Cool Can Sam from Harvest Hope and a young volunteer (source: Harvest Hope)

It’s been a weird week.

We’ve been watching (some call it stalking) a hurricane’s projected path closely. We here in the Midlands definitely dodged a bullet when Irene decided to track northeast, but that’s no consolation for our friends in North Carolina and upward to the northeast.

We felt an earthquake all the way down here in South Carolina, were amazed by the long distance the tremors traveled and seriously thought about whether or not we, and the rest of the east coast, are prepared for something bigger.

Disaster recovery is something we’re all familiar with. We were all humbled by the outpouring support  when earthquakes brought Haiti and Japan to their knees. Or this spring when areas of Missouri and Alabama were ravaged by tornadic destruction. Giving is as easy as a text from your mobile phone. We even know someone that made a $25 donation to the Hope For Haiti telethon and got to speak with Quincy Jones. More

True philanthropy isn’t simply about numbers or programs or even charitable giving. At its core is a deep love for humanity, the kind of selfless concern that assumes personal responsibility for bettering the world. So when we call the Clays a family of philanthropists, we’re talking about more than their contributions to a wide range of charitable organizations across the Midlands. We’re describing a family united in its belief that we all share a responsibility for positively impacting the world.

Their story is an interesting one because of their journeys, individual and as a family, down this path. Both Emily and Henry Clay, who founded Columbia Metropolitan Magazine in 1989, learned to give early in their lives. As they became adults, married, and started their own family, they made a commitment to instilling philanthropy as a central part of their family’s value system—in part to provide a balance to today’s self-absorbed culture.   More

You might be wondering … “What’s all the hubbub over teaching kids about giving? I’m struggling to get my kids out the door, dressed and in one piece each morning.”

At Talk About Giving and Central Carolina Community Foundation, we are constantly surrounded by givers. Big givers, little givers, family foundations, nonprofit endowments – regardless of size, these groups and individuals are making sacrifices to support that which they believe in and are making a huge difference in our community. It’s a good place to be. You should come see us.

There are those that will argue that people give for selfish reasons – not because of the good they can do or the difference they can make, but because it makes them feel better about themselves, offers status or for some, provides tax relief.

But the bulk of the research out there, the examples you read about and see on the news, and the experiences we have had here in the Midlands paint a very different picture. More

Philanthropist. It’s a descriptor that many people don’t think applies to them. Only people like Warren Buffet, Bill Gates and other bazillionaires or socialites can be philanthropists, right?

So simply, as Merriam-Webster defines it, philanthropy and all its goodness is nothing more than goodwill. It can be an act or a gift and it can be big or small. So the guy that gives $100,000 to his favorite university is a philanthropist. The child that puts one dollar of her allowance in the offering plate at church is a philanthropist. The volunteer that reads to children each week at the local family shelter is a philanthropist. The family that donates canned goods to the local food bank is philanthropic. More

Kristin Williamson of TAG/CCCF presents the $2,000 Summer Grant Giveaway to Jane Brundage (L) and Patricia McQueen (R) of Pets, Inc.

Wow! What an outpouring of support for nonprofits in the Midlands! We are very pleased to announce that Pets, Inc. The Carolinas Humane Society is the winner of the $2,000 Talk About Giving Summer Grant Giveaway. THANK YOU to everyone who participated, spread the word, and supported these deserving Midlands nonprofits! Please take a few minutes to learn more about the 12 finalists listed below. Each serve an important purpose in our community and make the Midlands a better place for all. More