Newspapers / Philanthropy Journal of North … / Jan. 1, 1996, edition 1 / Page 11
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January 1996 Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina • 11 Sticking your neck out ‘Giraffes’ help build nonprofit sector In the 1950s, one man came to a small village in Northern Russia to buy a house and begin a newUfe. The village had only 50 cottages, and no nearby well or river. People who Uved there had to go five miles for water. The new resident didn’t like the situ ation, so he made a pond that every one in the village could use. He went to Moscow to a large research marine institute, bou^t fish and stocked the pond, which also served as a place for chOdren to swim. The pond was so clean that people from other villages would come for fresh water. People could use the pond for free; the man wanted only to do something good for others. He is what has become known in Russia as a “giraffe.” Indeed, “Stick your neck out!” has become the rallying cry of a nonprof it movement that was born in the U.S. in 1980 and came to Russia in 1989. The movement aims to recognize peo ple who do good for others - despite the loss of their free time and the risk to their health and even their Uves. These people are called “Giraffes” because they have stuck their necks out to do something unusual that other people mi^t not have thou^t to do. They also paid attention to problems that other people may not have noticed or not had time to deal with. “Giraffes are not heroes or very religious people, althou^ some of them believe in God,” says Natasha Gromova, executive director of the Giraffe Project in Russia. “Everybody becomes a Giraffe when he takes part in voluntary work. But people whom we call Giraffes spend a lot of their time and energy Olga Alexeeva is an informa tion and research officer in the Russian office of the London- based Charities Aid Founda tion. She recentty spent a month as an intern for the Philanthropy Journal through the Central and Eastern European Internship Program of the National Forum Foundation in Washington. doing good and receive great plea sure from it. This pleasure is the only profit they get from their work.“ Here are some examples of Russians singled out as “Giraffes:” THE RESCUER Andrei Terentiev has worked as a volunteer rescue worker for 10 years. During the Spitak earthquake in TVrmenia in December 1988, he saved 37 people from death by pulling them out from ruined buildings. He took part in rescue operations in Georgia, in Iran and in eastern Russia. In the corner of his Uving room, a large rucksack with rescue worker equip ment is always packed for an emer gency trip. “I cannot even give a clear answer about why I try to be the first at a place of disaster,” he says. “This is part of my life. I like it. You can call it a special sort of individual gratifica tion.” THE CORRESPONDENT Another Russian Giraffe lacks Andrei’s physical size or strength, and does not risk her life to help other people. She only writes letters -100 every week to elderly women all over Russia. 'These women, like their 77- year-old correspondent Faina Chistiakova, passed through Stalin’s labor camps in the 1930s and ’40s. Some spent as much as 25 to 30 years in the camps. Many lost families, property and any beUef in human kindness. In her short letters, Faina Chistiakova asks simple questions to reassure her fellow survivors of the camps that they are not alone: “How is your old cat? Did you take him to visit a pet doctor?” 'THE BASEMENT Moscow has a small theater, called the Basement, that is located in the deep basement of an old house in the center of the city AH the actors are children ages 8 years to 16 years old. Some are handieapped, some have chronic diseases, some are “at risk.” Last year, after performing ‘"The Diary of Anne Frank,” a play about the Hfe and death of a Jewish family in Amsterdam during World War II, the young troupe won both local acclaim and problems with national ist groups that threatened to kill actors for a staging “pro-Jewish per formance.” But nationahstic threats have not stopped the youngsters, most of whom have performed with other teenagers from different sides of national conflicts: Armenian and Azerbaidganian, Georgian and Abhas. In those cases, the adver saries were hostile on the first day of the performances, but grew to under stand one another by the time the performances ended. UNSUNG HEROES About 200 Giraffes have been rec ognized in Russia. All of them have received certificates honoring them for sticking their neeks out and signed by Andrei Danilenko, presi dent of the Russian Giraffe project. Russian newspapers also publish sto ries about the activities of the Giraffes, and run media campaigns to find money to support these unsung heroes. Moscow also has a Giraffes clnb that has meetings twice a year in dif ferent parts of the