Why Contribute to the World Café? Comments from the Harvest Fund Drive
A heart-felt thank you to all who contributed to the great success of our World Café Harvest Fund Drive.
Read on to learn what people said about why they contributed to the World Café Community Foundation:
"I just felt it was the right thing to do. A world wide network of World Café practitioners is a gem that should be preserved in a world so much needed of dialogue. Thank you very much for your wonderful work."
~ José María Zamarrón Cassinello
"...We value and appreciate the World Café Foundation work. We keep using the World Café as a tool to promote meaningful conversations, and it is very aligned with the work we do and with everything we believe."
~ Institute Elos, Brasil
"We were really happy to be able to do this... I remember when we met (Juanita) for the first time at Shambala Institute in the year 2005. The generosity was there when you and David ... "gave" me TWC saying that it was your gift to the world. What we did now was just a small action if compared to all the gratitude and joy we feel by being part of this community and part of this movement of movements.
It was just about bringing what is ours to the central garden so all can be served. No matter if this time it was labeled to TWC, we know that the "food you will cook" will come to garden again and will nurture we all as always. Healthy and delicious food!"
~ Rodrigo Alonso, Institute Elos, Brasil
"As a World Café practitioner, I benefit a lot from the spirit and principles of World Café. It's my pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to the community."
~ Shawn Chung, China
"Because I have been using materials from your website for the past two years to conduct many different World Cafés..."
~ Roger Doebke, San Diego
"... I figure, if it's happening to me, it's probably happening elsewhere. I like to donate to issues that fit in with my personal mission, which is 'to assist in the expansion of human consciousness'. I believe the World Café Community shares a similar purpose, hence I'm proud to support it. Because I also believe this is one way we can help and support humanity, the planet and give hope for the future."
~ Joseph Loewy, Australia
"Because we both deeply appreciate the practice of the World Café and the work you all do to steward it for the benefit of humans having more conversations that matter."
~ Toke Paludan Moller, and Monica Nissen, Denmark
"I have huge respect for it (the World Café process) and I strongly value this international community that is a beacon for open, valuable and respectful communication at a very important time of change in the world."
~ Sandy McGivern-Butler
"I contributed to the World Café Community Foundation - and I encourage all to do so - because it's the right thing to do, because people can use this method, this lovely simple method, to engage, to connect, to find shared ideas or wrangle peacefully over unshared ideas, to create, to nurture, to recognize we're in this together ..."
~ Jeanne Supin
"It was one of those intuitive instant decisions. Just an inspiration...but actually generated by all the merits accumulated by the movement (as the Buddhists would say). In that sense, I was just an instrument...
Please transmit to Juanita and the whole team my appreciation for the outstanding work with the World Cafe during all these years. I am sure you all have a good sense of the benefits you have been generating to so many people all over the world."
~ Oscar Motomura, Brasil
"Although I cannot give a lot, I contributed because World Café has so enriched my work and my personal quest to bring more meaningful conversation into my community. Thank you for your website and hosting the world in dialogue!"
~ Cheryl Lyon, Canada
"I and my partner Zulma Patarroyo have been close to the work of the world cafe foundation for a while and have used World Café in our work for a long time. We are most grateful for the work you do, organising events, keeping the online platform going and connecting people. I have received much and am finally in a position to pay a bit of this back."
~ Rowan Simonsen, Denmark
"Blessings to all of you behind the scenes and to the work of World Café moving forward."
~ Sheryl Erickson, Massachusetts
"It's simple really why I made a contribution. The café style of communicating works. We live at a time of gleaning all our collective wisdom; sharing our deepest truths with meaning and asking grounded and sound questions. We have the answers and we are the ones we are waiting for."
~ Ronita Johnson, California
"I live in Croatia and for me the World Café Community website and resources are (almost the only) way to connect to practitioners and keep learning and sharing. That I appreciate very much! I feel called to participate and support the work."
~ Jasminka Sabol Muzinic, Croatia
"I benefit a lot from World Café as a practitioner. Good to have this opportunity to support the World Café community."
