Giving Back and Making a Real Impact

Let them be sure that every deed counts,That every word has power,And that all we can do is our share to redeem the world,In spite of all the absurdities and all the frustrations and disappointment…Build life as if it were a work of art.

Abraham Joshua Heschel

Live Long and Prosper

After launching Changing Lanes, I had planned to write a sequel and dive deeper into the topic of  Paying it Forward. I had amassed a large amount of research material on people who had achieved some level of success—e.g. the lucky ones who hit it big in the dot com boom and didn’t lose it in the bust—but who weren’t satisfied to live the good life off their hard earned gains. Rather, they felt an urge to make a difference in the world. I became fascinated with the trend that has become known as “social entrepreneurism” which is basically doing well for yourself by doing good for others.

My folder of news clippings was overflowing with news stories of both famous and ordinary people who were motivated to change lanes by feelings of gratitude for the blessings they received or for an early helping hand from those who came before.  “Wouldn’t it be fun,” I thought, “to travel the world, interviewing heroes like Bill and Melinda Gates, Al Gore, Bono, Jimmy Carter, and Muhamad Yunus?” I had fallen in love with Africa on a recent family trip, and planned to incorporate visits to this endlessly fascinating continent to research AIDS and economic development projects started by baby boomers who at midlife had become committed to doing the public good.

My son, David, aware of my plans for the new book, bought me the perfect gift for my birthday—Bill Clinton’s latest best seller, Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World. I curled up for an interesting read, but after just a few pages, I bolted out of my comfy chair and screamed, “that son of a @#$%&$ wrote my book!” Not only did he cover the same topics, he even seemed to have rifled through my research folder for the real-life examples he used to illustrate his points.

Try as I might, I couldn’t come up with a reason to pursue my original plans for a book when a former President of the United States with huge bona fides had beaten me to it. Never mind that his book is actually kind of boring. It still managed to suck all the air out of my ideas for Changing Lanes Part Deux.

Oh well. I’m a big girl and will get over my disappointment. But before tossing out all the good stuff I had accumulated, I decided to blog on the topic and share some insights with you.

When Susan and I were working on Changing Lanes, we had called on Leonard Nimoy of Star Trek fame to shed some light on the process he and his wife went through to establish the missions for their charitable foundations. We learned that Leonard and his wife, Susan, sought guidance for determining the focus for their giving and insight as to how to leverage their personal contributions to encourage others to follow in their footsteps.

Sure, a rich and famous actor can do pretty much what he wants to do with his second act. But if you are wondering how to make the most of your blessings, then read Leonard’s story and you just might take away some ideas to help you make good choices for your lane change.

The light-filled aerie that serves as Leonard Nimoy’s home photography studio is lined with prints of his work. Included are studies of the female form from his first book of photography, the controversial Shekhina.

There is a unique quality to Shekhina. Hauntingly beautiful, the images capture his vision of the divine feminine presence, which, according to Jewish mystical teachings of the kabala, was created by God to dwell among humanity. Floating in many of the photographs is a strange, three-pronged form. It is a ghostlike representation of the letter shin, the first letter of Shaddai, one of the Hebrew names for God.

The experience that infuses this body of work occurred when Leonard was eight, standing in a synagogue with his father, eyes covered, as the descendents of the ancient priests summoned the Shekhina to bless the congregation. His father warned Leonard that he must not look. But the young boy did look. In fervent prayer, the elders extended their hands with fingers splayed in the shape of the letter shin. He recalls, “The image has stayed with me my entire life.” 

Any Trekkie staring at this letter in Leonard’s photographs experiences a shock of recognition. It is the same shape made by Mr. Spock’s hand when offering his benediction, “Live long and prosper.” Indeed, a common thread runs through Leonard’s portrayal of Spock and his images of Shekhina. Not a particularly observant Jew, Leonard is nonetheless fascinated by spiritual themes. In Shekhina, he quotes the twentieth century Jesuit priest/scientist, Teillhard de Chardin: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

Leonard enjoys the fame and fortune that came after many years of hard work. But, it was always about the work, not the trappings. When, over time, he saw fewer opportunities to produce the kind of humanistic material that had inspired him as a young man, he ended his acting and directing career. 

