Travis Brown, Rachel Keller Brown, Rex Sinquefield and Jeanne Sinquefield

In its fourth year, the annual Christmas benefit for St. Vincent Home for Children continues to build momentum. This year’s benefit brought in $75,000 through sponsorships from community leaders and businesses, and a live auction. St. Vincent’s creates a safe place for some of St. Louis’ most vulnerable children to live and learn.

One of the reasons that ideas like St. Vincent’s have been so successful is our country’s rich legacy of philanthropy. It is not casual. It’s not an afterthought. With centuries of growth and innovation, philanthropy has truly become a national treasure – and a nimble vehicle for change.

Early philanthropists like Andrew Carnegie and John D. Rockefeller used their wealth to create public assets – hospitals, schools, libraries, research – that are still used today. They popularized the idea that one could donate wealth while they were still alive, and that it could be a dynamic part of life, instead of a perfunctory part of a will.

In the early 20th century, fundraising grew to include more group giving, foundations that report on social conditions, and corporate giving. Recently, venture philanthropy and online fundraising have again revamped the idea of giving.

Applying the idea of venture capital to philanthropy has changed the donor-foundation relationship from one of transaction to one of ongoing support. Beyond financial support, a company assists with management and structural support, helps measure and improve outcomes, and typically invests over a period of years. Riffing on that model, organizations like Venture Philanthropy Partners pair D.C.-area donors who want to see great, positive change in their community with a portfolio of projects that combat a litany of issues facing children in D.C. Of charities and not-for-profits, VPP Co-Founder and Chairman Mario Morina says, “We ask them to do the remarkable, but we don’t give them the support to even do the negligible.” Venture philanthropy models hope to help donors give more strategically, and provide more comprehensive, long-term support for organizations.

Online giving has been especially powerful in giving donors of any size access and information to donate at any time. It’s a way for people to seek out causes they care about, and helps charitable organizations educate the public about their cause. E-philanthropy has also tapped small donors who may not be the target of mail campaigns, but could spare “as little as a cup of coffee”, and helped engage large efforts to respond quickly to disasters like Hurricane Katrina or this year’s devastating earthquake in Haiti. More than $30 million of donations to Haiti came in the form of text message. The Future of Philanthropy estimates that 25% of personal giving will be done online this year. But that still leaves 75% of personal giving that happens through personal appeals or fundraisers, and remains the core of fundraising.

Think about this for a minute: of the $303.8 billion charitable dollars given in the US in 2009, individual donors gave 75% of those dollars. The majority of US giving came not from corporations or foundations, but from individuals. In 2004, donations to tsunami victims reached $2 billion – three times what the US Government spent on disaster relief. Donations after Hurricane Katrina were nearly $6.5 billion, and donations to Haiti reached a similar level – in the first three weeks.

That’s an incredible force of people who weren’t coerced to give anything, but who chose to take action and donate to advance the causes they felt strongly about.

Missouri’s charitable giving is also quite strong: Missouri Foundations provide the state with $675 million in giving, and Missouri individuals gave $2.8 billion in 2008 (that’s an average of $3290 in contributions from each person who filed itemized charitable deductions). While individual donations may go to causes around the world, Missouri Foundation giving is a good measure of how Missourians support in-state needs.

We’re fortunate to work with the Sinquefield Charitable Foundation, which gives to such diverse causes as the Boy Scouts of America, music composition, education and chess – their giving directly impacts children in the area, our friends and neighbors, and it makes Missouri a magnet for organizations, talent and leaders who also want to see these causes thrive.

Philanthropy is more than a way to make us feel good. It might have that effect, but something more significant is driving this incredible scope of action. There’s a spark when we realize something is wrong – and that we have the tools or resources to do something about it. It’s a legacy our country has spontaneously nurtured, that we carry forward and improve upon, and it strengthens us as much as it strengthens the people we give to.

Today marks the first day of public school in the newly-inspired Innovation Concept Academy.  The St. Louis community, and America-at-large, owes a lot to the courage of one man – Judge Jimmie Edwards.  In less than six months, he has embarked on what others might say would be nearly impossible:  1) to assume ownership of a new community school that exists outside the lines of a public school, 2) to unite a diverse coalition of public and private interests together to enrich the learning environment, and 3) to lobby for real, no excuse community change for youth who need it the most.

