| Q. |
How did the
S.O.U.L. of Philanthropy project
come about? |
| A. |
A group of personal
historians and local filmmakers came together
in 2006 to research and produce a video collection
of interviews of men and women, today in their
70s, 80s and 90s, who contributed their time,
talent and treasure to give back to help others
in the Grand Rapids area. The project was
given a working title of S.O.U.L. of Philanthropy
(Sharing Our Uncommon Legacy) of Greater Grand
Rapids. The end-product, a one-hour documentary
entitled The Gift of All: A Community
of Givers, includes portions of some
of these interviews. |
| |
|
| Q. |
What is the documentary about? |
| A. |
The Gift of All:
A Community of Givers is an exploration
of the nature of philanthropy. Our backdrop
is the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The
community's history, from a city in decline
during the Great Depression in the 1930s to
a place of great importance in the 21st century
is a fascinating drama of pivotal moments
of decision-making, courageous risk-taking,
visionary thinking and just plain hard work
all told in the lives and in the words of
those who helped to make it happen. |
| |
|
| Q. |
What is the long-term value of this
project? |
| A. |
Our intent was to capture the voices of
today to share with the children of tomorrow.
Those who have made a significant impact in
our community during the past 35 to 40 years
have important messages for future generations.
We wanted to get a sense of who our subjects
were, so interviewees were asked about their
personal lives and histories and, most importantly,
about their reasons for giving. Thus, these
interviews will be of great value to researchers
studying the causes and effects of philanthropy
in communities and in people's lives. While
not all of those interviewed are included
in the documentary because of time constraints,
all the footage and the research materials
on each subject have been donated to the Grand
Rapids Public Library for archive purposes
for the benefit of researchers. |
| |
|
| Q. |
How did you choose the people to
be interviewed? |
| A. |
Each individual was chosen because of his
or her many years as a recognized, local philanthropist
who has given time, talent, and/or financial
support to the Greater Grand Rapids community
in a variety of ways. Suggestions were made
by steering committee members as well as the
Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and others
in the community. |
| |
|
| Q. |
Will you be doing more interviews
in the future? |
| A. |
Certainly there are younger philanthropists
in our community who are deserving of recognition
and have lessons and experience to share,
but it will depend on community interest and
financial support for us to conduct more interviews. |
| |
|
| Q. |
Are copies of the documentary available
for sale? |
| A. |
Copies of the documentary
The Gift of All: A Community of Givers
will be available for purchase at the Grand
Rapids Public Library gift shop or on loan
through the library system to library card
holders. |
