U.S. President Barack Obama shakes hands with students of Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy in New York City as he is joined by representatives and community members from San Antonio, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Southeastern Kentucky, and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma during an East Room event January 9, 2014 at the White House in Washington, DC. President Obama announced the five areas as his administration’s first five ‘Promise Zones’ to help the local communities to combat poverty. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
It is a characteristically direct comment. “I think it’s a bit ironic how much praise philanthropists get because I think it’s a privilege to have this kind of wealth; and my guess is if most of society had this kind of wealth, they’d get involved in philanthropy. Because what else are you going to do with it – roll around in your coffin with it?”
So say Stanley and Fiona Druckenmiller. They are a couple unlike any other in philanthropy. While they mostly shun publicity, they are not shy about taking risks or giving lavishly, and they have no problem doing one thing that most billionaires never need to do – asking others for money. Their giving, their motivation, and their leadership has made the Druckenmillers one of the most lauded philanthropic couples in the world, and while they mostly stay out of the spotlight, their good works speak volumes.
Both Stanley and Fiona have had extraordinary success in the world of finance. For years Stanley worked for George Soros, one of the first recipients of the Medal of Philanthropy. In fact, Soros sought out Stanley’s help so that he could focus more on the philanthropy side of his life and less on the business. Clearly this made an impact on the Druckenmillers, and soon they too were putting a significant amount of their time and resources into giving.
The Harlem Children’s Zone & Promise Academy school and Geoffrey Canada Community Center on 125th Street. (Photo by Jefferson Siegel/NY Daily News via Getty Images)
Recognizing that their success came thanks to their access to quality schooling, much of their philanthropy has focused on providing opportunities for education. And like any good investor, they keep a certain amount of variety in the organizations they fund within the education sector. Along with giving out college scholarships, they have provided significant funds to programs like Teach for America and College Summit, an organization whose mission is to increase college enrolment rates in low-income communities. What they are most known for, however, is their involvement with Harlem Children’s Zone, the community organization providing education, social and health programs for at-risk children and their families. Stanley has had a significant hand in building up the organization, and has sat as the Chairman on the board of trustees for many years. The success of the organization has an impact that money cannot buy – hundreds of other organizations are springing up around the world, inspired by the work the Harlem Children’s Zone does in New York.
Recently, the Druckenmillers have sought to have an even bigger impact on childhood poverty, and that has put them in the unique position of asking other billionaires to chip in too. By pooling money with other wealthy philanthropists, the Druckenmillers are looking to Blue Meridian Partners, a philanthropic fund, to help decide the best and most effective way to use the money. Putting both money and brains together, they hope to identify the best nonprofit organizations working in childhood poverty, and provide them with the resources they need to thrive.
Stanley and Fiona might avoid the spotlight, nevertheless, their commitment to education is one of the most notable stories in philanthropy. And if the Druckenmillers are behind it, bet on success – that’s where the good money is.
Sports Stars are Using Their Platforms to Raise Money for Hurricane Relief
When the recent hurricanes swept across the United States and the Caribbean, many individuals and foundations stepped in to help. A growing number of athletes are among those who have given generously.
Sports stars gave their own money and solicited donations by turning to crowdfunding websites such as GoFundMe and YouCaring. Some donated proceeds from their winning tournaments, or committed to giving a certain amount based on their performance, such as $100 per birdie and $500 per eagle in golf.
Michael Phelps hands out gift bags to children as he visits the Boys & Girls Club of Harford County to present a check for $20,000 from the Michael Phelps Foundation and KRAVE Jerky at the Boys & Girls Club of Harford County on December 16, 2016 in Edgewood, MD. (Kris Connor/Getty Images for KRAVE Jerky)
Disasters aside, there are many athletes who are keen philanthropists year-round, whether it is through their own foundations or working with others. For example, the LeBron James Family Foundation works to help children access education in the NBA star’s hometown of Akron, OH. Tennis star Serena Williams has supported 12 charities and 19 causes, according to Look to the Stars, which tracks celebrities’ charitable giving. The Michael Phelps Foundation, run by the world’s most decorated Olympian, works to promote healthy, active lives and expand participation in swimming. Phelps is among the athletes named in last year’s Bleacher Report list of 10 very charitable athletes.
LeBron James joins 200 youth in a spontaneous ‘chalk clap’ to dedicate a new athletic field at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida – Walt Disney World Clubhouse. James, The LeBron James Family Foundation and Sprite donated the revamped facility, along with sporting equipment such as bats, basketballs and soccer nets, to mark the announcement of The Sprite Uncontainable Game at the Boys & Girls Club of Central Florida on February 25, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Sprite)
And while Colin Kaepernick may currently be best known as the NFL player who started a peaceful protest against police brutality and racial injustice by kneeling during anthems (and setting off a national debate about sports and the national anthem in the process), he has been engaged in community service and charitable giving outside the spotlight, donating causes as diverse as single mothers in Georgia to a clean-energy advocacy group. His website says he has donated $900,000 out of his $1 million pledge to give to organizations working in oppressed communities.