From a political perspective, the Innovation Concept Academy hits on all five of the recommended steps on which now Governor Jay Nixon campaigned last year.  His five points were:  to invest in public school options using public-private partnerships, to recruit talented teachers to challenged districts, to reduce class size, to re-establish local community support, and to make sure that alternative schools are available and effective.  The Academy seeks to challenge all of the obstacles facing those children who often get lost in the public school system without effective mentors, dedicated instructors, and guardian engagement.

This Tuesday, we accompanied Rex Sinquefield with Judge Jimmie Edwards on a walk-through of the Blewett school facility.  We are excited to report that the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis will be partnering with the Academy to build a dedicated room to teach chess with its curriculum.  It is our hope that students can improve their math, science, reading, and critical thinking skills using a life sport like chess in a variety of environments (for classroom instruction, after-school partnerships, supplemental learning, and as a means to connect to our greater community).  If successful, such a model might provide a road map for urban progressives, mayors, governors, and civic patrons to do the same around the country.

In the coming months,  Room 103 will transform itself with the opening fall classes into a dynamic place to learn the game of chess.  Public school teachers, including educators as part of the AFT Local 420 Teacher’s Union have agreed to fill the classroom with ambitious goals of instruction (and smaller class size).  The Metropolitan Police Department of the City of St. Louis are moving in a sub-station to assist the facility with mentoring and community needs.  The community arms have even opened to accept other instructors from a wide variety of parish school environments. The manner by which so many organizations, from MERS Goodwill to local celebrities, have come together, can help pave the future of new school design.

Good luck Judge Edwards and Innovation Concept Academy.  Our children, our entire community, and our nation of neighborhoods, needs your model to succeed.

Rex A. Sinquefield with Judge Jimmie Edwards

Judge Edwards shows new classroom monitors to Rex Sinquefield

Future Chess Salon

]]> http://www.pelopidas.com/philanthropy/brave-education-st-louis-public/feed 0 http://www.pelopidas.com/blog/network-major-league-future http://www.pelopidas.com/blog/network-major-league-future#comments Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:13:27 +0000 travis http://www.pelopidas.com/?p=666 By Rachel Keller Brown and Travis H. Brown

Recent dealings with sports celebrities and major league greats like Cardinals legend Bob Gibson can remind us the important role that we all can play in our own social networks.  Long after his 1981 Hall of Fame induction, a St. Louis Cardinal like Bob Gibson can remain an important civic figure off the field: as a coach, mentor, role model, and inspiration. 

In the context of baseball, these titans of roundball help us place value on the sport’s accomplishment, talent, and tenacity.  Off the mound, the role of celebrity can be leveraged in many ways:  raising money for charity, giving voice to important causes, volunteering your time for awareness, and building unique relationships across many walks of life.

Rachel Keller Brown, Pelopidas, with Bob Gibson (July 2009 All Star Weekend)

Celebrity brands offer punch and potency inside a sea of public noise and media clutter.  So, as consumers take control of their own media channels one iphone or blackberry at a time, it’s not a surprise that those that lobby from a known industry reputation will fare much better than those who remain in cyber-silence.

This week’s Wall Street Journal story shows us more about how consumer movements may occur.  Major League Baseball is bringing live baseball as an iphone application.  First, you merge the influence and flexibility of the mobile device platform that has great picture and video capability.  Second, you target a demographic market and loyal fan audience that buys direct from their ultimate network:  their entire league (already at 400,000 subscribers at MLB.TV).  Third, once you prove that live streaming is more valuable than local television broadcast, it’s game time for all venues, not just out-of-market events. 

One can only imagine how exciting it may be in the future when individual URLs load up a creative celebrity encounter, clock their own radar during the next fast-pitch, or videocast to their grandmother the latest score.  New technologies like these don’t have to be feared by personalities of interest.  We believe that, with integrated marketing and media strategies, access to these tools may make your star power even more entertaining. 

Imagine the potential value of real-time brand metrics via mobile devices when President Obama unveiled his White Sox uniform before the Cardinals All-Star crowd.  In the not-so-distant future, the President may want to text you back a personal message in the grand stands, like, “It could be worse.  It could have been a Chicago Cubs jersey.”  Real-time responses related to your market reactions might be used to fellow Cubs fans to find others in the stadium, and for local vendors to peddle Chicago-styled merchandise.

If you question the value of your network’s ability to respond, engage, & expand under these new consumer rules, maybe it’s time to upgrade your tools to become Major League.