A VC - Latest Comments in What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

leighp — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:25:02 -0000

Great idea - read about it on the DonorsChoose blog and just made a donation in honor of my own mom - a recently retired public school teacher (whose birthday is also August 20th) and who gave up countless days taking me to and front music lessons as a child. The music education programs I had in school made a huge difference in my life, and all kids should have music as part of a complete, quality education!

Happy Birthday, Fred.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

fredwilson — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 05:28:16 -0000

Thanks. You've done a lot at age 32 my friend

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Siminoff — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:14:27 -0000

Happy Birthday Fred, 48 is not that old... I mean you are only 16 years older than me:)

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:09:24 -0000

You're absolutely right. Which is why I said it's a cop-out. I'll try to do
better next year.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

ShanaC — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:34:33 -0000

Happy Birthday.

I'm calling you out on not giving gifts. My first year in college I baked two large peppermint chiffon cakes (which I mixed by hand and had swirly colors inside), covered them with chocolate, and served them to my living group in my dorm). I also made a mushroom salad. I was friends with the people, and some of them I am still extremely close with. A good gift doesn't have to be expensive, it just has to be from the heart.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

fredwilson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:00:27 -0000

Another august birthday!

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Steve Kane — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:35:28 -0000

48 "downright old"?

Now you tell me! I turned 47 last Tuesday (8/4).

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Dave Pinsen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:44:46 -0000

OK, I see.

Thanks for mentioning Donor's Choice. I'll mention it to my sister, who is a public school teacher in Manhattan.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

fredwilson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:31:44 -0000

We do fund scholarships to my kids' private school so that kids who can't afford a private school can still attend one

We give to a lot of different non-profits

What I like about donors choose is the way it allows public school teachers to bypass the bureacracy and raise money directly via the internet

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Dave Pinsen — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:19:18 -0000

I'm surprised by your choice of charities, considering that you didn't send your kids to public schools. Why not fund a scholarship to your kids' private school instead, so some lucky kid currently in a public school can get the same education your kids did? Or why not promote a charity that's related to your work in venture capital? One example that comes to mind along those lines is Business Council for Peace (formerly Business Women for Peace, if memory serves).

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Ajay Mehta — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:48:07 -0000

Very cool idea

I wasn't aware that Donors Choose had such a great "birthday challenge" feature. Great idea on their end!

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

rkorba — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:44:34 -0000

Went off-piste, but happy bday from a fellow 40-something -- my favorite one (esp my local menlo park/east palo alto schools) gets much of my time and zeal, and now a fred-prodded gift....

http://www.ihaveadreamfound...

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Drew Meyers — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:28:43 -0000

You set a great example for others -- kudos Fred.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Californian — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:20:46 -0000

August is the best (mine's the last day)!
Happy birthday Fred! Such a great idea. My mom's just like you, so I'll see if she wants to do this next year.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

timo — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:55:26 -0000

I am feeling quite honored. I was born in August 20th too, but in 1991. And I really love your idea and the widget. (My aunt was born on August 20th, too, so it's a good date! ;))

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

robe1221 — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:18:40 -0000

This is an awesome idea. Thank you for sharing this!

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

fredwilson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:42:21 -0000

I like august a lot. Its hot and steamy in the city but nice at the beach. And I take a week off every year at the end of the month.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Venkat — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 08:22:49 -0000

Well, Fred, an early happy birthday and all, but you might be in the minority in believing August is a good month.

Slate has run an article every year for the last few criticizing August, and this year, they propose banning it altogether

Enjoy :)

Venkat

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

bijan — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 06:58:59 -0000

great idea fred. just donated.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:49:19 -0000

Thanks! You too.

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

fredwilson — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:45:17 -0000

happy birthday pascal-emmanuel!

Re: What Do You Get Him For His Birthday?

Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:36:21 -0000

That's actually an awesome idea. I'm like you -- I'm not a fan of getting presents generally, and not a fan of celebrating my birthday. I think it's an irrelevant date. I also hate surprise gifts, which drives my fiancée mad.

In The Lord of the Rings, the Hobbit tradition is that the birthday person gives gifts to their friends instead of the other way around, and I like that. If I could afford it I would do that (yes, that's a cop out).

Too bad my birthday's past (Aug 6) or I would do something similar to what you're doing. For my birthday my best friend treated me to a dinner at a terrace overlooking Paris (at the Arab World Institute -- the service and food were bad, but the sight was hard to beat), and afterwards we went home to have dessert with my fiancée. Dinner with loved ones in a great setting is really the best gift there could've been.

Kudos.