Seattle Rotary Luncheon
October 5, 2011
Remarks by Norman B. Rice
Thank you for that introduction. It’s great to be here. I’ve been a speaker at Downtown Seattle Rotary more times than I can remember. It’s always good to be before this group of civic leaders which includes many, many long-time friends.
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As Russ noted in his introduction, it was more than 20 years ago when I took office as Mayor. It’s been more than dozen years since I stepped down from what I will always call “the best job in the world.”
I’ve got a million memories from those years – most of them good. And I’m fortunate that each and every day I see the testaments to our shared accomplishments from that time…a rich, vibrant, 24-hour downtown…the rebirth of the retail core…more affordable housing…an innovative Families and Education Levy that brought new services to our kids…and so much more.
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Now it would be foolish for me to say I have “the best job in the world” twice in a career. But I can honestly say that president and CEO of The Seattle Foundation comes a very, very close second.
Both jobs are about building community and creating pathways of opportunity. And in both, I work with caring, committed people dedicated to making this a better place to work and live. But this role as leader of the foundation comes at the right time of my career.
I know the arena of local politics.
I’ve seen how business and government can effectively work together.
And I understand the critically important role and challenges of nonprofits.
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You all know that Seattle is a powerhouse of philanthropy, mainly due to the global leadership of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other philanthropic giants like Paul Allen and Scott Oki.
What’s less well known is the strength and innovation of our region’s countless individual philanthropists. Their bold approaches are reshaping our community and changing the business of charitable giving.
Today I want to share what’s happening in philanthropy and how it’s at work here in King County. And, you’ll hear thoughts about charitable giving from one of our community’s up-and-coming young leaders.
Let me start with this. Philanthropy is hip. It’s for the young, the old and everyone in between. Generosity is fashionable.
I read recently that it is smarter today to be a “do gooder” than a “go getter.” That’s a far cry from Gordon Gecko’s infamous “Greed is Good” from the ’80s movie “Wall Street.”
Consider this:
Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg joined the Giving Pledge – promising to give the majority of his wealth away during his lifetime. He makes this promise at the ripe old age of 27. Andrew Carneige didn’t write the essay “Wealth” until he was 54!
When he joined, Zuckerberg asked Bill Gates if there were any young people on board. Bill said, “Sure, there’s a 35-year-old who signed up.” Mark retorted, “No, I mean YOUNG people!”
Another big reason philanthropy is in style is the idea of “Give while you live” or “Give Now, Don’t Endow!” Philanthropy can be the source of great satisfaction. Why not do it while you can enjoy it, engage your family and see the results?
The most significant driving force, though, is this: We’re seeing a movement to democratize giving. It’s called “citizen philanthropy.”
Citizen philanthropists reject the status quo. They want to support organizations that promise new approaches to social problems. They do a lot more than write checks. They take action.
This movement is fueled by many factors.
There’s the frustration in government’s ability to solve problems, not just here in the U.S. but all around the world. Anyone here feeling that way?
There’s the mistrust of large institutions – including nonprofits – due to lack of transparency and accountability.
And of course, there’s social media which gives voice to personal philanthropy in a way we haven’t seen before.
But most importantly, citizen philanthropy is fueled by people’s desire to truly and personally connect with those they help. It’s no longer “give and forget.”
Seattle-born Jolkona.org is an example of citizen philanthropy. Microsoft researcher Adnan Mahmud and his wife Nadia launched the site to teach the power of even small gifts.
On the site, you can select from a broad array of affordable donations, from planting trees in Honduras to providing food for an HIV-positive child in Cambodia.
Jolkona honors your donation by providing “proof of impact” – a picture, a video or a story – for every donation. “Jolkona,” by the way, means “drop of water” in Bengali.
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I can’t talk to this crowd about philanthropy without mentioning that the charitable tax deduction is under fire. The proposal – to cap itemized deductions at 28 percent for married couples earning more than $250,000 – has more momentum than ever before.
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Now I want to talk a little about what’s happening here on the philanthropic front in King County.
The Seattle Foundation created a Healthy Community agenda about six years ago as a framework for our philanthropy.
