See What’s Out There

I don’t think anyone in the nonprofit world can ignore the announcement yesterday that Warren Buffet will give away 85% of his fortune starting next month. What is most interesting about this story is that he is giving most of it to the Gates Foundation. In this context, Bill Gates’ decision to leave Microsoft in two years makes a lot of sense. Buffet is doubling the size of the $30 Billion Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in what is the largest act of philanthropy ever by anyone.

What is also interesting here is Buffet’s lack of ego. Seriously, with that kind of money it would be super easy to start your own foundation and hire the best minds to run it. You could ensure that your name and legacy will continue in perpetuity. I think it takes an amazing person to think, “this Bill Gates is really smart and if he is going to dedicate his second career to changing the world for the better then there is no better use of my money than to let him have all the resources he needs to do it.”  As we say in Jewish, Kol HaKavod to Mr. Buffet. May many other rich folks follow in his footsteps.

This week I am going to join the folks at 1 Economy Corporation to talk about diabetes.

1 Economy is an innovative nonprofit dedicated to bringing the benefits of broadband to low-income Americans. Their point – and it’s an important one – is that broadband is not a luxury. This is not like HBO or a giant flat screen high-def no-foam skim latte. Broadband is simply a way to access information that can help you get a job, learn about your rights and responsibilities, and otherwise join the economy of the 21rst Century. Can you imagine hiring someone who doesn’t use email or surf the web? I can’t.

In just a few years they have done a lot at 1 Economy. Their content site for low-income Americans, The Beehive, has been a hit. They have changed public policy in 40 states to require new low-income housing to be broadband enabled. And now they are launching something called the Public Internet Channel, a way to aggregate government and community information on the web in a local, regional and national way. Because of their skills and innovative programs, their work has attracted the support of a who’s who of politicians, corporations, and foundations. I am very excited about working with them and contributing our unique skill set to their mission.

Neilson/NetRatings reported yesterday that three quarters of active web users connect to the Internet with broadband at home, up 15% from last year. Price has pushed more people to switch from dial-up, with broadband now as low as $12.99/month. The rate in the work place is 90%! Here’s a blurb from CNET.

Jon Gibs, senior director of media at Neilson/NetRatings, says in the press release: “The remaining customers will be pushed to broadband as the Internet continues to move beyond text-based information to a comprehensive source of video.”

Here’s the press release PDF.

Last week when I was in Baltimore I had the pleasure of once again visiting my friend Rebecca Hoffberger. Rebecca is the Founder and Director of the American Visionary Art Museum.

If you don’t know about this museum it’s worth the trip no matter where you live. I can’t do the subject justice at all, but visionary art is art by untrained artists. It differs from folk art, I take it, because folk art is “learned at the knee.” Many of the people who make this visionary art are truly visionary people.

What interests me about this museum is not the objects themselves. It is how Rebecca has tied the objects to social issues. Around visionary artists – who often see though a lens unavailable to ordinary folk – Rebecca has created exhibits highlighting social issues. Whether it is gender, religion, cities, or poverty, the art and the stories of those who make the art are incredibly moving. You will just say “wow” a lot at this museum.

This place works because Rebecca is not afraid just to do. She has an idea and she just goes for it. The money will be found, the solution will appear, but she just pushes ahead. A great example is how she shows movies in Federal Hill, the neighborhood where the museum is located. The museum sits next to a two-tiered grass hill. Rebecca looked at the hill and thought, “this would be a great place to show movies.” Today, a 14-foot high metal hand made by one of these visionary artists is attached to the side of the museum. The hand holds a movie screen large enough for 2,000 people to watch on a summer evening.

My partner, Danny Alpert is a successful documentary filmmaker. But really, he doesn’t like to talk about it. He’s way too modest and I am trying to tell him that when building a business you have to not be shy when you get validation about how good you are at your craft. The awards that hang around our office are mostly in the background. And there are lots of them (I will post some photos sometime). So it comes as no surprise to me that Danny won another award last week.

Danny won the prestigious Casey Medal. It is actually called the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism and it’s a highly coveted award for writers, photographers and filmmakers. Danny has won several. This year, he won for his most recent PBS film, A Doula Story. If you haven’t seen it, you should pick one up and watch it and then pass it on. If you care about low-income children and families, then this is a must-see film.

For us at See3, A Doula Story is also a story about how video can get your cause on the map. This story helped spread the word about a great program. It helped raise money. It became the catalyst for a national discussion on teen pregnancy. It was the inspiration for funders and community activists to develop a national replication initiative for the program. This, in a nutshell, is the power of video we are bringing to the nonprofit sector.
More about Danny Alpert
More about the Casey Journalism Center
More about See3
More about A Doula Story