Categories: Articles

NABS – The National Advertising Benevolent Society

I think we all take a moment at this time of the year to be thankful for what we have and, hopefully, to do that little extra bit to help those who are less fortunate than us. One of my favorite charitable organizations is NABS – The National Advertising Benevolent Society.
Here’s how their website describes the group:
“The National Advertising Benevolent Society (NABS) is the only charitable organization in Canada that provides assistance to advertising, media and related industry professionals, who may need help due to illness, injury, unemployment or financial difficulties. NABS services include a national toll-free Helpline (1-888-355-5548), financial assistance, resource centers, skills assessment and retraining, as well as emotional, personal and career counseling services. Founded in 1983, and supported 100% by the industry, NABS has contributed more than $5 Million to thousands of industry colleagues and their families. NABS has chapters in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.”
I got involved with the group (thanks Howard) about one year ago. The Quebec chapter is known as BEC – Bénévolant d’Entraide aux Communicateurs and I am honored that they asked me to sit on the Board for the Quebec chapter.
I’m not using this Blog space to promote any “look at what I’m doing” ego stuff. This is about helping those in my industry who may be having a rough go at it. It’s always during this time of the year that I wonder most about who needs help and who’s helping them get it.
Between opening presents, hugging family members and warming up by the fireplace, we should all be thankful that we have the capacity to give and are not in the position to be a recipient of these services.
My one holiday wish for all family and friends is simple: may you always have the capacity to give and never be the one in need.
NABS is also revving up their Ad Auction 2006 – where media buyers and sellers work together to sell some great media placement across Canada (and online) and make a lot of money for NABS in the end.
If you can donate some space (or want to be notified when you can buy), please go here: NABS – Ad Auction 2006.
Happy Holidays.

Mitch Joel

Mitch Joel lives at the intersection of technology, business transformation and consumer culture. He is the Executive Director of Next Era Institute, a strategic intelligence platform helping leaders understand the forces reshaping business, technology, culture and society. The Institute identifies which shifts matter, explores their wider significance and translates them into strategic direction and momentum. Mitch is also a globally recognized keynote speaker. He has delivered thousands of presentations across both B2B and B2C industries to organizations including Google, Walmart, LEGO, Shopify, Microsoft, Procter & Gamble and Unilever. Strategy Magazine has called him “one of North America’s leading visionaries.” Mitch built his career by working directly inside the waves of change that reshaped modern business. He founded and built a digital marketing agency that worked with some of the world’s largest brands and was later acquired by WPP, where he served as President of a firm operating in 25 countries with almost 3,000 employees. Mitch is the bestselling author of Six Pixels of Separation and CTRL ALT Delete, and the host of Thinking With Mitch Joel, one of the longest-running business podcasts in the world. His writing and commentary appear in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company and Inc. Magazine. He is a member of Dr. Marshall Goldsmith’s 100 Coaches and was named to the Thinkers50 Radar. Mitch also hosts Groove – The No Treble Podcast, documenting the oral history of electric bass players. Mitch is also Co-Founder of ThinkersOne, a platform that enables companies to bring personalized thought leadership from world-class experts into meetings, events and off-sites in focused 15-minute bursts.