Tyson’s Corner, VA-based Athletes for Hope has worked with about 4,000 athletes representing 25 sports, helping foster their relationships with charities. Ivan Blumberg, the non-profit organization’s CEO, says that athletes want to ensure their efforts are having impact.
“There are those who have a strong desire to help, but like anywhere else in society, there are those who need a push or the education and resources to make a difference,” he says. “They need the tools to make sure that when they want to make a difference, they are doing it right.”
His organization runs workshops that inform athletes about their philanthropic options, help them explore their role in their community, and teach them how to maximize their charitable impact. Most of the time, starting a new foundation is not the best answer because of the time and money required to run one successfully, Blumberg says. He points out that athletes are often powerful role models for children, so it is great to see so many of them engaged in philanthropy in different ways.
“Athletes have a platform to inspire social change and some certainly use that platform to inspire others more broadly and engage in their communities to make a difference,” Blumberg says. “Social change can fall in many categories, whether it’s the fight for equality or disaster relief, so we certainly applaud athletes who are working to step up and make a difference.”
Anna Ucheomumu high fives Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt after loading a car with relief supplies for people impacted by Hurricane Harvey on September 3, 2017, in Houston, Texas. J.J. Watt’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund has raised more than $18 million to date to help those affected by the storm. (Photo by Brett Coomer – Pool/Getty Images)
USA Today has a comprehensive list that includes recent donations from athletes, as well as teams and team owners).
J.J. Watt, who plays for the Houston Texas NFL team, has helped raise more than $37 million for the Houston Flood Relief Fund.
Carmelo Anthony, an NBA player who is half Puerto Rican, kicked off a fundraiser for Hurricane Maria relief with a $50,000 donation. His YouCaring campaign has raised more than $325,000.
Mark Cuban, the owner of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, loaned the team plane to the team’s guard, J.J. Barea, who flew to his native Puerto Rico to deliver supplies and assist with relief efforts. Barea and his wife, a former Miss Universe Puerto Rico, have also raised more than $200,000 for relief efforts.
Kazuo Inamori is not your average businessman, and that is not simply because of his remarkable success. Something of a maverick, he is also a Buddhist monk. He has consistently challenged common practices and refuses to be beholden to investors, a position that has brought him enormous success. What is more, his views on business, philanthropy, and spirituality have developed harmoniously over his lifetime and are intertwined in a unique and quietly revolutionary way. His is not a life that easily is broken down into distinct sections, but instead is best looked at through a wide lens, giving a true sense of the man and his impact.
Inamori’s business background is an impressive list of success stories. He established the Kyocera Corporation in 1959, and it has since become a multi-national tech company with over 30,000 employees. A quarter century later he founded what is now KDDI, Japan’s second largest telecommunications network. His business skills were of such renown that years later he was asked to come out of retirement to take over Japan Airlines. He started there in 2010 and within three years he had pulled the airline out of bankruptcy and put them back on the stock exchange – while taking no salary.
This remarkable success is all the more praiseworthy thanks to his compassionate approach. Despite operating in a world of shareholders and investors, Inamori has always made it clear that his first priority is the satisfaction of his employees. This view is simply part of Inamori’s outlook on life, seeing material wealth as a byproduct of doing business with a deeper purpose. As he told the Financial Times, “I didn’t want to be a rich person… my motivation has been making people around me happy.”
Unsurprisingly, this is apparent outside his business efforts, too. Upon retiring from KDDI, he focused his time on becoming a Buddhist monk. And while this sounds like an odd choice for one of Japan’s wealthiest individuals, it was very much in line with everything Inamori previously espoused. There was no conflict between Inamori the businessperson and Inamori the monk, it is two manifestations of the same man seeking to bring happiness to others.
German choreographer Pina Bausch (L) receives the Kyoto Prize from Inamori Foundation chairman Hiroo Imura during the awarding ceremony at the Kyoto International Conference Center in Japan’s ancient capital Kyoto city, western Japan 10 November 2007. Bausch and Japanese scientests Hiroo Kanamori and Hiroo Inokuchi received the award. AFP PHOTO / Yoshikazu TSUNO
A wildly successful businessman who focuses on his employees’ happiness as well as his own spiritual fulfilment? That would be enough to make anyone stand out. But Inamori has done remarkable work in philanthropy as well. In 1984, the same year he launched KDDI, he also founded the Inamori Foundation. In an interview with The New Sun, his advice to business people was simple: “Charitable acts, by helping society and other people, are in fact what will drive you wonderfully to your own happiness.” The foundation gives out research grants for natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences, with the funds going to young researchers who will have a positive impact on society. Most impressively, the Inamori Foundation gives out two elite prizes. The Inamori Ethics Prize is a yearly recognition of an exemplary international leader whose actions have improved the human condition. And the foundation is also behind the Kyoto Prize, Japan’s highest award for global achievement. And based on his impact on the world, if Inamori was not giving those prizes, he would most certainly be receiving them.