We've identified the seven elements that together make a community strong and prosperous. And, we laid out the strategies in each where philanthropy can make the biggest impact. The seven elements are: Arts & Culture, Basic Needs, Economy, Education, Environment, Health & Wellness and Neighborhoods & Communities.
Today, we manage more than 500 bequests and endowments that benefit causes in and around King County. We also support the philanthropy of more than 700 families, helping them make a difference today and create a legacy through charitable giving.
Let me give you a few examples:
There’s Grace Wilson, “T” Wilson’s wife. “T” was long time Chairman of The Boeing Co. When she passed away last year, she left each of her six grandchildren their own charitable fund at The Seattle Foundation. I’ll add that the kids are ages 16 to 25, so there’s plenty of time to give. Talk about legacy!
There’s Bob and Mary Bergman of Quilcene. They left a seven-figure bequest that enables all qualifying seniors graduating from Quilcene High School the opportunity to attend college. So if you’ve got a highschooler, I’d suggest you move to Quilcene!!
Outdoor enthusiasts Craig McKibben and Sarah Merner subscribe to “give while you live.” They support programs that allow at-risk youth to experience cycling, mountain climbing and hiking. They also invest in efforts to combat climate change.
And in one of my favorite examples, we work with a couple who wanted to send kids to see The Nutcracker. They believe every child should experience this holiday tradition.
But transportation for public school field trips is a huge expense. So, we partnered with Powerful Schools and the Pacific Northwest Ballet to figure it all out.
They started with one fourth grade class from a South Seattle elementary school. The next year, they added a second class. Now, every holiday season all the fourth graders in seven schools are enchanted by the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Mouse King!
So delighted with this effort, the couple now sends the fifth graders to a Seattle Children’s Theatre performance as well.
The Seattle Foundation has countless stories like this. Some of the names you would know – they’re longtime Seattle patriarchs. But more often, they are people who have been blessed with success and are compelled to share it with others to make their community a better place.
Whether they make large endowments, one-time contributions or routine annual gifts, they share their success in meaningful ways.
One aspect of our work that is tremendously satisfying is the growth of family philanthropy.
Now if the term “family philanthropy” brings to mind stuffy gatherings in dark-paneled libraries, you’ve got it wrong! It’s much more likely that decision-making occurs around the kitchen table.
These are families that wish to go from “checkbook philanthropy” to “inspired giving.”
It’s a fact that every family will pass on a legacy to their children. Of all the things that might be handed down, a legacy of family generosity surely surpasses a legacy of mere wealth.
It’s also true that giving brings people together and is one of the greatest activities that a family can share. That’s why we help families – often three generations together – to chart a course of meaningful philanthropy.
We’ve led families in retreats to plan their mission and priorities. We’ve helped people find the organizations that match their goals. And, most satisfying, we’ve engaged youth in learning about the role of philanthropy in building a Healthy Community.
Each year, we have a Youth Grantmaking Board to offer high school students the chance to learn about local issues and strategic grantmaking. Through a nine-month process, they tackle a problem – last year it was academic support for at-risk youth – and recommend grants to address it.
I’d like to introduce Hannah Calas, a senior at Shorecrest High School, who served on our Youth Grantmaking Board. She is an impressive voice for youth philanthropy.
[Hannah Calas’ remarks]
Hearing Hannah’s remarks makes me think that someday she’ll run for mayor! Actually, they bring to mind the words of Tom Steyer and Kat Taylor, a couple who made the Giving Pledge.
In their letter explaining why they joined in this effort, Tom and Kat wrote:
“We want to leave our kids a different kind of inheritance, an example of at least trying to lead a worthy life. In that regard, John Gardner long ago counseled us to ‘do’ things as opposed to ‘be’ someone.”
Philanthropy is truly about “doing things.” And it can also be a great deal of fun. Just ask Hannah, Craig McKibben, Sarah Merner, Bill and Melinda Gates, and others who make inspired giving a priority in their lives and the lives of their family.
I truly do believe that Seattle is a place where “what you do” matters much, much more than “who you are.”
So in closing, I want to leave you today with a question.
How do you share your success to make a meaningful difference in your community?
Or, in short: “What do you do?”
Thank you.