Tag Archives: generosity

Exhibiting Philanthropy

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Dora's handsBefore Giving Back was ever published, Charles and I envisioned a touring exhibition of our stories and photography on philanthropy. Now, two and half years after release of our book, we are on the cusp of seeing another dream come to fruition.

Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited takes photography and narratives from our book and introduces new content to presents stories of generosity among Americans of African descent.

Influencing the next generation of givers is a priority, so prospective exhibitors are galleries and libraries on college campuses, particularly Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs), as well as museums, cultural institutions and philanthropic institutions with exhibition space. The exhibition’s programming will reflect innovative approaches that invite and engage K-12 students, college students, alumni, educators, faith-based congregants, neighborhood leaders, staff at nonprofits and foundations and the wider public.

We’re encouraged because The Soul of Philanthropy has attracted some initial financial support and also generated strong interest among a wide range of exhibiting institutions in North Carolina and across the country. A priority now is to pursue additional funding in order to begin rolling out a touring exhibition in fall 2014. Securing funds over this summer is the game plan.

Read more about The Soul of Philanthropy here: http://givingbackproject.org/2014/05/19/the-soul-of-philanthropy-reframed-and-exhibited/

A pop-up mini exhibition of The Soul of Philanthropy is set for June 8, and you’re invited to the world premiere: http://www.paperlesspost.com/events/7715089-a8031295/replies/preview#paper/front/0

— VF

What They Prize Most

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“Children must early learn the beauty of generosity. They are taught to give what they prize most that they may taste the happiness of giving.” — Ohiyesa, Native American physician, writer and change agent

Photograph, from the 1980s, of my late grandmother and her sisters featured in the Morganton New Herald

Photograph, from the 1980s, of my late grandmother and her sisters featured in a Morganton News Herald story on giving.

My cousin Britt recently shared this photo as our family prepares for a reunion this summer. The original photograph was taken in May 1983 at my great-aunt Annie’s wedding anniversary party. It features my grandmother and four of her sisters: (l-r) Annie, Esther, Laura, Goldie and Evelyn, known to me at Nanny Evelyn.

In 2007, the Morganton News Herald ran an article in its Faith and Values section about the Fullwood sisters’ “old-fashioned kindness of yesteryear.” At the time this piece ran, they all had passed on except Aunt Annie, who is still with us and is profiled through portraiture and storytelling in Giving Back. The article laments how “communities are losing a generation of good citizens.”

Referencing my great-grandparents, the writer observes:

“John and Maldonia Fullwood aspired to teach their children the goodness of serving and sharing with others. Having parents that believed in family and putting into practice the old mission of being good to and helping your fellowman was just natural.”

I am a fortunate heir to a prized legacy of giving. And I believe that a spirit of generosity prevails in my generation and in younger ones. Generosity does, however, need nurturing in children, and oftentimes adults too, through example, expectation and opportunity. The book Giving Back stands as a centerpiece of the Giving Back Project, which ventures to ignite a movement of conscientious philanthropy by empowering a generation of Americans to recognize their power and responsibility to give back. Along with others igniting this movement, I want to fan the flames—with my writing, my public speaking, my creative and artistic endeavors, my social media interactions, my giving and my life.

So grateful that Fullwood family members, generation after generation, showed me their values and told me clearly through their deeds, girl #getyourgiveon

— VF

Much Given, Much Expected

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“To whom much is given much is expected. This biblical passage from the Gospel of Luke conveys a belief that I and many of my African American family and friends hold dear. Many of us recall a defining moment or childhood lessons that influence our philanthropic giving.”

I’ve opened with these lines from Giving Back to say thanks to many of the people who gave their time, talent and treasure during the development of the book. The word cloud below is yet another way of giving props….as was done here too.

watered

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Rose and watering can still-life from "Giving Back" | Charles W. Thomas, Jr., photographer

“Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” — Proverbs 11:25

Home Again

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Earlier this month, I was a guest blogger on The Blair Essentials, the indie book blog of John F. Blair, Publisher. Blair is a publishing house in Winston-Salem, NC that distributes Giving Back to the book trade.

The blog piece was a joy to write and share, and as I prepare to return to my beloved hometown for the holidays, I thought I’d share it again.