Gordon Moore’s impact in Silicon Valley is impossible to overstate, and his success has brought him greater wealth than he could ever have imagined. The co-founder of Intel, the “Moore” behind Moore’s Law, and a trailblazer for the entire microprocessor industry, he is a titan in the tech world. He is also reserved and introverted, allowing bigger personalities to make noise while he has continued to revolutionize the industry.
1st microprocessor, 1971 : Intel 4004 (Photo by Apic/Getty Images)
His work achievements alone would leave Gordon Moore in the history books, but he wanted to do more with the fortune that he had amassed. Luckily, he had his wife, Betty, to work with. Her knowledge and passion have contributed a key ingredient to their philanthropic ambitions. Clearly they were extremely capable individuals, with Betty working at the Ford Foundation while Gordon got his PhD at Caltech and began his journey into the world of transistors. Once they saw the opportunity to give back, they jumped at the chance, choosing to fund assorted appeals for help every holiday season. In time, they were able to put more time, money, and rigor into the process, but it has always been a very personal effort. Even with the big foundations working away, Gordon does not shy away from personal philanthropy, telling Fortune: “The things I do personally are hard for the Foundation to do. Education gets a lot of it, some science stuff. I pick up a bunch of screwy things.”
The Foundation that he is talking about is the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, which the couple founded in 2000. This has allowed them to tackle causes they were passionate about in a deliberate and focused manner, which is of course entirely fitting for someone with a scientific mindset. The chief targets of the Foundation are environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay area, and thanks to their personal involvement, the Foundation has been able to initiate some unique and visionary programs.
A spectator looks skyward during a partial eclipse of the sun on August 21, 2017 at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City, New York. Millions of people have flocked to areas of the U.S. that are in the ‘path of totality’ in order to experience a total solar eclipse. During the event, the moon will pass in between the sun and the Earth, appearing to block the sun. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The science aspect of the Foundation has proven to be where it truly stands out. It has brought about potentially world changing initiatives like the Moore Inventor Fellows, a ten year project to support 50 aspiring inventors. The Moores know all about what it means to be at the forefront of development, and now they are hoping to ensure others are given this opportunity. They are also not bashful about getting everyone to appreciate science. This past August the Foundation partnered with libraries across the country to provide glasses for the solar eclipse, distributing a total of two million.
And although they had already given over half of their money away before signing the Giving Pledge, they do not seem to be slowing down. They donated $200 million to Caltech for construction of one of the world’s largest optical telescopes. The Foundation is also doing amazing things in environmental conservation, particularly with their Conservation and Financial Markets Initiative, helping bring mainstream financial markets in line with conservation-minded approaches to saving the planet. It is quite a journey from making microchips to awarding million dollar grants, but the passion and intelligence brought to all their projects is as strong a link as any.
A Tribute to the 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Honorees
On a beautiful October afternoon, more than 300 distinguished guests — including Vartan Gregorian, Yo-Yo Ma, and Big Bird! — gathered in the Beaux-Arts splendor of The New York Public Library’s Bartos Forum to salute the “awe-inspiring” munificence of this year’s medalists
It was a day to honor those who use their success and stature to take on some of the world’s biggest problems. More than 300 guests came to The New York Public Library’s Stephen A. Schwarzman Building on Tuesday, October 3. The reason? To celebrate nine of the most influential philanthropists on the planet, recipients of the 2017 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, named in honor of the “father of modern philanthropy,” Andrew Carnegie.
A bagpiper led the procession of the medalists into the Bartos Forum, a tribute to Carnegie’s Scottish heritage. After a round of applause for the medalists, Tony Marx, president of The New York Public Library, welcomed the guests with remarks about the power of philanthropy. Marx then welcomed the president of Carnegie Corporation New York, Vartan Gregorian, who enlightened the crowd about the exceptional achievements of this year’s medalists. “Indeed, the munificence of the Carnegie Medal recipients is not only remarkable, but awe-inspiring,” said Gregorian. “You are living examples of Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropic legacy and of those who have followed in his footsteps. You have all dedicated not only your personal wealth, but your reputations, your time, and your talents to causes of deep significance to you and to your communities: namely education, international peace, the environment, the arts, the protection of our democracy, and much, much more.” Gregorian then introduced a video explaining the origin and the purpose of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.
