The Rising Tide:
Philanthropy & Volunteerism in the LGBT Community
(click for bio & past articles)

The Tide Raises All Ships
Jody Cole

Our community is blessed with many opportunities to give back and make a difference in the lives of others. We have no shortage of organizations and projects to support locally and nationally, and we even look beyond US borders to give to international causes.

As 2005 opens, we are galvanized by the tragedy and devastation following the Southeast Asia Tsunami with more lives lost than can be counted. This global recovery effort has gays and lesbians opening their wallets and pocketbooks along with others from every nation, every political stance and every ethnicity. We are all in this together, and as the saying goes: "But for the grace of God, there go I!"

It was actually about 18 years ago when a mentor and friend of mine gave me the gift of understanding why giving back and volunteerism are so important.

Many of you may recognize the name Tracy Gary. I had begun inheriting some money from my mother's estate at the ripe old age of 25. I had no idea what to do with it. It was enough income, I found, that I did not have to work on a regular basis. So I quit my job at Merrill Lynch and began to figure out what I was going to do with myself.

Suddenly, I was struck dumb with the realization that I had done nothing to "earn" this money, and I asked myself “Who am I to claim it?” While my peers were working hard at their new careers, I was sitting at home partying and feeling sorry for myself. So finally, I went to a friend to ask for advice.

My friend sent me to Tracy Gary and the Managing Inheriting Wealth (MIW) program, which later became Resourceful Women (RW). Upon my first meeting with Tracy , my thinking shifted. She was an out lesbian who had inherited. She was giving her money away and teaching other women how to do it too. Tracy founded MIW, which was about more than giving money away. It was about teaching women to be more comfortable with managing their own money, and then becoming comfortable enough to strategically give it away.

I became an intern at the MIW/RW office, and next thing I knew, Tracy was coaching me on not only philanthropy and fundraising, but also how to live my dream. She set a terrific example for me mostly by living her life the way she does.

It was during this time that I first heard the saying "The tide raises all boats!" It was said in reference to the idea that our world has so many causes to give to that one can feel overwhelmed with the desire to give and help and also overcome by the daunting choice of who to give to.

I learned that if you are giving to one cause, it helps all across the board. I learned this most acutely when I was co-chairing the Capital Campaign for the $15 million San Francisco LGBT Community Center Project. During that same time, the Women's Building had its own capital campaign underway. Donors were wondering how could both of these projects succeed at the same time when the same pool of donors was being asked to fund both projects.

My response was to support the idea that giving where it is most important to you is what really matters. Either way, the community benefits from your giving and you feel good about what you've done. Yes, you have helped an organization that you care about, but I personally take the thought even further. I say that giving helps not only with self-esteem, but giving also helps with taxes.

Some might call this “selfish thinking.” But, in my view, I say this: “If it works, don't knock it!” I know that there are many, many reasons why people give. In future articles for this column, I will address those reasons. But by all means, however, I know I am truly not an expert . . . just a gal who's learned a lot along the way, mostly following the footsteps and advice of those before me.

So, why am I writing this column? As with most things, there's more than one reason. I am writing because I want to say why I believe so strongly in the power of giving back. I am writing because I know that when we volunteer, we are giving our time, and our time is our most previous gift.

Finally, I am writing because I'm delighted to launch the new Philanthropy & Volunteerism! column on the Betty's List web site. As the column editor, I have the pleasure of welcoming guest writers who will lend their voices and speak their minds, sharing their own ideas and suggestions. With a community like this one in the Bay Area, there are so many, many among us who have stories to tell and thoughts to share.

I hope you will check each month to find out who is our featured guest and what she or he has to say! Everyone who wants to have their say, of course, is welcome to do so at any time. To make that possible, a new Forum has opened on the Betty's List Message Board. This month, we introduce that new Forum, entitled "Philanthropy & Volunteerism - What is Needed & Where."

The new Forum is open now, and I personally invite you to use this link to go there and make your own statement or share information you feel will be helpful to others as they make decisions about giving and stepping up to the plate to help.

Best wishes for a great year in 2005, and thank you all so very much for the good work you do for all of us in the broader LGBT Community of the Bay Area.

Bio & Past Articles

Past Articles Learning to Give Jody/Marriage,Religion Philanthropy & Political Advocacy Giving to Secure Our Rights Philanthropy Is Part of the Maturing LGBT Community The Tide Raises All Ships

Betty's List Philanthropy & Volunteerism Columnist Jody Cole Jody Cole is a donor and philanthropic activist who was born and raised in Birmingham, AL. She moved to the Bay Area in 1984 and lived in San Francisco for 18 years before moving to her ranch in Mendocino County. She has spent the past 15 years focusing on human rights and animal welfare. She also encourages women, especially lesbians, to become more philanthropic. Jody has supported non-profit organizations, special projects and LGBT candidates for elected office. Her fundraising experience includes serving as Capital Campaign Co-chair for the San Francisco LGBT Community Center Project, helping raise $15 million dollars to build the Center; Annual Giving class agent for her alma mater, Converse College in Spartanburg, SC; and fundraising leader for the National Center for Lesbian Rights, The Human Rights Campaign, Community United Against Violence, Lesbian Health Research Center at UCSF, and Woman Vision's “All God's Children” project directed by Dee Mosbacher. She has also raised funds for election campaigns of Assemblywoman Carole Migden; Assemblyman Mark Leno and Hon. Roberta Achtenberg. Currently, she is the Chair of the Board of Directors for The Pride Alliance Network in Mendocino County. Additional board experience includes Recovering Information Services, Inc. (1994); Resourceful Women (1994-1997); Community United Against Violence (1994-1998), and Community Center Project of San Francisco (1998 – 2002). Jody has received numerous awards for her community work. Additionally, she has served in volunteer and advisory capacities with ICON Newsmagazine, Carole Migden, Horizons Foundation, the Lavender Think Tank for the Reelection of Mayor Willie Brown, Pets In Need, and the Marine Mammal Center. She was co-producer of the Hopland Women's Festival from 1994 - 2004, a well-known women's music, comedy and crafts festival in Hopland, California. In her spare time, she travels to Africa and has begun leading private trips to Sub-Saharan countries for those interested in a safari experience of a lifetime. Her highest achievement to date is successfully summiting Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (19340') in 1998! She can be contacted at Wild Affair Productions, Ukaih, CA, via e-mail: Wildfair@Aol.com Contributing Author Bio Jeff Lewy has been active for more than three decades in the San Francisco Bay Area LGBT community as a donor, board member and activist for LGBT rights. He is currently a member of the Board of Horizons Foundation, serving as co-chair for the organization's 25th Anniversary Gala.  Horizons is the San Francisco Bay Area's LGBT community foundation.  Jeff also serves on the Board of Continuum, a provider of health care for persons with HIV in the Tenderloin.  He has previously served on the Boards of the Friends of the San Francisco Public Library and the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus. Jeff is also actively involved with Lambda Legal, the National Center for Lesbian Rights, the Frontline Project of the American Civil Liberties Union, Equality California and other nonprofits and civil rights organizations. A thought from Jeff:  "It is clear to me that the elders of our community are my parents, and the youth of our community are my children.  I want to do all I can to see that they have the financial and social backing to be full, happy, productive members of society." Jeff Lewy can be reached at airbair@aol.com.