Plant-Based Tips
Living a plant-based lifestyle is a journey. No matter what anyone says, the vegan you are in year one is not the vegan you are five years down the road because you learn so much along the way. For me, going plant-based was very gradual (I never thought I could give up cheese on my bagel or real milk in my coffee) but once I started feeling so much better without dairy in my body, I became more committed to reading and learning more about the health benefits of a plant-based diet (thank you NutritionFacts.org).
Over the past few years, there are several important things I learned that I wish I knew way back then so I pass this information along and hope it helps anyone who is trying to gradually move towards a plant-based diet or who just wants to make their plant-based life easier. Read more 
Executive Compensation at MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Boston, Massachusetts that tends to attract the smartest of the smart. With an acceptance rate of 8%, MIT is selective – even at an annual cost (tuition, room and board) of about $70,000 annually, which equates to nearly $300,000 for an undergraduate degree.
The most recent IRS Form 990 (2015 for the year ending June 30, 2016) reports the school received $4 billion in revenue which primarily came from three sources:
- $2.1 billion: Program Services including tuition and fees, research contracts, auxiliary fees
- $1.0 billion: Contributions including $400 million from the government
- $0.9 billion (or $900 million): Gains on the sale of assets, investment income, royalties, and rents
Executive Salaries at the University of Chicago
The University of Chicago (UC) is a private nondenominational research university that accepts about 8% of the students who apply. UC has approximately 6,300 undergraduate students and 10,200 graduate students. The annual tuition with room and board for an undergraduate is about $77,000 annually which means a 4-year degree is about $300,000.
The IRS Form 990 (2015) for the year closing June 30, 2016 reported $3.2 billion in revenue which came primarily from 4 sources: Read more
Executive Compensation at the North American Meat Institute
The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) is a national trade association based in Washington, DC. A tax-exempt 501 (c) (6), NAMI represents companies that process most of the red meat and turkey in the US. To do this, they try to shape public policy so that these companies can “produce wholesome products safely, efficiently, and profitably.” Although many people would disagree that these products are “wholesome,” the association nevertheless represent the interests of the companies that produce beef, pork, lamb, and poultry products for consumers.
NAMI has 104 directors, 98 of whom are male while 6 are female. Read more
Executive Compensation at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA)
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) (6) – a “business organization” – whose purpose is to increase demand and profits for cattle and beef producers. To do this, members (many of whom are cattle head owners) are charged based on the number of heads of cattle, starting at $150 to over $2,000 annually (although each cattle owning member has only 1 vote no matter how many head of cattle he/she owns). In addition, the NCBA also has non-voting members who pay $50-$200 annually to belong to the association. Read more
Chocolate Chip Cookies (Vegan)
Before I went plant-based one of my favorite indulgences was a Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie which really was a Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie (they just didn’t advertise the walnuts). A monstrous thick cookie, the Levain Chocolate Chip Cookie was huge and chunky (about 6 ounces) and very gooey on the inside – the way a chocolate chip cookie should be (although I realize that’s debatable). But when I changed my diet, I had to figure out a way to have a thick, rich, melt-in-you-mouth cookie without the dairy and eggs. Read more
Executive Salaries at the ACLU
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a 501 (c) (4) – a tax-exempt social welfare organization that engages in political and/or lobbying efforts to further its mission which means donations are treated as membership fees and, are therefore not tax deductible.
The American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (ACLU Foundation) is a 501 (c) (3) – a tax-exempt organization whose donations are tax deductible because their political and/or lobbying efforts are very limited.
Although both organizations are set up as different types of tax-exempt non-profits, they both operate out of the same office in New York City. So, when people talk about the ACLU, it is necessary to look at both organizations. In addition, it is important to note there are state affiliate offices nationwide that are separate tax-exempt organizations. Read more
Executive Salaries at Tulane
Tulane University (Tulane) is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. With nearly 14,000 students (8,600 undergraduate and 5,400 graduate), Tulane is a nonsectarian private university that commands about $75,000 annually for tuition and board, or about $300,000 for an undergraduate degree. Why so much?
The answer: tuition dollars are supporting a huge education machine where, in the case of Tulane, more than half of the total expenses ($528 million out of $1 billion in expenses, not including depreciation) are compensation-related costs for the 10,909 employees in 2017 (an average of $48,000 per employee – compare this to $75,000 at Yale, $68,000 at Penn, $64,000 at Princeton, and $46,000 at Georgetown). Read more
Bean Salad
In my quest to eat at least a cup of beans a day, I created this recipe that combines beans with vegetables, fruit, and fresh dill to make a delicious bean salad, worthy of any lunch or dinner plate. Easy to make, Bean Salad takes about 15 minutes to put together and easily serves four, but you can keep it all to yourself and snack on it throughout the day.
Crunchy, creamy, and delicious, the beauty of this salad is in the different textures, flavors, and nutritional content. Full of fiber, this salad also fills you up leaving you very satisfied. Read more
Where Does $100 to United Way of Lee County Go?
United Way of Lee County, Inc. is the United Way agency for Lee, Hendry, Glades, and Okeechobee counties in Florida. Recently recognized by Charity Navigator as a 4-star charity with a perfect overall score of 100, United Way of Lee County, Inc. (UWLC) awarded $75 out of every $100 in revenue ($8.5 million out of $11.4 million) to local human service organizations. Read more
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