As the morning moved to afternoon, Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble took to the stage to perform a selection of instrumental songs and dances, highlighted by Sandeep Das’s haunting tabla solo.
Yo-Yo Ma and the Silkroad Ensemble
Dr. Gregorian welcomed the day’s master of ceremonies, BBC World News America presenter Katty Kay, who touched on a variety of themes as she warmed up the crowd before the presentation of the medals. “Today,” said Kay, “philanthropy is being called upon to play an even greater national and international role — in fighting poverty and other global ills, in funding research and development on issues like climate change and nuclear nonproliferation, and in sustaining democracy at home and around the world. Helping the people and the causes that need it most must always be the priority. Our former, current, and future medalists are all keenly aware of this.”
Katty Kay
Kay then brought each of the medalists on stage in turn, displaying videos detailing their philanthropic efforts.
Gerry and Marguerite Lenfest spoke of the moment they came into great wealth. “All of a sudden,” recalled Gerry Lenfest, “I was a billionaire. Having all that money made me think of one word — responsibility. I came to certain conclusions. Not to die with wealth.” The couple also spoke of their philosophy of giving, noting that they wanted professionals running their organizations, not family or friends.
Next, Sir James Wolfensohn accepted the medal with a salute to the American dream: he came to this country from Australia with nothing — and, with success, he has gone on to make a real difference in the world. He offered some commentary on the modern state of giving. “With the younger generation,” he observed, “it’s very useful to pass on the lessons I’ve learned. Many of them know a lot about technology, but don’t know very much about giving money away.”
Next to the stage was Kristine Tompkins, who proudly sported a bracelet crafted — on the spot — from the Carnegie tartan of her cloth napkin ring. She focused her statement on the satisfaction she finds through her work in philanthropy. “Getting up every day and focusing on the things we love has brought new dimensions into our personal lives that we never thought imaginable.”
When Azim Premji took the stage, philanthropy’s global progress came front and center. Premji remarked on the differences between succeeding in business versus philanthropy. “The time dimensions are much longer in philanthropy. It requires significantly more patience, more sustaining power and a larger base of people.”
The afternoon took quite a turn with the next guest. Big Bird was accompanied by Sherrie Westin, executive vice president for Global Impact and Philanthropy at Sesame Workshop. Big Bird told the crowd about his Yellow Feather Fund, which brings educational materials to children in need all around the world. Before he left the stage, Dr. Gregorian couldn’t help but steal a quick hug from the very big, very yellow Big Bird.
Big Bird with Vartan Gregorian, President, Carnegie Corporation of New York and Sherrie Westin, Executive VP, Sesame Workshop.
Then, back to the medalists. Kay welcomed Shelby White, who spoke about her personal connection to the causes that she supports and also touched on the changing nature of philanthropy. “I would hate,” White cautioned, “to see philanthropy become something that is totally obsessed with measurable results, near term.”
The global nature of the 2017 honorees was reinforced when Mei Hing Chak accepted her medal. Chak spoke about some of the differences between China and other parts of the world when it comes to giving. “I hope that helping others can become a social custom in China. And I hope that philanthropy can become a type of social culture.”
The man known by many as the “Wizard of Wall Street” had a very specific focus when acknowledging his medal. Julian Robertson said: “I think the environment is extremely important, and want to see there is a world that our progeny can live in. We have to work if we want that to happen.”
Unfortunately, Jeff Skoll, the final medalist honored at the luncheon, was unable to attend the ceremony. Skoll’s parents, Mort and Judy Skoll, accepted the medal on his behalf, while Sally Osberg, CEO of the Skoll Foundation, spoke about Jeff Skoll’s commitment to creating an organization that works toward a world of peace and prosperity.
Katty Kay concluded the afternoon by summing up the sentiments of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy with a quote from Andrew Carnegie himself: “Wealth is not to feed our egos, but to feed the hungry and to help people help themselves.”
Big Bird might be the most famous bird in the world. He certainly doesn’t act like it though. Curious and caring, Big Bird exemplifies some of the most admirable qualities in any species. While he’s always been somewhat cagey about exactly what sort of bird he is (he’s been linked to canaries, larks, condors, and emus), there is little doubt that the world could use more of his type.
Living in a large nest behind 123 Sesame Street, Big Bird manages to stand out even amongst the incredible diversity of the neighborhood. He counts Elmo, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Oscar the Grouch as some of his best friends, all of whom dearly love the big, yellow guy and are quick to help him on his endless quest for answers. He readily admits that there is much that he doesn’t know, pointing out, “Asking questions is a good way of finding things out!” While the audience of the message is typically children, these are words that everyone should take to heart.
