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greatpositive · 9 years ago

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Creating a Shift in Consciousness About Giving

Inspiring Us Blog Series

“The biggest reason for donor fatigue is that a person’s generosity is not well matched to his or her passion. Our impulse to give stems from the heart. Our passion should be the starting point for our giving.”

Meet Jenny Santi, Philanthropy Advisor & Author of "The Giving Way to Happiness"

1. Jenny, what cause are you passionate about and why?

I am passionate about leading people to discover “the giving way to happiness”: the way we give our time, talents and treasures should not only be making a positive impact, but are also personally rewarding, fulfilling, life-changing and fun.

My dream is to create a shift in consciousness about giving, from something that we perceive to be drudgery and a grinding moral obligation, to something that we want to do because it gives us fulfillment, meaning, and happiness in life. I wanted to live in a world where we no longer need to be coerced, pressured, or guilt-tripped into making a difference, but where we intuitively understand that it is good to give. A world not where we give until it hurts, but where we give until it feels great.

Because giving is supposed to feel good - and many of us have experienced that it is indeed “better to give than to receive.” But the opposite can also be true. For example, donor fatigue is a very real phenomenon. There isn’t a day that goes by that the mail doesn’t include a solicitation from some charitable organization looking for help. But donor fatigue doesn’t happen because donors are broke. It is far more likely that they have become fatigued because they are skeptical of whether most of the money they are giving away will ever reach the needy. Practically none of us can say that the feeling of donor fatigue is because we’re already giving away too much money to too many charities. Nearly all of us can give just a little more. The biggest reason for donor fatigue is that a person’s generosity is not well matched to his or her passion. Our impulse to give stems from the heart. Our passion should be the starting point for our giving.

2. How are you involved and what impact do you hope to make?’

I decided to write a book that told the stories of how giving changes the life of the giver. The hardest part about this project was that I wasn’t simply asking people to tell me about what their charitable work did to change the world. Everyone likes to talk about the schools they built, the kids whose lives they have transformed for the better, the sick they have cured, the blind to whom they have given sight, and the homes they have rebuilt from rubble. The hardest part was that I was asking people to tell me what their own acts of giving did to change their lives. I made a mental list of all the reasons they could possibly say no: I don’t want to appear smug and talk about how giving brought me joy! The questions you ask are very personal. How self-serving it is to talk about what my charitable work has done for me!

I knew that if I could get even just two or three people to catalyze this movement, that I would get somewhere. And so began my journey when I approached the three of the most famous and inspiring people I knew, and sent each of them a carefully-worded email asking if they would be willing to publicly share their personal story of giving. To my surprise, all three gladly said yes. So I then approached a team of researchers who were studying the link between giving and happiness, and found out that they too were very willing to share with me their latest findings. Day by day, my project was growing. One by one, I approached many other philanthropists and celebrity activists and asked if they would like to join the ranks of the people who have shared their stories on the transformative power of giving upon the self. It was not my intention to write a book about celebrity giving, but I knew that if some of our favorite personalities and household names were happy to share her story about finding joy in giving, it would be easier to get others to do the same.

Sometime around the fifth month, as if by magic, people started suggesting names of others I should be featuring in the book, instead of me making the request. And to my surprise, even people who I’ve been told are obsessively private agreed to be interviewed. One of them was Ray Chambers (“the greatest philanthropist no one has ever heard of”), who prefers to work behind the scenes and is said to have paid people a lot of money to keep his name out of the press. I was touched when Ray said of this project:

“What really appeals to me about your pursuit is how it could lead to the aggregation of hundreds of millions of people feeling that way, recognizing what giving can do for the self. And then, can we dare to hope, that with the spreading of that knowledge, we begin to see a shift.”

I tell him that is precisely what I hope to achieve.

After almost three years on this journey, I have now gathered so many stories on how giving to others – be it money, expertise, time, or love - has helped people from all walks of life find purpose and joy. I’ve seen this again and again through the eyes of celebrities and change agents, billionaires and blue collar workers, superstars and quietly tenacious back-stagers, people of all ages who’ve made giving their lifestyle and families for whom the act of giving goes on through the generations. A 5-year old boy told me that helping the homeless was his purpose. An Oscar-winning actress shared with me that working on her foundation has been “the most exciting ride” of her entire life. Nonprofit professionals who supposedly “gave it all up” to make a difference, and regularly find themselves in conditions that would appall the rest of us – told me why they feel so fundamentally fulfilled and free of angst. People facing the greatest challenges of their lives – the death of a loved one, a troubled childhood, a debilitating illness, or collective grief – have found renewed hope by devoting their time and efforts towards something other than themselves. A bestselling author whose daughter died from a rare disease found strength again after starting a foundation in her daughter’s name. A media magnate set up a family foundation to bring his children closer to him and to one another. And by helping other victims’ families, a couple whose son perished on 9-11 coped with their grief and learned to smile again.

