Noisy Philanthropy
Paul Newman died this weekend, and that makes me recall a conversation my friend Beth once had with him. Beth was a conference organizer and she was responsible for getting speakers to come to her event about philanthropy. Beth is an excellent researcher and found out that Newman's Own is a highly philanthropic company so she called them to see if anyone would come speak.
She got a gentleman on the phone who was very senior but did not want to speak at her conference, but he said that Paul was right there if she wanted to talk to him. Of course she said yes and the phone was handed over to the Academy Award winner himself. Beth asked him if he would come to speak at her conference and he said "No" that he didn't believe in "noisy philanthropy."
Paul's term, Noisy Philanthropy has stuck with me over the years, especially when I see all these Omaha society ladies on every committee, every league, every guild just to have their name added to the list or get asked to be on something better. Nothing bugs me more than seeing people who just add their name and send in their check for $30.00 and not really care about a cause.
I guess it's not a bad thing for causes to take people's money if they want to give it, but somehow, to me, it's just more fulfilling to see people active in causes who truly care about children's theater, or love art, or want to make their kid's school a better place rather than doing something because it's the cool thing to do.
Paul Newman died this weekend, and that makes me recall a conversation my friend Beth once had with him. Beth was a conference organizer and she was responsible for getting speakers to come to her event about philanthropy. Beth is an excellent researcher and found out that Newman's Own is a highly philanthropic company so she called them to see if anyone would come speak.
She got a gentleman on the phone who was very senior but did not want to speak at her conference, but he said that Paul was right there if she wanted to talk to him. Of course she said yes and the phone was handed over to the Academy Award winner himself. Beth asked him if he would come to speak at her conference and he said "No" that he didn't believe in "noisy philanthropy."
Paul's term, Noisy Philanthropy has stuck with me over the years, especially when I see all these Omaha society ladies on every committee, every league, every guild just to have their name added to the list or get asked to be on something better. Nothing bugs me more than seeing people who just add their name and send in their check for $30.00 and not really care about a cause.
I guess it's not a bad thing for causes to take people's money if they want to give it, but somehow, to me, it's just more fulfilling to see people active in causes who truly care about children's theater, or love art, or want to make their kid's school a better place rather than doing something because it's the cool thing to do.
posted by Betsy Paquelet Patrick at 11:17 AM
1 Comments:
I am vice-chair of our school governors, secretary to the local Scout troop, help out at Brownies and am involved in many aspects of my Church. It's manic. Sometimes I think just giving money would be much less stressful!
Then I remember how privileged I am to actually be able to do something, rather than have to work. Some of us can, some cannot. But those that do, will always have the pleasure of having helped out.
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