While Sesame Street remains the best place to find Big Bird, his curiosity has brought him to wide audiences, appearing in movies and showing up on television shows ranging from the Ed Sullivan Show and Hollywood Squares to Saturday Night Live and the Colbert Report. Recently he’s even appeared with Michele Obama to promote her efforts to get kids up and moving. With this level of visibility, Big Bird also realizes he has a lot of power, and unsurprisingly, he uses it in thoughtful and caring ways. His biggest initiative is the Yellow Feather Fund, which bring educational materials to children in need all over the world. Not just that, but there have been targeted efforts to reach out and help groups like military families, refugees, and children with autism. The Yellow Feather Fund is a way for Big Bird to bring smiles beyond the reach of the television screen.
Sesame Street characters Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Murray Monster, Cookie Monster, Elmo, Abby and Grover post with host Jimmy Fallon on September 11, 2014 — (Photo by: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images)
At 8’2”, everyone has to look up to Big Bird. But he also provides plenty of other reasons to be looked up to. He cares deeply for his friends, whether they’re the neighbors on his street or the millions who have watched him on television. It’s hard to even comprehend the number of adults who spent many hours with him in their younger years, only to later share the friendship again with their own children. Sesame Street helped prove what a powerful educational resource the television could be, and Big Bird has always been front and center. He’s helped people become caring, concerned adults. And he’s proven time and time again that it’s OK to have questions. Most importantly, he has given generations of kids the confidence to be themselves, saying, “I guess it’s better to be who you are. Turns out people like you best that way, anyway.”
We’re lucky that Big Bird is who he is. That’s the way we like him best.
The names of the great, and the good, grace countless trusts as monuments to wealthy benefactors now long dead. In contrast, Charles (Chuck) Feeney believes in giving generously and anonymously during his lifetime, in exchange for no recognition at all. His foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, preaches “Giving while living” – a forerunner of the Giving Pledge that many Carnegie Philanthropy Medalists support.
Born in Jersey in 1931 to Irish American parents during the Great Depression, he made his fortune as a co-founder of the Duty Free Shoppers Group, which pioneered the concept of duty-free shopping. He served as a US Air Force radio operator during the Korean War, and began his career selling duty-free liquor to US sailors at Mediterranean ports in the 1950s.
While Feeney enjoyed the thrill of successful business ventures and smart investments, he felt little desire for the wealth that accompanied his extraordinary success. Always quick to pitch in money to worthy causes, he started thinking about making a big impact in philanthropy in the late 1970’s. His personal advisor recommended Andrew Carnegie’s Gospel of Wealth and Feeney set up his Foundation with those ideals in mind. He put nearly his entire fortune into the Foundation, while keeping his involvement a total secret from the outside world.
After rigorous vetting by Feeney himself, beneficiaries were sworn to secrecy about the identity of the donor. Feeney sought no buildings in his name and no recognition for his gifts. This spoke to his belief system, seeing himself, as Carnegie would say, simply as a steward of his wealth. In fact it was only due to a business dispute that his philanthropic activities became public in 1997. He is known for his frugality, living in a rented apartment, not owning a car or a house, and flying economy-class despite his enormous wealth.
Feeney’s approach is neatly summed up in his single quote on the subject, “I had one idea that never changed in my mind – that you should use your wealth to help people.” The anonymity also provided him a strategic advantage. Unbothered by requests for aid, he could take his time feeling out organizations and opportunities to make sure his donation would have impact.
Library and McGraw bell tower on the Cornell University campus. (Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Looking back over his catalogue of generosity, it is easy to see where his passion lies. He focused on areas he knew or had experience in, and most efforts had some personal connection. Cornell, which Feeney credits with setting him up for success, received both the first grant and the final one (along with many in between). Higher education is a reoccurring theme, with Atlantic Philanthropies helping with schools and training in Ireland as well as Vietnam, Cuba, and South Africa, all of which he saw struggling without sufficient help.
Unlike business titans of old, then, Feeney has not hoarded his wealth. He wanted to spend the money invested in his Foundation quickly, especially if there was an opportunity to make a big, sustainable impact. Over the course of his life, Chuck Feeney has given away over $8 billion, with his last $7 million going to Cornell in 2016. Warren Buffet perhaps summed up where Feeney falls in the ranks of philanthropists. Speaking to Forbes magazine in 2014, Buffet said, “It’s a real honor to talk about a fellow who is my hero and Bill Gates’ hero. He should be everybody’s hero.
Feeney has been called the “James Bond of philanthropy,” for his secrecy and success. In 1997, Time Magazine said that “Feeney’s beneficence already ranks among the grandest of any living American.”
So while there may currently be no marble busts of Feeney gathering dust or lawyers poring over complicated bequests, his work is living testament to generosity and largesse of the most impressive kind.
Carnegie’s Creation of the Groundbreaking Public Television Series
The beginning of the iconic children’s program Sesame Street can be traced to an apartment in Manhattan’s Gramercy Park.