By 1990, he had the resources to do pretty much anything he wanted to do. Not surprising, his choices were informed by his passion for the creative process.

When Leonard and his wife, Susan, began to discuss making a serious commitment to philanthropy, they certainly didn’t lack for options—every charitable organization seemed to come calling. So they hired professionals to advise them on selecting a focus for an enduring legacy. They asked their rabbi for advice on how they should go about their charitable giving. The rabbi quoted Maimonides, the great Jewish philosopher, who had laid out a hierarchy for modes of giving. The highest form of charity, he said, was when both recipient and donor are anonymous, so as not to embarrass the former nor bring undo attention to the latter. In Leonard’s case, however, the rabbi advised a different course.

He counseled Leonard to use his celebrity as leverage to maximize the impact of their charitable giving.  And so he has. The Nimoys have gone public with their philanthropy and have achieved the multiplier effect they envisioned. For example, in 2001, they made a contribution of $1 million toward the renovation and expansion of Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. Because of Leonard’s association with space in the Star Trek series, that original million has produced another $5 million from his fans the world over.

Leonard and Susan have established two foundations, each with an innovative edge. The Nimoy Family Foundation, established in 1996, is committed to support projects in the fields of education, art, art education and Jewish community programs. Focusing on unique or clearly defined unmet needs, the foundation funds such projects as the Career Center at Beit T’Shuvah, a residential recovery facility for people with addictions. It also preserves Yiddish literature and music so that future generations can enjoy this rich cultural resource.  For example, the foundation sponsors the Nimoy Concert Series, introducing audiences to the best of Jewish music from around the world.

In 2003, recognizing the sharp reduction in government support of contemporary artists, Leonard and Susan created the second Nimoy Foundation and launched the Nimoy Visual Artist Residencies program. Its mission is to award grants to arts institutions that provide direct support to artists through fees, space subsidies, supplies and services.

In developing this new program, Leonard stated, “Our lives have been profoundly influenced and changed by the arts.  We felt it was important to take our good fortune and share it with a community that has been financially hard hit in recent years.” Seeking the multiplier effect again, he continued, “We hope that others will join us in this effort to support the arts and to encourage and sustain the work of individual artists.” 

Chuckling, Leonard recalls that early on his father had made the mistake of underestimating his son, advising him, “Take up the accordion. You will always make a living.” But Leonard followed his own muse.  Now, as a philanthropist, Leonard continues to channel the Shekhina by conferring her blessings on the community.

Lacking experience, and perhaps lacking imagination, some of us write the easy checks to our alma maters, the first charity that called, or sit out the fundraising feeding frenzy altogether. Deciding how to make your money count is a nice problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. While I may not have millions to give, I still want to choose wisely where to contribute both my money and my time.           

Leonard Nimoy’s story is instructive in this area. He had a strong sense of his personal history—his roots, the challenges he had to overcome to follow his passion, and the people who provided him help along the way. This clarity informed his process when it came time to select the beneficiaries of his generosity. Also, he didn’t shy away from leveraging his fame for the benefit of his causes.

But many successful people lack Leonard’s clarity. Buried in their careers, they are blind to other platforms where their leadership can be effective. To have the most impact, it’s important to focus. You can choose one issue and go deep as the Nimoys did or select a specific target in two or three categories (e.g. health, education, the arts). But just writing a bunch of small checks won’t give you the satisfaction of knowing you made a difference.

If you are lucky enough to live long and prosper, by all means, pay it forward. But do so with intention.

For more on Leonard Nimoy‘s inspirational story, read Changing Lanes: Road Maps to Midlife Renewal.

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