So much about Giving Back is rooted in Morganton, North Carolina. Though a large share of the book’s stories and photography feature people and places in Charlotte, the city where I now reside, my hometown is without a doubt the book’s epicenter.

Morganton, a hilly prelude to North Carolina’s western mountains, is where I grew up and…read the entire blog post.

Giving Props…Again

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Charles W. Thomas Jr, photographer

    The circle of members composing New Generation of African American Philanthropists joined with me to bring to fruition our book Giving Back. Proceeds from book sales will support the mission, philanthropic initiatives and grantmaking of our collective giving circle.
    The Giving Back Project—our giving circle’s civic engagement campaign to reframe portraits of philanthropy—has benefited from the financial support of a host of tribute sponsors, individual donors and organizations.
    We would like to thank our project supporters again, and below is a list of the people and organizations that helped bring our stories to light.
Tribute sponsors and individual donors
Edwin Atlas, Brant Aycock, P. Jean Bligen, Alexandré Bailand Bohannon, Renee L. Bradford, Joyce M. Brayboy, Brenda Erwin Brewer, Christa Carter, Ph.D., Ronald L. Carter, Ph.D., Ruthye Cooley, Rashad Davis, Patrick L. Diamond, Ayanna Fisher (in memoriam), Dawn A. Fisher, Rosalyn V. Frazier, Valaida Fullwood, Diatra Fullwood, Doris “Ann” Fullwood, Allen W. Fullwood, Karen Geiger, Ph.D., Bridget-Anne Hampton, Sharon Harrington, J.D., Bryan Hassel, Ph.D., Arthur Jamison, Sandra Jamison, Sheila Jamison, Melandee Jones, Coron Jordan, Mary Klenz, Kathi M. Knier, Michelle S. Langdon, Candice Langston, Eric Law, Dee K. Lee, Dionne Lester, Myrna E. Lewis, Cori Lindsay, Athan L. Lindsay, Britt Brewer Loudd, Bilenda Madison, Nettie McGimpsey McIntosh, Willie McIntosh Jr., John F. McKinley, Lisa Nannette Moore, James Mitchell (in memoriam), Dorothy Murray, Edna M. Norwood, Dimeji Onafuwa, Cathy Peterson, Pam Pompey, Reginald F. Pretty, Tracy Russ, Kathryn Sain, Meka S. Sales, Octavia Seawell, Stoney Sellars, Tonya Sellars, Jenene Seymour, Shades of Brown Book Club, Jehan Shamsid-Deen, Eric Shelton, Geraldine Sumter, J.D., Mildred Dwiggins Swift, Charles W. Thomas Jr., Vonda K. Villines, Edward Wall, J.D., Qiana L. White and anonymous donors.
Sponsoring partners

‘The most powerful representation of philanthropy that I have seen…’

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I reach but cannot grasp words to plumb the depth of my gratification and overwhelming joy when previewers of Giving Back share their reactions to its stories and photography. A long hope has been that the book would move readers and perchance enlighten and deepen their thinking and giving, for good. This is commentary received last night . . .

“This is the most powerful representation of philanthropy that I have seen in more than a decade in this field. The stories, the quotes, the voices and the photographs are uniformly vivid and extraordinary….A reminder that, in its roots, philanthropy should be felt, not thought.”

— Robert K. Ross, M.D., president and CEO, The California Endowment

Speechless…again.

Giving Props

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Charles W. Thomas, photographer

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.”

— William A. Ward

An expressed thanks and acknowledgment of the sponsoring partners of the Giving Back Project. With their generous financial support—and that of 80 individual donors—New Generation of African American Philanthropists (NGAAP-Charlotte) is reframing portraits of philanthropy.

GivingVision Partners

Philanthropic organizations sponsoring the start-up of the Giving Back Project are:

Foundation For The Carolinas

John S. and James L. Knight Foundation

Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture

Charlotte Post Foundation

NCGives

Community Investment Network

BlueCross and BlueShield of North Carolina Foundation

GivingMomentum Partner

The Duke Endowment

GivingJoy Partner

Piedmont Natural Gas

Thank you!