October Newsletter

We are pleased to use this month’s newsletter to offer thanks and congratulations to the supporters of Voices for Philanthropy.  Envisioned as a pilot project, the Voices campaign has spent the last 22 months exploring ways in which the success stories of charitable giving are being shared, and encouraging individuals from all walks of life to join us in giving voice to the powerful, positive impact of philanthropy.

The context provided for those stories may prove critical as President Obama and the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction contemplate changes to the charitable deduction in an effort to reduce debt and stimulate the economy. For more information on this important issue visit: Alliance for Charitable Reform or Independent Sector.

Setting politics aside, this month, we’ll share some of what we have observed, and take the opportunity to feature unique efforts that, while they may not fit neatly into any one category, are nonetheless examples of philanthropic freedom at its very best.    

"Even if something is left undone, everyone must take time to sit still and watch the leaves turn."
-   Elizabeth Lawrence
 

FOLLOW-UP: The Economic Opportunity Road Tour stopped in Cincinnati this week (October 4-5) to highlight Cincinnati Works. This program helps the chronically unemployed obtain—and retain—jobs. As we noted last month, the organization has helped 3,000 low-skilled job seekers find steady employment, despite the high national unemployment rate.

Sponsored by The Philanthropy Roundtable, The Road Tour showcases inspiring donors and outstanding nonprofit leaders from across the nation who are helping individuals and communities to achieve and sustain self-reliance and economic success.  Salt Lake City on December 1 will be the final destination for this year’s road tour with a visit to Welfare Square , a facility that produces and delivers food and clothing and provides other services to needy people in the Salt Lake. Stay tuned for more details.  For more information on the Road Tour please contact Elizabeth Isele at The Philanthropy Roundtable at: 202.822.8333 or by email at: eisele@philanthropyroundtable.org.

Philanthropy’s Unique, Proud Tradition

Project Heal: Service Dogs for Wounded Warriors: Funded by Geoffery Beene and built on the efforts of East Coast Assistance Dogs, Project Heal is a double-play of successful philanthropy.  Starting at two months old, specially bred dogs begin training with at-risk youth at alternative schools in New York.  The program teaches the students critical life skills and trains dogs in over 80 commands. 

Once the dogs “graduate” from this program they are assigned to a veteran at no cost.  With the ability to pick up dropped objects, open and close doors, open refrigerators, pull wheelchairs, interrupt nightmares and even remind their charges to take their medication, these animals provide an invaluable service to veterans. 

And beyond assisting with everyday activities, the dogs become an emotional backstop for their new masters.  Veterans report enormous psychological improvements when paired with a loving, affectionate, helpful canine. 

The Montana Meth Project: “I was chewing gum and there were little pieces of something in my gum and I took it out and it was my tooth.”

That’s a seventeen year-old in Montana describing the effects of her addiction to meth in a TV ad.  It’s a bleak, disturbing spot, part of a larger campaign to shock Montana’s youth into graphic awareness of the threats of methamphetamine.  

Funded by Tom Siebel, chairman of the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Foundation, the Montana Meth Project blitzed the airwaves with a $15 million campaign designed to “unsell” meth to 12-17 year olds with the message “Not Even Once.”

It’s working. A recent report noted Montana teens are more likely to believe using meth just once or twice is a “great risk” compared to their peers nationwide, and statistics indicate a significant drop in meth use since the Montana Meth Project’s launch in 2005. The project has since expanded its programs into Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, and Wyoming.

Shoprats: Chris Salow started the Shop Rat Foundation to address the loss of shop classes and teaching of hands-on skilled trades in America’s middle and high schools over the years. As manufacturing jobs have migrated overseas, less emphasis has been placed on skilled trades including construction, repair, and engineering, Salow decided to ask some hard questions, namely, who is going to fix and maintain all the heavy machinery arriving on our shores, not to mention build our skyscrapers and homes?

The Shop Rat Foundation was his answer.  Salow provided the initial funding for this organization which now runs entirely on private contributions and the expertise of local professionals. Every day, students enrolled in its programs work on innovative and unique projects from hovercrafts, electric wheelie cars, and solar powered mini cars, to hydraulic robots and many other engineering tasks large and small. Some of their creations like customized wheelchairs are then donated to those in need.

Orton Family Foundation: Every town has a story and every community has a history.  The Orton Family Foundation tries to preserve the qualities that give small towns their heart and soul by working with citizens to make sure the decisions they make today – decisions that have the potential to impact their communities and their residents for decades to come – also take into account what makes their town unique. 

The core of the Heart & Soul Community Planning process comes down to asking residents three questions: Why did you come here? Why are you still here? What will keep you here?

By engaging with people, the Orton Family Foundation creates a way for residents to contribute their energy and talents, and tap into their community pride, in order to plan for the future and leave a legacy they can be proud of. 