Some highlights:

My interview with Joshua Williams was one of the most memorable. Joshua was 11 years old then, but he was already a veteran of philanthropy by that time, because he was only four years old strapped onto the booster seat in the back of his mother’s car when he had his first impulse to give. They were on the way to church one sunny day in Miami Beach, Florida, and Joshua’s grandmother had just given him $20 as his birthday present. At that moment on the way to church, he decided to give his birthday money to a homeless man on the street. Barely a year after that incident, Joshua Williams became quite possibly the world’s youngest foundation president, leading the Joshua’s Heart Foundation, which he named himself. Joshua’s story was proof that we are never too young to make a difference, and we don’t need to be a billionaire to give in a structured way.

My interview with 16-time Grammy winning producer and songwriter David Foster was also particularly memorable because not only was it the first in the many interviews I conducted in the making of this book, but his openness and candidness set the bar high for the others. We were in the back lot at Paramount Studios while he was on a break from a rehearsal, and amidst all the distractions he was totally present and really opened up. About his philanthropy he said, “ I don’t do it to be a Good Samaritan; I do it to feed my soul.” He also told me about the internal debate he has about being public about his giving versus giving anonymously. He admitted that on some “selfish” level he likes the accolades, and that if he saw his name on a building, it would be a pretty cool thing for his grandkids to go visit. And yet he occasionally tests himself by giving anonymously, and is discovering that it has wonderful rewards too.

3. What request do you have for our readers?

The key is to find the approach that fits you. When you do, the more you give, the more you will stand to get back. If you give from an authentic place, you get more than you give, and you’ll keep on giving because you know it feels great.

#philanthropy #powerofgiving #social good #socialgreatness #giveback #author #celebrity #passion #donate #happiness #motivation #book #generosity #empowerment

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greatpositive · 9 years ago

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A Radio Station that Does a World of Good

Inspiring Us Blog Series

“It’s important to me to create an instrument of change that is a voice that informs, challenges and assists all those folks who are working tirelessly around the planet to make this world better for people, animals and the environment. ”

Meet Frankie Picasso, Founder and Host of I Changed the World

1. Frankie, what cause are you passionate about and why?

I am passionate about wanting to change the world and make it a better place for everyone. I believe that we are all ONE and what hurts someone else, also hurts me.

When I was thinking about how I would prove to those ‘naysayers’ that the world is still worth saving and that there are still tons of good people left in it, I came up with The Good Radio Network, a positive radio station that would feature positive stories of amazing individuals or organizations that are literally changing the world. My show is now called I Changed the World and it features those amazing people I knew I would find who are out there working in the trenches, volunteering their time, their money and their skills to help others. I know that these folks don’t do what they do for the glory or recognition, but I also know that sometimes it feels good to be recognized for what you do. And by putting the spotlight on them it would point some new eyes and ears towards their causes and, together, we might be able to help them raise more money or get new volunteers through the positive attention.

As a life-long animal and human rights activist, I created The Good Radio Network as a legacy project for my children, and as a longtime SocialPreneur, I want to impact the world in a good way.

I Changed the World literally is radio that does a world of good! Not only have I been able to find those positive do-gooders who I knew were out there, but I Changed the World has also become my vehicle for philanthropy and my goal is to establish a strategic network that strengthens the work of those individuals and organizations we promote.

I Changed the World goes way beyond talk radio and into the realm of do-ing. It’s important to me to create an instrument of change that is a voice that informs, challenges and assists all those folks who are working tirelessly around the planet to make this world better for people, animals and the environment.

2. How are you involved and what impact do you hope to make?

I am the founder as well as the host of several shows on The Good Radio Network. I host I Changed the World, Mission Unstoppable Radio, and FrankieSense & More. All of these shows feature inspirational guests and in some way help listeners to know that that they too can go beyond what they believe their limits are to change their lives and the lives of others, however they wish.

