The Heart of Community, Pictured

An array of images compose the photo slideshow below from The Heart of Community: Reflections on Justice & Giving event, which featured readings of Giving Back. The New York City event was hosted by Resource Generation and North Star Fund  in observance of Black Philanthropy Month, on Monday, August 26, 2013. Simone Sneed, an organizer of the event, recently interviewed me.

Here’s an excerpt from Simone’s interview, now featured on The Huffington Post:

“The space was filled with diverse life experiences; profoundly personal stories of community transformation and an active desire and yearning to be in collective dialogue.

From the early years of giving that established the Black churches which provided a literal and figurative sanctuary for civil rights work, to the more recent philanthropic engagement of communities dedicated to economic and racial justice, Valaida’s work comes a critical moment in time.”

Gratitude abounds for Simone, Nitika Raj, Sarah Tabet, Marisol Ybarra and others with Resource Generation and North Star Fund who see the value of storytelling from a wide spectrum of voices and communities.

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Generations of Generosity

giving back giveaway winner_Neosha

People talk a lot about “finding your purpose.” I generally don’t think about life or my pursuits in exactly those terms. Yet, when I see or hear from people whom I’ve never met, living in distant places clutching or glowing about Giving Back, I think I might have found mine.

Above is a photo of Neosha who won Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists as a giveaway during the recent Friends of Ebonie event, “Defining Young Black Philanthropy,” in Washington, DC.

The panel discussion and networking event, organized by Ebonie Cooper Johnson, was featured in The Washington Post and The Huffington Post. HuffPo asked, Will Black Millennials be the next wave of philanthropists? noting that “the days of old, rich men dominating the philanthropy space are long gone.”

I’m thrilled that attention is heightening and the frame is indeed widening around philanthropy and Black donors, across every generation—Millennial, Gen Y, Gen-X, Boomer and Greatest.

#getyourgiveon

‘Root Meaning’ Grasped

L-O-V-E | Charles W. Thomas Jr., photographer

Recent media coverage of my op-ed delights me. While the piece was written for black media to mark National Philanthropy Day (November 15), its message holds relevance for everyone, any time.

Individuals, networks and media groups amplified the commentary by publishing and sharing it widely. My thanks to all who ran or read it. Below is a list of places where I’m aware it appeared. If you saw the piece elsewhere, please let me know. Now, go get your give on!