Richard Woo
CEO
The Russell Family Foundation

In May, I experienced a week-long storytelling retreat near New Haven, Connecticut attended by 13 people from nonprofits and foundations around the country. The retreat was taught by Donald Davis, a master teller of stories born and raised in the Appalachian town of Waynesville, North Carolina. The attached photo is the newly-published book of stories from his youth—Tales from a Free Range Childhood. That’s Donald pictured on the cover at age three with his favorite teddy bear.

The retreat was generously hosted by Bill Graustein, trustee of the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund in New Haven, which focuses on education and community building—using storytelling as an organizing tool.

Here are some nuggets from Donald Davis about the art of storytelling. I found many lessons and metaphors during the week directly related to my work at The Russell Family Foundation and philanthropy in general.

• “Stories are what happen when you have a picture in your mind and you want to share it. We watch stories as much as we hear them.”

• “What do you need to say about that picture in your mind to successfully transfer that image to the listener? In the listener’s mind there are two basic questions: 1) Where are we? 2) Who is there?”

• “Often the listener hears the story before the teller realizes she is telling a story.”

• “Storytelling is different from journal writing because vocalizing your thoughts to listeners creates an interpersonal exchange that informs you, the teller, and your story—so it can evolve over time.”

• “As you listen to a teller’s story and if you’re invited to offer feedback, keep in mind: everything that gets labeled gets bigger. If you label the mistake that is what will grow. Imagine now pointing out what works—that is what grows.”

Imagine applying Donald’s remarks to the efforts of your foundation, that of your grant partners or colleagues, and the stories we all yearn to hear.

For more information about Donald Davis or the William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund see:

http://www.ddavisstoryteller.com/

http://www.wcgmf.org/

Laura Sager
Communications & Corporate Services Program Manager
Philanthropy Northwest

Since starting my new job at Philanthropy Northwest, one of the ways I am learning about the field is through reading books and articles, following several bloggers, subscribing to feeds, and bookmarking the websites of important institutions that lead the field with data, analysis and insights. I have quickly learned, however, that the subject of philanthropy isn’t a beat that most reporters cover. So when I saw the lengthy June 8 article from Fortune at CNNMoney, What does it take for philanthropy to deliver results?, I was eager to read it. Consultants Leslie Crutchfield, John Kania and Mark Kramer are listed as guest contributors and have recently co-authored a book.

The article wasn’t as long or comprehensive as I hoped and it is written for a very general audience, with a sub-headline that reads:  “Donors large and small often think that they can simply throw money at a problem and hope for the best. Successful giving requires more involvement than that.” Still, they provided some very good stories from the Jacobs Family Foundation and from the Mars, Inc., maker of chocolates and many other products. (And I didn’t know that Mars began in Tacoma, WA until today!) And they avoided lingo, which is also refreshing.

Here’s my favorite line in the piece:  “The most effective philanthropists use several tools to tackle problems, applying non-financial assets such as their business know-how, networks, and influence to advance causes. They also don’t exclusively focus on supporting nonprofits. Top donors support for-profit businesses and advocate for government policy reform to further amplify results.”

Did you read it? If you could have contributed to this article, what would you have included?

Darryl Crews
Member
The Great Tacoma Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Board

On May 13, 2011, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation held a community-wide Be the Spark event at the Tacoma Dome featuring Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Desmond Tutu. The event was part of a broader Be the Spark movement started by the Community Foundation to inspire people to take action and help build a more positive, caring community. Over 15,000 people attended; nearly half of them were youth, many of whom received scholarship tickets to the event. Renowned youth activist Craig Kielburger, Governor Gregoire, and numerous talented local performers also participated in the event.

Darryl Crews, a member of The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Board, shares his thoughts on the event and what Desmond Tutu’s visit means to the broader Tacoma community. 

Every article you read about Desmond Tutu’s appearance will tell you what the Be the Spark event was. Your favorite local journalist could tell you of an international symbol of peace coming to Tacoma to impart his knowledge and worldview to 15,000 receptive Pierce County residents. Your reading could tell you that Tutu urged his audience to help heal the world and at one point in his speech criticized outrageous weapons spending among the world’s governments. All of that adds primary colors to the splendor that made the event what it was, but I want to concentrate on the significance held by Desmond Tutu coming to Tacoma.

I remember being in casual conversation with friends a few years ago when I uttered the phrase: “Tacoma is a place and the world is the world”. I often thought of Tacoma as an unwilling participant in my dreams, encompassing both a limited audience and limited resources. My ideas about Tacoma’s limitations came from a professional standpoint, but imagine the youth in this city who often attribute that saying to their everyday lives. There are young people feeling trapped throughout our city’s streets with no understanding that their lives matter and affect a world beyond our urban port city. I reach the world through songwriting and business administration and it is my wish for other young people to find their passions and fulfill them from right here in Tacoma.

Growing up, the idea of Tacoma being “world class” was incomprehensible. To both residents and outsiders, Tacoma was a garden where problems were planted. Television lovers could call Tacoma “the Jan Brady to Seattle’s Marcia” and to others, Tacoma was a place to settle in accordance with all definitions of the word “settle”, especially the negative ones. Yet, Tacoma has undergone immense changes throughout the years and continues to look for a signature under which to fully rebrand itself. I believe Tacoma’s brand is becoming “truly world class” and that identity is fostered in what we learned from Desmond Tutu.

Desmond Tutu arriving here is a milestone for a city rocked by violence and provided a moment for the city to reconcile with itself. I believe that the work following this event will be indicative of what this city will mean to the world for years to come. It is my hope that we show that we are “truly world class”.

Darryl Crews is a 21 year old entrepreneur, songwriter and youth advocate. He is a Tacoma native. In addition to his work with the Youth Philanthropy Board, Darryl is the chief visionary officer for Platinum Reign Studios and the director of business affairs for Sky Movement. He is a graduate of Curtis High School, Tacoma Community College and University of Washington (Seattle).