As a station, we have been involved this year with OwieBowWowie, helping to purchase Owie’s for hospitalized children. We have helped An Act of Dog, with their mission to raise funds to build their The Museum of Compassion and have donated to the Holocaust Project and other causes supporting sick children in need. Personally, my husband and I support 3 children through World Vision, donate to many art and musicians projects and I was a founding member of UnCAGED Paws – a nonprofit we started to save Animals in Shelters.

3. What request do you have for our readers?

I really hope that you will join us on all social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Tumblr, and listen to our shows, either live or by download. I would also encourage you to reach out to us and nominate folks for interviews, as well as Ambassadors of GOOD. And please call into the shows, we would love to add your thoughts and voice to the conversations we have on AIR.

I am especially on the look out for sponsors for the network, as well as advertisers. In the next month, The Good Radio Network will be going to Kickstarter and if possible, I would love for you to support us financially there. Please give us anywhere from 5 dollars and up. All is welcome and each donation comes with a gift back to the donor.

#radio #philanthropy #socialgood #socialgreatness #nonprofit #changemakers #volunteer #donate #giveback #inspire #inspiration #socialpreneur #entrpreneur #socent

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greatpositive · 9 years ago

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7 Highlights: GreatPositive’s Inaugural Tweet Chat on Positive Thinking Day

GreatPositive successfully hosted its inaugural tweet chat on Positive Thinking Day, September 13, 2015, and we are so inspired with the conversations that took place. In case you missed it, here are the key highlights and learnings:

Highlight #1: We couldn’t have done it without the help of like-minded people!

Michael Chatman (@michaelchatman), America’s leading connector, navigator and broker in the field of philanthropy, kindly took time out on a Sunday evening to be a guest host on our chat.

Michael’s participation was truly appreciated and didn’t go unrecognized:

We also had an amazing diverse group of positive thinkers who attended the chat, ranging from nonprofit fundraisers to ministry leaders, volunteers and donor advisors.

Overall participation

Thanks to 300 contributors that collectively shared 868 tweets, we were able to reach 902,606 people!

Of those tweets, 12.1% were original tweets, 71.3% were retweets, and 16.6% consisted of conversations that took place between people. We hope to see an increase in the amount of original tweets and @ mentions next time. Your thoughts matter a lot and can make a real impact!

Highlight #2: Positivity is most associated with smiling, energy and the act of donating.

Based on the 4 questions we asked throughout the chat, we were able to see a trend in the words that were most used within the answers. We couldn’t help but SMILE. :)

Highlight #3: Smile showed up a lot in the answers because we skewed the conversation.

The findings to Highlight #2 were a bit skewed because of the first question we asked to jumpstart the tweet chat. We wanted to begin the conversation in a positive light by encouraging people to think about what makes them smile -- a universal language.

Highlight #4: People and acts of kindness are the main motivators for making people smile. And for some, simply life and nature make them smile.

It was so invigorating to hear about the different things that make others smile. A great reminder to not take certain aspects of life and the world for granted.

Highlight #5: As expected, we received a myriad of answers about how people give back, but surprisingly only one person mentioned donating.

Understandably, many want to stay humble when it comes to donating money, but it’s okay to talk about it if it helps bring further support for the cause that you care about. We know you donate because statistics show that over 50% of the U.S. population donate and an estimated $358.38 billion total was donated to charity in 2014 (according to the Giving USA report). Globally, 1.4 billion people donate, which makes up over 25% of the world’s population (according to the World Giving Index report).

Highlight #6: We asked what advice others had to give to amplify giving and the answers were split down the middle between tangible and intangible advice.

Tangible

Intangible

Highlight #7: It can be very uncomfortable and difficult to ask for help, but our participants graciously shared some ways we can all help. Majority of the asks were general asks, but a few asked for specific help. Please lend a hand if you can.

General Asks

Specific Asks

An offer to help

September 13, 2015 marked GreatPositive’s inaugural “Positive Thinking Day” tweet chat, but we also look forward to hosting tweet chats around specific causes on a monthly basis. Email us if you have any topic suggestions and if you want to be a guest host.

See you on October 28, 2015 for our next tweet chat on “Breast Cancer Awareness & Empowerment,” featuring guest host Donna Deegan (@donnageegan), three-time breast cancer survivor and the founder of 26.2 with Donna and The Donna Foundation. #GreatPositiveChat

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