I actually still have that costume! Not sure about the feathered headband though. If I can find it, I may loan it to Dan's Child #2 to wear to her Great Gatsby-themed prom (which we just learned about at a donor meeting this morning). Love when things come full circle.
When this showed up in my inbox today, I was thrilled to see someone writing about Mr Beast. Our nonprofit has a somewhat similar approach to giving, in that we believe many good things can happen (and more quickly) when we remove a lot of process and barriers, however our similarities to his style likely end there. So much of his approach - like that of MD Motivator - have turned helping people in a spectator sport where the people in need are forced to endure an audience (& often judgement) they didn’t always ask for in exchange for getting the help they need. It worries me that this is showing the next generation of givers that people need to consent to their images and their stories being sold in order for them to get support. It also worries me greatly that the fast videos and captivating images take out all the nuance and challenge and hard work that goes on behind the scenes at nonprofits-selling “giving back” as an action-packed reality show rather than the important, detailed and often heartbreaking work it often is. Sorry to ramble, this is just a topic that really hits home for me as I try desperately to balance sharing our work with integrity and grace with the current desires of the public to see everything summed up as a Reel or TikTok.
Hi, Danielle and thanks so much for such a thought-provoking comment. One of our early conversations with this project was around what happens when philanthropy becomes a game show. What do people watch? What are they rooting for? What gets cut for time? On the one hand, I admire an approach that cuts to the quick and puts support where it's needed but on the other hand--and this is what we try to get at in the article--what lessons and expectations get built from that approach? Impact plays out over the long term. Can we be patient enough to see it through? Thanks again for this comment!
And, I loved the article in Chronicle of Philanthropy. My daughters regularly talk about Mr. Beast at the dinner table, so this hit home with me. I shared the article with the development and marketing team here at UW of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes as we need to be aware of how to shift messaging with the different generations.
PS: Did you see there is a new movie being produced on Pride & Prejudice?!?!?!
More feathered headbands in the workplace, please!
I actually still have that costume! Not sure about the feathered headband though. If I can find it, I may loan it to Dan's Child #2 to wear to her Great Gatsby-themed prom (which we just learned about at a donor meeting this morning). Love when things come full circle.
When this showed up in my inbox today, I was thrilled to see someone writing about Mr Beast. Our nonprofit has a somewhat similar approach to giving, in that we believe many good things can happen (and more quickly) when we remove a lot of process and barriers, however our similarities to his style likely end there. So much of his approach - like that of MD Motivator - have turned helping people in a spectator sport where the people in need are forced to endure an audience (& often judgement) they didn’t always ask for in exchange for getting the help they need. It worries me that this is showing the next generation of givers that people need to consent to their images and their stories being sold in order for them to get support. It also worries me greatly that the fast videos and captivating images take out all the nuance and challenge and hard work that goes on behind the scenes at nonprofits-selling “giving back” as an action-packed reality show rather than the important, detailed and often heartbreaking work it often is. Sorry to ramble, this is just a topic that really hits home for me as I try desperately to balance sharing our work with integrity and grace with the current desires of the public to see everything summed up as a Reel or TikTok.
Thanks for starting this conversation.
Hi, Danielle and thanks so much for such a thought-provoking comment. One of our early conversations with this project was around what happens when philanthropy becomes a game show. What do people watch? What are they rooting for? What gets cut for time? On the one hand, I admire an approach that cuts to the quick and puts support where it's needed but on the other hand--and this is what we try to get at in the article--what lessons and expectations get built from that approach? Impact plays out over the long term. Can we be patient enough to see it through? Thanks again for this comment!
Great work, Dan and Maureen! - Signed, a millennial who is terrified of MrBeast
Congrats Dan and Maureen! Love the article!
Another fun and great post Dan! Thank you.
And, I loved the article in Chronicle of Philanthropy. My daughters regularly talk about Mr. Beast at the dinner table, so this hit home with me. I shared the article with the development and marketing team here at UW of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes as we need to be aware of how to shift messaging with the different generations.
PS: Did you see there is a new movie being produced on Pride & Prejudice?!?!?!