~ Shawn Chung, Taiwan
"The World Cafe gives me hope at this time in history when as a people we are trying anew to find our way. I sense the conscious and unconscious yearning all around me for conversations that matter. Making this contribution is one way I can encourage more conversation in the world, and it is a small way in which I can continue to repay all of the gifts I have received from the World Cafe community."
~ Heather Cummings* * *
"We are very grateful for the inspiration and content we receive from the World Café community, and also the support we receive from Juanita. Warm hugs!"
~ Art of Hosting Brasil
"I am an advocate and user of the World Café process in my work as a consultant and executive coach. I want to support this process by using it in my work and by funding continued development of the model by its founders...Every time I use the World Café process with clients, they tell me it is the best experience they have ever had when trying to engage with issues or powerful questions that are important to them. I want to be a carrier of the work, embody it it my practice as a consultant and executive coach, and model the way forward for others who just might be curious enough to find out what World Café is all about."
~ Wendi Hill
"I have contributed because I have participated in several World Cafeé online calls and I appreciate the work that you do. I want it to continue and if I can contribute to that, I gladly do so."
~ Ursel Biester
"We very gratefully and successfully used the World Cafe model to facilitate a 4 session series about aging and end of life decisions. Particpants were very appreciative of the world cafe format."
~ Joanna Rueter and Hilary Cooke, Sustainable Aging LLP
"I am inspired by the spirit and vision behind The World Café and the one it unleashes in the world: a "World as Café". I feel strongly about the stewardship of the Café process and application in the world as it grows and finds itself useful to shifting conversational patterns for a better society, and fully trust the team that has stepped forward to take The World Café Foundation to the next level. The World Café has been a gift to my life and work, and an act of precious friendship over so many years."
~ Tatiana Glad, the Netherlands)
"I donated to the World Café fundraising drive because I've been a fan since I met folks like Juanita Brown and Amy Lenzo and experienced the power of the technique. I think about how much I value the World Café process and just had to support this."
~ Beth Kanter
"(I gave because) I believe the World Café is one of the most powerful and easy-to-use tools for engendering the type of respectful, heart-to-heart human connection and collaboration that is essential for the transformation of our communities and society today. And also because of my respect and appreciation for Juanita and David, who have given so generously to me and to so very many others."
~ Jean Tennyson
"One of my friend Katori, who is Japanese translator of the World Café (book), posted your information on FaceBook, and I found I could donate small money after having attended his workshop"
~ Shiowjiuan, Japan
"It's been about a month since I participated in an online World Café. Since, we hosted the first World Café with our small non-profit's board and staff—just simply as a way to introduce the method to them. We had great results, with a lot of folks seeing the World Café model as something we could use in many different parts of our organization—the free health clinic, in planning for our food bank's expansion and as a way to facilitate communication in our affordable housing neighborhoods."
~ Liz Haney
"Local practitioners and community have benefitted from integrating the World Café in our work in Singapore and the region."
~ Prabu Naidu, Facilitators Network Singapore
"Consider our donation as a subscription to a process that has made our work more valuable to our clients over the 10 years we have been using it in our Graphic Facilitation Practice. We hope to keep the payments coming - please keep up the good work."
~ Rob and Laurie Benn, Positive Culture Company
"As for your question of why, it is simple...Thank you for your work, colleagueship, and friendship."
- because I can and want to offer what I can and a bit more
- because I use the World Café in much of my work
- because I appreciate what it takes to offer something in the world
- because David, Juanita and others are friends / colleagues
- because it is a simple expression intended to support flow (in the physical and in the other realms)
~ Tenneson Woolf"
The World Café Community Foundation, like every other 501c3 non-profit, needs ongoing financial contributions to survive. These contributions come from you - members of the world-wide community of people who are using the World Café in your work and receiving financial benefit from it, and those who experience and receive value from World Café events, the community of practice, and our repository of resources.
Please help us do our work by continuing to do your part - large or small. Your US tax-deductable financial gifts will help to ensure that the World Café Community Foundation continues its vital work as the hub of the World Café.
If you would prefer to contribute with a check, or subscribe to make convenient automatic monthly or annual payments (you can use the above link to pay with a credit card, too, whether or not you have a PayPal account), or if you just want more information about contributing to the World Café Community Foundation, see our contributions page.
Again, THANK YOU!!
Please help us spread the word!