteers. Many of them are BNI members.
Photos: http://business-relationslifestyle.blogspot.com/2014/06/beth-i-ivan-meisner-po-raz-pierwszy-w.html
Elisabeth Misner, Co-Founder and Administrator of the BNI Foundation: We give money to the community because the community supports our business so much and makes it possible for us to even have our business. So, when we first started our charity, we got members of BNI together and asked them what the focus of the BNI Foundation should be. As we were talking with them, it seemed to be the best to make a focus on children and their education beacuse they are the future of BNI, and the future of business.
Maya M. Kowalczyk: What kind of education programs do you support?
Elisabeth Misner: The programs which we support are dedicated to children from primary to secondary school. We do basic educational projects like reading, math, and science. We do not give to programs related to music, art and continuing education because there are other foundations which do that. For junior high and high school we support business education and career readiness. Young peple learn how to start their professional careers or how to start a business. That is why BNI is one of strategic partners of Junior Achievement. We cooperate with Junior Achievments all around the world.
Maya M. Kowalczyk: Anna Radziejowska from Junior Achievement Poland has just received from you a $1000 Givers Gain® Grant. What is the aim of giving this donation?
Elisabeth Misner: Young peple from Poland will be taught how to write a business plan, how to produce a product, how to market it, how to make a profit, what to do with the money when it makes a profit, including giving it to charity, too. It is pretty exciting.
Junior Achievement is present in over one hundred twenty-one nations, and BNI only in fifty one. So, in nearly every country we go there is the Junior Achievement organization, and we can support young people in more ways than just giving them money. Once the BNI members know what is happening in the local Junior Achievement chapters, they can mentor young aspiring business owners. The BNI members are going into schools and they are teaching the kids themselves what it means to have your own business, how to grow it, and how to balance your career and personal life. So, that is one way of giving education that is beyond the basics. We help them to get ready to be a part of our society.
Maya M. Kowalczyk: Thank you.
Elisabeth Misner: Thank you.
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Beth Misner Bio
Beth is the co-founder and administrator of the BNI Foundation which has awarded over $2 million in educational grants to schools and organizations with a focus on improving tomorrow’s business through education today. In 2010 the BNI Foundation named Junior Achievement as its worldwide strategic alliance partner.
She has also been a contributing author to three New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling books and is a professional speaker, having spoken to business audiences in many countries.
Beth resides in Claremont, CA, with her husband, Dr. Ivan Misner. Ivan and Beth have three adult children. She is a Tai Chi and Qi Gong instructor and also a black belt in karate.