Education TV officials told a Senate subcommittee on Equal Educational Opportunities that television is a potential ‘savior of our society’ that could turn its mind-molding powers to providing all children everywhere equal educational opportunity. Mrs. Joan Ganz Cooney, of New York City, president of Children’s Television Workshop, praised the show Sesame Street which she said is now reaching 7 million of the nation’s youngsters each week.
It was 1966 when Joan Ganz Cooney, who worked in public television, hosted a small dinner party at her place. Her boss, Lewis Freedman, was there, as was Lloyd Morrisett, an executive at the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Freedman started talking about the potential in using television to help educate children.
“Something clicked in Lloyd’s mind because Carnegie was financing research in educational development of children, how they learn,” Ganz Cooney said in a 1998 interview for the Archive of American Television. “And he and his wife, after 10 years of marriage, had two little kids and he had noticed that there was nothing really on for them. He had gotten up one morning and found them watching test patterns, waiting for something to come on. So it all sort of came together in his mind – why not do something educational, good for children, that will help them cognitively?”
In the early days of broadcasting, this was a novel concept. Days later, an exploratory meeting was held at Carnegie. Soon after that, Ganz Cooney was traveling throughout the United States and Canada, researching the use of television for preschool education for what turned out to be a groundbreaking report.
On Nov. 10, 1969, Sesame Street premiered, with the distinguished actor James Earl Jones appearing as the first celebrity guest. For the first time, educational goals and a curriculum were used to shape content, and child psychologists advised on the impact storylines would have. As author Malcolm Gladwell has said, “Sesame Street was built around a single, breakthrough insight: that if you can hold the attention of children, you can educate them”.
“The reception was so incredible,” Ganz Cooney said in the archived interview. “The press adored us, the parents adored us. Nothing like it had ever been on the air, and there has been very few television programs – and maybe it’s the only one in history – that got this kind of immense reaction.”
Sesame Street Creator Joan Ganz Cooney attends the 12th Annual Sesame Workshop Benefit Gala at Cipriani 42nd Street on May 28, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Desiree Navarro/WireImage)
Nearly half a century later, Sesame Street remains a staple of Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), although new episodes now appear on HBO first. Big Bird, the Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, Elmo and the other Muppets are among the most cherished and popular faces of children’s programming.
It remains groundbreaking. It has addressed real-life disasters such as the September 11 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina. In April 2017, Sesame Street introduced Julia, a new Muppet who has autism, performed by Stacey Gordon, who has a son on the autistic spectrum.
“Sesame Street literally would not be here were it not for the bold vision and audacious philanthropy of the Carnegie Corporation,” says Sherrie Westin, executive vice president of global impact and philanthropy at the Sesame Workshop, the non-profit organization behind the show and other educational initiatives. “That investment proved to be transformational for children’s television, as we know, and millions of children have benefited.”
It is as American as apple pie, and holds a special place in the heart of anyone who has grown up in the US. Indeed, surveys show that 95 per cent of preschoolers have watched it. But extraordinarily, Sesame Street is also now one of America’s great exports. Its effect on children worldwide could not have been foreseen.
The workshop reaches 156 million children in 150 countries. Study after study has pointed out Sesame Street’s success. A 2013 report found that children who watch one of its international versions gain an average of nearly twelve percentile points on learning outcomes. In Afghanistan, children who watch it test 29 per cent higher on gender equity attitudes. In Bangladesh, 49 percent more children use soap for hand washing after participating in a Sesame Workshop program. And a new Harvard Business Review article lists Sesame Street among the past century’s fifteen examples of social movements that defied odds and achieved life-changing results.
HACKENSACK, NJ – FEBRUARY 22: Elmo And Grover From Sesame Street Live Visit The Children Of Joseph M. Sanzari Children’s Hospitall on February 22, 2017 in Hackensack, New Jersey (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)
Carnegie helped establish the landmark television series and pass the Public Broadcasting Act, which led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). This November marks a key anniversary: the Public Broadcasting Act turns 50.
Public TV was the only place to watch all 250 hours of Watergate testimony. And when NPR started broadcasting in April 1971, it showed live coverage of Senate deliberations on the Vietnam War.
Recent threats to future funding appear to have been averted. The new federal government originally proposed eliminating all federal money for public broadcasting. But a House committee recently appropriated a budget for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which supports nearly 1,500 public television and radio stations nationwide.
“As we mark the 50th anniversary of the passage of the Public Broadcasting Act, this uniquely American public-private partnership continues to keep its promise—to provide high-quality, trusted content that educates, inspires, informs and enriches in ways that benefit our civil society,” Patricia Harrison, CPB’s president and CEO, said in a statement. “Through the nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public radio and television stations across the country, public media reaches 99 percent of the American people from big cities to small towns and rural communities. At approximately $1.35 per citizen per year it is one of America’s best infrastructure investments—paying huge dividends in education, public safety and civic leadership for millions of Americans and their families.”