eountry. During its first four years, the Giraffe project had an office and paid staff that looked for new Giraffes, and organized media campaigns and club meetings. Now, because of funding problems, former staff members serve as volunteers, working out of their own apartments. Russian Giraffes are the first real volunteers in the countiy who worked on the basis of their own choice and without pressure from the Communist Party. During the years of Communist rule, work in Russia was a matter of forced voluntarism. People worked for free - effeetively serving as slaves - because the party demanded it. Not working meant death or removal from society. Today, as Russia’s nonprofit sec tor struggles to build itself from the ground up, volunteers are held in high regard as heroes who embrace both the right and the obUgation to help people in need. Johnson Continued from page 10 function as repositories of black cul tural, intellectual and educational resources - improving ties between these schools and the private sector should rank hi^ on the hst of this state’s priorities. In recent years, many corpora tions have shifted their grants from unrestricted support of historically black schools to grants for specific or targeted academie research projects that have clear links to their busi nesses. Targeted grantmaking is a trend among foundations as well. So historically black schools must get out in front of the curve and help fun ders develop a grantmaking philoso phy relevant to the needs of their institutions, as well as design pro jects and programs that are directed toward corporate funders’ industry concerns. For example, corporations and foundations could target funds to his torically black schools to develop early childhood research initiatives. Such basic research is now fostered and supported primarily at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hfll and North Carolina State University. Some of this research could be conducted at historically black schools - particularly as it relates to the highly-touted Smart Start program. Funds could be targeted for his torically black schools to develop early chOdhood teaching methods, with a priority on the preparation of economically-disadvantaged children for the 21st Centuiy. Why not forge a working relationship with the state divisions of child development and social services and the Department of Pubhc Instruction? Adequate resources could be pro vided to ensure that historically black schools’ educational missions reflect a concern for quality and equality In doing so, funders could help increase and expand the pool of minority stu dents, especially males, going into the teaching profession. Among the action steps: • Involve historieally black schools as lead institutions for research, advocacy and training for minority, economically-disadvan taged pre-school children. • Identify historically black schools that can assist the state Department of Human Resources and the North Carolina Partnership for Children in coordinating Smart Start and other pre-school programs. • Call for funding to help histori cally black schools expand the pool of minority teachers with degrees in early childhood education and other areas lacking an adequate minority presence. Historically black schools, because of the Influence they wield and the trust they have gained in the black community, could play an increasing role in the state’s pre school education poHcy development process. By 200, as educational policy analysts note, the population of most of North Carolina’s public schools will increasingly be made up of minority students. Yet far too many of today’s economicaUy-disadvantaged children are leaving school ill-prepared for the future. One of the solutions to the prob lem that may not have been ade quately explored is the development of collaborative activities between funders, state and local government and historieally black schools. Find the Philanthrophy Journal on-line at http://w\\ w .naiido.nel/philant/philant.html Clawson Continued from page 10 ity contracts are rather common in North CaroUna, the law is silent regarding such agreements. It is probably safe to say that North Carolina charities would have pre ferred greater guidance in this area. But letting the sleeping dog lie seemed the best action for an arrangement that appeared to be working for all concerned. Until recently, that is. A federal class action lawsuit filed against the American Council on Gift Annuities in U.S. District Court in 'Texas seeks to include some 2,000 eharities as defendants. 'The lawsuit is based upon the allegation that charitable gift annuities are a means by which American charities have violated federal antitrust laws. Furthermore, it challenges the man ner in which charities manage funds, alleging that some techniques violate the Investment Company Act of 1940. 