Large, small lessons in giving

When we think of philanthropy, typically what comes to mind are wealthy individuals who give generous financial support to special causes and those in need. It’s not a term we often associate ourselves with, and that’s too bad.

Last week, metro Atlanta’s Association of Fundraising Professional celebrated the legacy of philanthropy by honoring business and community leaders, as well as some pretty special teens, for their important work of serving and giving at its annual awards luncheon.

Ann and Tom Cousins were named 2015 Philanthropists of the Year for their work in funding arts, education, faith-based programs throughout Atlanta, and their efforts in revitalizing the East Lake community. The Cousins, who literally helped build Atlanta with iconic buildings such as the CNN Center and the Bank of America Plaza, have the kind of wealth we associate with philanthropy.

But the Cousins were philanthropists long before they become rich. Ann Cousins learned about giving back early on as a young girl when her family didn’t have much more than each other. She says her father was an “unpaid” history professor, and yet her mother and her handicapped, great aunt who lived with the family gave their time and help to anybody who needed it.

“They were a great influence on my life,” she said Tuesday. “It’s a gift to us to be a service to others.”

Two other ways she learned about giving: decades of involvement with church ministries at North Avenue Presbyterian and her early days as a Girl Scout. She had no qualms about sharing the Girl Scout law, particularly this part: Make the world a better place.

Her simple, practical advice to those looking for a way to give back? “Find a passion of your own and go for it.”

For her husband, Tom, the early moment of forward-thinking philanthropy came soon after the couple joined North Avenue Presbyterian Church decades ago. Tom Cousins admits he started out loving pastor Vernon Broyles probably more than he did the church. He remembers Broyles trying to raise $10,000 for missionary support. Despite repeated attempts at passing the hat in a last-ditch effort to raise funds, the church was still $2,000 short of its goal.

Broyles was visibly disappointed that night, and Tom Cousins decided on his drive home that he had to do something. When he got home, he called his pastor and told him he’d give the church the $2,000. That year, Tom Cousins’ total income was $20,000. It didn’t take him long to realize the significance of the amount.

“It turned out to be a tithe,” he said. “The Old Testament is clear about what we should do.” It’s moments like that when the notion of philanthropy takes hold.

For certain, philanthropy is a powerful tool that changes lives and strengthens our community. But it’s work that can’t be done by a few.

What I learned at the luncheon is that neither age nor financial status can stand in the way of a giving spirit. We all have something to give whether it’s our time, our talent or our treasure.

Sometimes it’s as simple as recognizing there is a need. It was a proud moment at the luncheon when the following story was shared with the audience.

In January 2013, arts reporter Howard Pousner wrote a story in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution detailing the uncertainty surrounding the preservation efforts of one of Atlanta’s most treasured artifacts, the Cyclorama painting. The 9-ton, panoramic painting, which commemorates the Civil War’s Battle of Atlanta, was in desperate need of an $8 million restoration as part of a more-costly move from downtown’s Grant Park to the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead.

After reading the article in the Sunday paper, Lloyd and Mary Ann Whitaker stepped forward and offered a $10 million gift to be designated as the painting’s endowment fund. In later reporting, Howard (who recently retired from the AJC and now works for the History Center) learned that the Whitakers, who had never been patrons of the Atlanta History Center, had been looking for a way to give back to the city that they’d called home for 50 years.

Turns out the Whitakers’ gift created a circle of transformative giving. In order to accommodate the Cyclorama painting, the History Center had to move its greenhouse. The Buckhead Men’s Garden Club stepped forward with a donation to move the greenhouse to Oakland Cemetery, which had been without a greenhouse since a 1970s storm pretty much wiped it out. And the old home for the Cyclorama? Well, the Atlanta Zoo will convert the space to a special events venue overlooking the new Africa Savannah – creating new revenue opportunities for the zoo and the city.

Mary and John F. Brock III, another couple known for transformative giving, were also honored on Tuesday as Volunteer Fundraisers of the Year. Mary Brock is co-owner of the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream and serves on several boards including Spelman, Emory’s Winship Cancer Institute and the Usher’s New Look. John Brock is chairman and CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises and a big supporter of his alma mater Georgia Tech. The Brocks are co-chairs of the $1.5 billion effort called Campaign Georgia Tech, which has reached its goal a year ahead of schedule.

The Brocks are longtime sweethearts who grew up in the small Mississippi town of Moss Point.

“We didn’t have much, but my mom taught us early on to give back to the church and [provide] baskets to the needy at Christmas time,” John Brock said. One of his first lessons in forward-thinking philanthropy was receiving a scholarship to Tech from the widows of two Tech grads.

Mary Brock says giving back gives back to you as much as you give.

“Find something really important that you can wrap your heart around and go for it,” Mary Brock said. “You’re always better off than someone.”

But perhaps you don’t have the financial means of the Brocks, the Whitakers or the Cousins. What then?

The recepients of the teen volunteer awards can answer that.

Remington Youngblood was a 10 years old and having a hard time finding volunteer opportunities. So he decided to create his own non-profit called Change 4 Georgia. Now a 9th grader at Lambert High in Forsyth, Remington has raised over $1 million in cash and in-kind donations and collected more than 100,000 books. He also collected diapers for needy families and mailed letters and cards to soldiers overseas.

Then there are brothers Xavier and Edward Holiday. They co-founded Brothers 4 Literacy & Life, which raised money to buy laptop computers, books, clothing, shoes and school supplies for a school in rural Jamaica. The Westminster School students are now raising money to build a protective wall around the school in Jamaica.

And finally there’s first-place winner Meredith Jones. Meredith was looking for a project to do as part of her Gold Award for Girl Scouts. She decided to focus on victims of human trafficking in Atlanta. So she created a kit that included a MARTA card, prepaid phone card, a booklet on organizations that could provide assistance, along with an inspirational book. Thanks to Meredith, now a freshman at Harvard, more than 80 kits have gone to 20 fire stations in Atlanta.

But let’s not stop there. Philanthropy can take hold at even much-younger ages. Throughout Atlanta schools such as Drew Charter and Hamilton Holmes, more than 1,200 kids are learning to share their talent, their time and even their small treasures. Part of the project entails kids sharing their thoughts in pictures and word about philanthropy — a pretty big word for many elementary-age students.

“It’s not just what big, important and wealthy individuals can do,” said Barbara Hill of the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. “Philanthropy doesn’t happen to you; it happens through you.”