Members’ Area

The European Resource Bank held its 2017 meeting in April in Podgorica, Montenegro. Congratulations to Maryan Zablotskyy of the WTA member Ukrainian Economic Freedoms Foundation who won this year’s Dragon’s Den competition for his Wikipermit project which tracks government permits.

Tax Freedom Day is the day when a nation as a whole has earned enough money to pay its total tax bill for the year. It is a useful way of representing how large a nation’s tax burden is compared to the size of its economy.

On occasion of World Intellectual Property Rights Day April 26th, the Property Rights Alliance(PRA) penned a letter signed by 54 global partners (including many WTA members).

Following the success slightly over a year ago of the satirical “Coalition of Obsolete Industries” campaign going internationally viral, The Australian Taxpayers’ Alliance has produced a sequel!

The sequel targets a proposal by the Victorian State Government to impose a $2 tax on all rides to fund a bailout of the taxi industry followed by the introduction of Uber and features people in costume calling for new taxes to bail out town criers, the telegram industry, horseshoe makers etc. A tax on tires to bail out the horseshoe makers etc.

From: Staffan Wennberg, Chairman of WTA

One thought I would like to leave with you is that direct marketing to be successful is almost more mathematics than creativity. Keeping track, analyzing the results on different files. So when working with a consultant on this or hiring someone – rather get the careful, mathematically-oriented person than the brilliantly creative one!

Ben Case has had a long series of tips on “How to build a major gift culture.” The last of six well-developed points is The Power of Asking. The biggest reason people do not donate is because they are not asked!

“Five Key Traits of a Great Major Gifts Officer…”

Arroyo Fundraising’s…Kathie Kramer Ryan…

1.    Passionate about their organization’s mission

2.    Genuinely curious about other people

3.    Self-driven and self-disciplined

4.    Appropriately persistent

5.    Results oriented

Hans Rosling was a worldwide celebrity because of his enthusiasm, ways of making complicated questions understandable, constantly showing how the world is improving in the face of pessimism. He was encouraging people, lifting them to new levels of understanding, hope and involvement. He passed away too early and will be missed by the many of us who believe in a better future, a humane world. A professor of the old tree, demanding, teaching but living in the new world with constant hope for the future. You can learn from him and share his heritage on his website:  http://www.gapminder.org/.

Congratulations to Nikolay Popov, president of the Bulgarian Taxpayers Union, who led the celebration of its 25th Anniversary in Sofia, Bulgaria this Autumn.

January-March 2017

Dear WTA Members, Observers, and Friends:

Happy New Year! Hope this finds you well, rested, and ready for 2017.

Congratulations to Raymond Ho from Hong Kong’s Momentum 107 for another successful year! See their anniversary gala pictures here.