'This is very serious business and it is clear that 'Texas charities are not the only ones that should be con cerned. 'The plaintiff in the case has asked that “any charity which has been a sponsor of the American Council on Gift Annuities or its pre decessor, the Committee on Gift Annuities, on or after December 30, 1990 and which has outstanding charitable gift annuities or other life income products pursuant to the Council’s suggested rates will be a part of this class [of defendants] even if it has no contacts with 'Texas.” An organization called the Charitable Accord has formed to fight what it deems to be an unwarranted attack on the national charitable community 'The Charitable Accord Is providing leadership - from fundrais ing to coordinating efforts tor legisla tive reUef - for what must become an effort of national scope. North Carolina eharities wishing to support the work of the Accord should contact 'Terry L. Simmons at 1601 Elm St., Suite 1700, Dallas, 'TX, 75201-7241, phone (214) 922-0215 or fax (214) 978-3395. United Way taps Michigan executive The new head of a newly formed United Way that consolidates affili ates in Durham, Orange and Wake counties has experience with United Way consolidations. By Todd Cohen Research Triangle Park 'Tom Dugard, executive director of the Greater Kalamazoo United Way in Michigan for the past five years, knew that the consohdation of United Way affiliates in Durham, Orange and Wake counties last summer likely would create a job opening. And he wanted the job. At about the same time, Dugard bought a purebred dog, adopting the name that the kennel had given it - 'Tradewinds Sir Ralei^. Adopting the name was a way of preparing himself for a move to a new location - matching circumstances with opportunity. 'This month, Dugard brings the same pragmatic style to his new job as president of the newly formed 'Trian^e United Way. “My direction as an individual is to understand given circumstances and needs at a given time and to take those given needs and match them to the resources that are available,” he says. Dugard will use that approach as he takes on the job of merging the staffs of three United Way affUiates, while helping their separate boards maintain local control over raising and distributing millions of doOars. He also faces the challenge of guiding the consolidated organization throng a period in which a growing number of United Way affihates are redefining their roles in the communi ties they serve. Dugard, a native of Memphis, Tenn., and a 19-year United Way vet eran, has instituted a host of new pro grams in Kalamazoo. 'They include a new nonprofit that works with fami- hes; a Youth United Way program in which high school students raise money and decide how to spend it to help solve eommunity problems; ini tiatives to reduce the number of infants with low birth-weights and to increase immunization among young children; and a midnight basketball league that has reduced crime in inner-city neighborhoods. Dugard anticipates he will have numerous issues to deal with in over seeing the start-up of the 'Triangle’s regional United Way. In fact, in 1991 throng 1993, the Kalamazoo United Way incorporated four smaller affili ates, including one it had helped cre- Tom Dugard ate. The Kalamazoo United Way has 56 member agen cies, a staff of 20 people and raised $6.9 mil- Uon this year. Like a growing number of United Way affili ates, it is moving to a funding sys tem that treats member agen cies as cus tomers and ties funding to the out come that an agency projects it will have on the people it serves. By comparison, the Triangle United Way will have 99 member agencies and a staff of 35 people. In their annual campaigns this fall, the three affihates raised $16 million. The regional organization also is moving toward more flexible funding strate gies. Dugard says the 'Triangle’s regional United Way consohdation is an opportunity “to allow people to five in a local community and solve prob lems in that context, but also to solve problems in a larger context, without the concerns or limitations that geo graphic boundaries cause.” The Philanthropy Journal INsfillY|di|()c||FU " Boaeo OF AnwsEas Elizabeth fetress Barbara Freedman GoHnneAte^ ■ James Goodmon William Aniyan Jr. Marilyn Hartman George Autry Nat Irvin John Sell lane Kendall David Benevides Thomas tambeth Philip Blumenthal Elizabeth Locke William Pondurant Michael MarsicatiD iianrteth Brovm Todd Miller Robert Bush 'if Mary Mountcastie ilillliiliSTippPiBi?:: John Niblock ililliilipilS;, ■: ■ lane Patterson Michael Rose jlillaiilv "CLi;.'-:;: Shannon St, John Charles Sanders Donald Sarrders Mary D.8.I Sematrs Patricia Smith Sherwood Smith Bluchsr Ehhfighaus i William Spericer Meredilh Emmett SmedesYork
Philanthropy Journal of North Carolina (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Jan. 1, 1996, edition 1
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