Canstruction:  It’s a statue of King Tut!  And a life-size model of a polar bear family! And they’re made out of…cans of food?  Meet Canstruction a group that has harnessed generosity and ingenuity in order to help feed the hungry for the last twenty years. 

Launched in 1992 by the late Cheri Melillo, Canstruction brings the construction and design communities together for competitions to build structures out of canned food which is then donated to those in need. Since the project began, more than 15 million pounds of canned food have been donated on behalf of its fight against hunger and malnutrition. 

From models of animals, enormous chess sets and even The Beatles, the stunning stacks of food draw attention and over 30,000 volunteers annually.  As Canstruction notes, that’s 30,000 people each year who return from the contest and continue to shine a spotlight on the issue of hunger in their communities.

From The Mountaintops

We want to transition from this initial, pilot phase of the Voices of Philanthropy journey by underscoring what we believe is the most important finding of the last two years. Simply, the most effective allies of, and champions for, the philanthropic tradition are those at its very core: You. If you receive this newsletter, you already embrace the importance of sharing the philanthropic story far and wide. Here is a list of organizations which have built tools to assist you in telling your story. If you’ve already started – don’t stop. If you haven’t started yet – here’s your chance: 

At Voices for Philanthropy we welcome stories of successful philanthropic that we can profile on our website or through social media. Contact us at info@v4p.com to learn more.

The Council on Foundations is specifically seeking to illustrate how philanthropists work hand-in-hand with public entities to achieve maximum effectiveness – do you have examples?  Share them at: http://ppp.cof.org/share.

The Foundation Center has an easy-to-use online form that helps people who have worked with youth and philanthropy to share their experience with others: http://foundationcenter.org/yip/stories_form.html

Many of you are aware that the charitable deduction is on the table in President Obama’s proposals for job creation and debt reduction. The following resources offer tips to contact your legislator to make sure they understand philanthropy and its impact in their district:

• Defining Philanthropy's Role in Society (DPRS) - DPRS is a joint communications project between the Council on Foundations, The Philanthropy Roundtable, and the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers, that has developed a set of consistent, coordinated messages which organizations can use when speaking publically about philanthropy with elected officials. For more information contact: plee@philanthropyroundtable.org
   
• Independent Sector's Advocacy Tools: http://www.independentsector.org/advocate_tools

Voices for Philanthropy Profile

The motto of the John Templeton Foundation is, “How little we know, how eager to learn," which aptly reflects their support and enthusiasm for this project, as well as the countless ways they endeavor to inspire and enlighten on the condition and nature of the human spirit.  The John Templeton Foundation provided the seed funding that launched Voices for Philanthropy and we benefited from their enthusiasm for understanding the environment in which non-profit stakeholders view philanthropy, its traditions and its impact upon our country. 

The John Templeton Foundation’s core funding areas are: Science & The Big Questions, Character Development, Freedom & Free Enterprise, Exceptional Cognitive Talent & Genius, and Genetics.  Woven into these subject areas are themes including freedom, gratitude, and purpose which reflect the Foundation’s commitment to finding unique pathways to address some of the most pressing issues of the day.  It is with gratitude that we share more of the John Templeton Foundation story:  http://www.templeton.org/

Next Steps

It has been a humbling experience each month to set out to identify and shine a spotlight on the acts of humanity and generosity that occur across this nation every day.  Philanthropy enables individuals from every corner of the world to showcase their talents, to lessen the hardships of others, to inspire their minds and to lift themselves and others out of adverse situations or circumstances.  But philanthropy addresses bigger issues as well – it looks to protect the environment, to save species, to build economies, and to save lives.  We came across hundreds of examples that illustrate the impact of American generosity.

The irony is that in almost every circumstance we had to search.  Certainly, there are the press releases detailing charitable contributions, outstanding citizenship awards, and galas celebrating feats of art and accomplishment – and those have immense value to illustrate and build community.  But to read comprehensively about philanthropic impacts on education,  housing, or animal welfare, we had to peel back a few layers before many of the stories were revealed.  You have the opportunity to change this.

We need voices from across the country and from every sector heralding the powerful impact of philanthropy on our communities. It serves as a defense against efforts by policymakers in states and Washington that could constrain charitable giving.

As many in the nonprofit community turn their attention to Washington D.C. and consider the impact of proposed changes to the charitable deduction as part of President Obama’s job creation proposal, we can only hope that lawmakers realize what’s at stake.  We hope it isn’t too big of a stretch to see the positive impacts of philanthropy on the communities they govern and the impacts on the entire country.

Storytelling isn’t always easy or simple.  But some pictures are worth a thousand words.  From PhotoPhilanthropy, please enjoy these galleries of images portraying social change in action as captured by photographers of all abilities from around the world.  http://photophilanthropy.org/galleries/

How will you tell your story?
                
 

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