Seeing Differently

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The Giving Back Project was conceived of 11 years ago for the express purpose of “reframing portraits of philanthropy”. Today both the pop-up edition and the comprehensive version of The Soul of Philanthropy are traveling the country and stimulating new conversations and collaboration among wide-ranging groups.

Our latest short film Deeper Than Your Pockets features foundation heads and community leaders who have hosted past exhibitions. It helps make the case for the exhibit and affirms its value to philanthropy, community building and Black culture.

Watch to hear their stories!

Three weeks ago, The Soul of Philanthropy, Pop-Up, Abridged Edition was featured at Durham’s Carolina Theatre during Black Communities: A Conference for Collaboration, which was convened by UNC-Chapel Hill.

After a spectacular, three-month run, the Columbia, SC exhibition came to a close on May 6.  Thank you Richland Library, Women Engaged (W.E.) Giving Circle, and Central Carolina Community Foundation for your visionary leadership and thoughtful approaches as co-presenters of the exhibition.

Announcements of new exhibitions in the South, along the Mid-Atlantic and across the Midwest are coming soon. These exhibitions and related public programs promote understanding and inclusion and are working to reshape 21st-century philanthropy.

 Come to see philanthropy differently.

Y’all Betta Go

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Another exhibition of The Soul of Philanthropy is coming to an end today.

It’s been a spectacular three-month run of the Columbia, SC exhibition at Richland Library.  The newly renovated library has provided a spacious, gorgeous and graciously inviting setting for the the public to engage with the exhibition and related programs.

I’m grateful to Women Engaged (W.E.), Central Carolina Community Foundation and Richland Library for partnering to present the exhibit and to initiate substantive work that is shifting dynamics and building relationships for the long-term benefit of communities in South Carolina’s Midlands.

If you’re in or near Columbia, all I can say, before it closes, is: Y’all Betta Go!

 

Help us bring The Soul of Philanthropy to your community by sharing our videos, photos, and blog posts to spread the word. #getyourgiveon

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‘Commendable but…’

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Today the world remembers and praises the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 50th anniversary of his assassination.

Every exhibition of  The Soul of Philanthropy features his words prominently to keep bright the flame of justice and love and to guide our paths toward the beloved community.

The Atlanta exhibition earlier this year provided an extraordinary opportunity to feel the potency of his legacy and our collective responsibility to carry the torch forward. Watch the short film below from the exhibit opening at Atlanta’s Auburn Avenue Research Library.

#MLK50Forward

From City to City

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And From One Generation to The Next 

Passing the torch of The Soul of Philanthropy with another exhibition opening! A comprehensive, multimedia exhibition debuted in Columbia, South Carolina on February 10 at the newly renovated Richland Library. We passed the “torch” — an old-style farmer’s lantern, reminiscent of a light perhaps carried by liberating force Harriet Tubman — from Atlanta’s philanthropic leadership to that of Columbia. After a ribbon-cutting with the city’s mayor, a public program paid tribute to our ancestors and to Columbia’s present-day changemakers.

Click a photo from collage below to see slideshow.

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Love, Soul, Legacy and Responsibility

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You’re invited to the Columbia, South Carolina opening celebration of Giving Back: The Soul of Philanthropy Reframed and Exhibited, a multimedia exhibition dedicated to sharing the tradition of African American philanthropy.

Come to see philanthropy differently.

R.S.V.P. here.

 

Love, Leadership and Justice

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Atlanta exhibition opens on the cusp of yearlong commemorations of
MLK’s profound messages and legacy, 50 years after his death
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Happening Now >>> THE GIVING SEASON

Just for you! Thanksgiving food for thought, a fresh crop of photos, new film and an abundance of gratitude


The Atlanta exhibition of The Soul of Philanthropy opened November 1st with a burst of energy and excitement, further kindling powerful ideas and ushering infinite possibilities for the future of Black philanthropic leadership, propelled from the South.

The exhibit’s stories, themes and imagery are timely and resonant as Atlanta and the nation prepare to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s death and celebrate his enduring legacy throughout 2018.

Watch Love, Leadership and Justice from Atlanta’s VIP reception and exhibition ribbon-cutting. It’s our newest short film in a series from the Giving Back Project, featuring sights and sounds from exhibitions of The Soul of Philanthropy.

Come to see philanthropy differently.


“The future of philanthropy is not about generosity, it is about justice.​”     

— Darren Walker, president of Ford Foundation



Presented by Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, in partnership with Hammonds House Museum. Exhibited at Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture & History. November 1, 2017 – January 22, 2018

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southern  legacy  truth   vision   future

 

Watch >>> Fresh, New Film, released just in time for Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

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Film and photography about the exhibition by Sino Chum

Bring The Soul of Philanthropy to your city! Contact us today to learn more.

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Its Other Benefits

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“The New Testament informs the reader that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver. The size and substance of the gift should be important to the recipient, but not to the donor save that the best thing one can give is that which is appreciated. The giver is as enriched as is the recipient, and more important, that intangible but very real psychic force of good in the world is increased.”

From The Sweetness of Charity, an essay by Maya Angelou which is quoted in The Soul of Philanthropy exhibit.

Below are a few photos from the Atlanta opening of The Soul of Philanthropy, which is on display at Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History now thru January 2018. The exhibition is presented by Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta in partnership with Hammonds House Museum. Learn more about the exhibition in Atlanta.

Photo credit: Sino Chum

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Atlanta To Open ‘The Soul of Philanthropy’

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The Soul of Philanthropy Atlanta will open November 1 and run through January 22, 2018 at Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History. Robust civic engagement with community conversations will launch with the exhibition, working further to ignite a movement of conscious giving for social change.

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The exhibition is presented by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, in partnership with Hammonds House Museum.

Sponsors and Community Partners include:

  • African American Development Officers (AADO)
  • Annie E. Casey Foundation
  • Atlanta Celebrates Photography
  • Atlanta Fulton Public Library System
  • CommunityBuild Ventures
  • StateFarm
  • Southeastern Council of Foundations
  • WAOK 1380 Radio
  • Wells Fargo

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Oh Snap!

During our Washington, DC exhibition at the 2017 National Conference of the Association of African American Museums, an intrigued hotel attendant would stroll by regularly and gaze over at our installation. His preoccupation persisted the first few days. Eventually, he ventured into our exhibit space to inquire about the topic and to explore close up and more deeply the displays of photos, stories and interactive elements of The Soul of Philanthropy. And then he shared his story.

Years prior in his native Somalia, he had been on a boat that capsized and sank. While dozens of passengers perished, he was one of only nine survivors rescued by a passing ship. Since that day he said he’s been thankful and always gives back because he was helped once and was saved.

Later, without any our prompting, Nasir wrote his story on the exhibit’s blackboard.

Giving Voice

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Introducing the Black Philanthropy Month 2017 Poster

For the first time, a Black Philanthropy Month poster was commissioned to help inspire Black giving and advance our movement to shape 21st century philanthropy.

This inaugural piece was designed by artist Marcus Kiser and is available here free for downloads. The art poster conveys the BPM 2017 theme: Giving Voice to Fuel Change.