Westin says it is vital to stress that the benefits of children’s public television are greatest for those who have the least. And as Sesame Street gears up for its 50th birthday celebration in 2019, it is a good time to inform people about the breadth of its work.
“People love our broadcast, but often don’t realize we’re in 150 countries or that we’re in developing countries like Bangladesh, Afghanistan and in South Africa, making a difference,” she says. “And the 50th anniversary gives us the opportunity to celebrate all the work we’ve done addressing the challenges of the most vulnerable children around the world.”
So that 1960s dinner party in Gramercy Park had a huge and lasting impact. Whether it is in helping tackle HIV/AIDS in South Africa, progressing girls’ education in Afghanistan or raising awareness of autism in the United States, you can count on Big Bird and friends to be there.
The United Nations stands in midtown Manhattan on January 26, 2017 in New York City. President Donald Trump is preparing executive orders that would reduce US funding of the United Nations and other international organizations. The first order would cut funding for any U.N. agency or other international group that meets any specific criteria. Organizations and groups to receive cuts may include peacekeeping missions, the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Population Fund. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
After taking office in January, President Trump quickly reinstated the “global gag rule,” a policy that prevents organizations around the world from receiving U.S. funds if their services include abortions, or even providing information about abortion. Research shows the rule leaves a devastating impact, including preventing girls and women from accessing health services, hampering HIV prevention efforts, and contributing to the closure of health clinics.
So a day after the order, a group of Dutch officials gathered to figure out what to do.
“We said, ‘We’re not going to let this happen,’” says Rebekka Van Roemburg, co-lead of the support unit of the organization formed as a result, She Decides. “A bunch of civil servants in a little room were steaming and they came up with this name [She Decides].’ Within a couple of days, the website was launched to get money from the public, and other governments said they also wanted to join. So they are all basically queuing up and saying, ‘What are we going to do?’”
Just over a month later, a conference was held in Belgium with more than 450 participants from about 50 governments interested in participating. They agreed to work together to support girls and women, and pledged more than $200 million for the cause.
She Decides exemplifies how foundations, the public and the business sector – as well as governments – are coming together at a time when the U.S. government is pulling back on its investments in global issues such as health and reproductive rights, and climate change. Such initiatives also illustrate the commitment of the philanthropic field to support the work of the United Nations and its agencies. While some have raised concerns about the kind of influence and potential conflicts non-governmental funding may create at the UN, others say is critical in order to meet the demands of growing global challenges.
Van Roemburg says it is difficult to make up the gap created when a top funder such as the United States withdraws its support. But many foundations are stepping up their contributions because they recognize that girls and women’s lives depend on the programs affected. Foundations can help prevent such harm, and propel proactive change, she says.
“Foundations can be a lot edgier and say, ‘We really think this issue deserves a push that’s maybe a little more difficult for a government to give,’” she says. “We like to see ourselves as a positive disruptor, where we bolster the brave and are unapologetic about things, and we can do that. Governments are less able to go into the cutting-edge stuff, and foundations can do that.”
Pledges for She Decides are approaching $500 million, and some 30,000 people and organizations have signed its manifesto, committing to speaking out, changing unfavorable rules and unlocking resources for girls and women. A number of foundations have already given support or voiced interest in getting involved, including the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Ford Foundation, she says. One of the co-founders of a U.K. charity, the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, has been helping get other foundations involved, she says. The bulk of the money will go to organizations that have long been working in the field, such as the International Planned Parenthood Foundation and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
In 2016, the United States was the UNFPA’s fourth biggest funder, contributing $69 million. Since the new federal government came into place, no money has been received.
“This means that our programs in all of the 150 countries that we operate in have been reduced in a whole-scale fashion,” says Klaus Simoni Pederson, chief of UNFPA’s resource mobilization branch. “We’ve tried to protect the poorest as much as possible, but everyone has been hit. The money simply isn’t there.”
Without financial support from the U.S. government, about 48,000 women will lose access to safe delivery, 34 mobile health teams can no longer travel to remote areas to provide services, 17 safe spaces for women and girls will stop providing support, and 54 health facilities that provide reproductive and maternal health services will lose support, according to the UNFPA.
The philanthropic field is stepping in, and this includes the Gates Foundation and Oak Foundation, Pederson says. Governments that have increased their contributions include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, Spain and Sweden, he says.
There are also examples beyond health and reproductive rights. When President Trump announced that the United States would pull out of the landmark Paris agreement to reduce harmful carbon emissions, former New York Mayor and 2009 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy recipient Michael Bloomberg pledged $15 million through his foundation to support the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
There are some concerns about the growing role of private money at the UN. A recent Global Policy article says that in 2013, about 14 percent of voluntary contributions to the UN system, or $3.3 billion, came from foundations, corporations and civil society. The article points out several problems with this, such as the lack of transparency and accountability, the influence on UN policies and agenda setting, and the rise of “philanthrocapitalism,” or the applying of business and market-based approaches at the intergovernmental body.
But Pederson says that before receiving money, every potential partnership is closely vetted.
“If you are willing to support the issues that are included in our strategic plan that we’re adopting, then we’re extremely grateful and this is very welcome,” he says. “We have a rather long list of corporate partners and foundations and so forth, so we’re not hesitant as long as you agree with the main work of the organization and we have done the due diligence.”
As global problems and crises intensify, budgets are often not keeping up, so partnerships are critical for addressing these challenges, says Nick Nuttall, spokesperson and director of communications and outreach at the UNFCCC.
“The UN is an institution that, for many, many years has faced increasingly squeezed budgets and increasing demands on what governments want it to do,” he says. “So I think the UN system as a whole is trying to work more closely with foundations and the progressively minded private sector. We have to be careful because we have to make sure what these people want is not much different from what we want. But if their interests align with our interests and our due diligence shows that is the case, then we’ll welcome it.”
The Global Policy article says that while there is a growing trend of the UN opening up to corporate and philanthropic dollars, the funding percentages at UN agencies remain small. For example, voluntary contributions from the private sector, foundations and other non-state actors to UN Women accounted for only 1.8 percent of all contributions in 2015, and only about 3 percent at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Van Roemburg says it is still early days in terms of assessing the full impact of the United States’ decision to pull some of its funding from global programs. But money often equals power, so the shift could also mean that other governments and institutions end up taking on more leadership roles. As the dust settles from Trump’s surprise rise to office, a new landscape is emerging.
As a media tycoon, Ted Turner knows all about staying in the news. At the age of 78, Turner remains a steady presence, featuring regularly across the press in a variety of incarnations. Certainly, it is hard to imagine a more interesting person to keep tabs on. One week it will be a report on his bison farming efforts. The next it will be an article reminiscing about his forays into the world of wrestling. His name is still a hot topic in the sailing world, as well as popping up occasionally on the society pages – thanks to his knack for quotes and memorable marriages. But lately the creator of the Cable News Network (CNN) has been in the news for some of his most celebrated and worthy work: his efforts at saving the environment and promoting peace throughout the world.
In 1997, Turner launched the United Nations Foundation with a $1 billion gift. As an organization, it continues to work with the United Nations to address issues including child health, climate change and energy, and sustainable development. In addition, the gift functioned as a proto-Giving Pledge, with Turner calling on other wealthy Americans to follow his lead, telling the New York Times, “There’s a lot of people who are awash in money they don’t know what to do with. It doesn’t do you any good if you don’t know what to do with it.” Of course, as one of America’s most prominent businessmen, it is no surprise that Turner was one of the first to sign the Giving Pledge when Bill Gates and Warren Buffet got the ball rolling in 2010.
Captain Planet, Former President Jimmy Carter and Captain Planet Co-Founder Ted Turner appear on stage during the Captain Planet Foundation’s benefit gala at Georgia Aquarium on December 7, 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. Former President Jimmy Carter received the 2012 Captain Planet Foundation Exemplar Award during the gala. (Photo by Ben Rose/Getty Images)
The United Nations Foundation gift only hints at how deeply Turner wants the world to be a better place. Having countries and leaders work together is a great first step, but that is clearly not enough for Turner. His other efforts go to extraordinary lengths to help make the world a better, safer place. His Captain Planet initiative is aimed at educating youngsters about the environment. The cartoon, fondly remembered by children from the 90’s, still has resonance, with the Captain Planet Foundation one of the most active organizations in promoting ecological stewardship to the youth.
Turner has put serious financial fire power behind his concerns. He funds a whole family of organizations that are tackling climate change, disappearing habitats, and other environmental concerns from a number of angles. The Turner Foundation and the Turner Endangered Species Fund are both targeted efforts to protect and restore the natural world. And the bison that Turner raises (well over 55,000 at this point) are not because he is an eccentric billionaire, but because he sees this farming as the way forward for sustainable and healthy meat.
(L-R) Ted Turner and Sam Donaldson (Photo by Jerry Fitzgerald/ABC via Getty Images)
Ted Turner is not bashful about taking risks. But he is doing everything he can to eliminate risk to the planet we inhabit. Along with the previously mentioned programs, he is behind the Nuclear Threat Initiative and a member of the Ocean Elders. He is man who has had many adventures across the globe, and he is doing everything in his power to ensure that the world remains available for future adventurers. That is surely a newsworthy ambition.
