Make it better. It’s our natural instinct — especially on the North Shore.
Most of us have moved beyond “Get a life.” We already have lives — full ones with children, interesting work, our own homes in great communities. We can’t help but want to make it better for ourselves, our children — the world. That instinct nurtures our thriving schools, churches, synagogues, volunteer organizations and public institutions. It pushes us to excel at work and play. It prods us to give back.
But please, don’t call me Pollyanna! She would never admit to the dark side of that sensibility — like the issues that develop when “it” (whatever “it” may be) should be considered good enough, but isn’t. Things like eating disorders, addictions, poor relationships and overwhelming competition. We don’t know each other well enough yet to discuss the hard issues this month, but I hope we soon will.
My feeling is that if I do it right, this column will resonate with you, North Shore readers, because each month it will address a facet of our North Shore “make it better” mentality. But without your help, I won’t do it as well as I could. Please send me your thoughts, ideas or reports of actions that demonstrate our “make it better” mantra or your problems or issues that could use some “make it better” sensibilities. I look forward to hearing from you.
Until then, let’s get started with start-ups. Not the high-tech Silicon Valley kind but the grass-roots “make it better” ventures that are born when we see need, then feel a need to fix it. If an appropriate opportunity or organization doesn’t exist to help, we use the creativity, intelligence and many resources with which we’ve been blessed to start one. Here are three diverse examples right here on the North Shore:
Example No. 1: Nan Kaehler of Kenilworth was raised to make it better for the world — and she raised her own four children to prioritize serving others, too. But Kaehler says she also “wanted to do more for other families, using some of my favorite resources — my networks of great friends and talented artisans and jewelers.” In 2001, Kaehler and 10 other “Founding Girlfriends” created “What Women Want,” an evening of wine, friendship and holiday shopping at the Kenilworth Club. Admission and a percentage of the sales benefits the Juvenile Protection Agency (JPA), which directly serves abused children and their parents.
The first event was a home run. It raised $7,000,” Kaehler says proudly. “We’ve added 36 Helpful Girlfriends to the Founders in the past four years. Everyone wants to be one.” Those girlfriends are now funding more help for families. JPA received $60,000 after last year’s event. Kaehler’s goals now include recruiting “more underwriters like our first one (Scott Byron Landscaping), who want to market to our exclusive demographic.”
Example No. 2: In 1997, Betsy and David Brint of Highland Park learned that their 8-week-old son, Alan, was blind because of an orphan degenerative eye disease. They immediately searched for similarly afflicted families and prospects for a cure, but found nothing. His disease was too rare. In true North Shore style (and with the help of Betsy’s parents, Alan and Ronnie Schwartz, also of Highland Park) the Brints launched the Foundation for Retinal Research.
The Foundation’s dual mission reflects both Brints. “David is a very ‘I’ve got to fix it’ person,” Betsy explains. “So the Foundation funds research. The first year, 1998, the Foundation raised $50,000 for research. Last year we gave $350,000.” She continues: “But I’m very ‘Let’s take what we’re given and make it work.’ So the Foundation also helps people feel better.”
The researching scientists work in labs decorated with photos of the afflicted kids. Betsy believes this inspires the scientists to stay with the project longer. It also supports fund-raisers by families, friends and others, which make them feel like they’ve actually done something to help. And it hosts international conferences for afflicted families.“The conferences feel like homecomings,” Brint explains. The first one was attended by 50 families from eight countries.
“As families registered, we knew each other’s name from the listserve,” she adds. “We hugged, cried, felt a release. We were not alone anymore.”
Example No. 3 (and a Question): During U2’s last Chicago concert, why did Bono cry out, “Thank you, thank you, Dick and Susie Kiphart”?
Because Winnetkan Dick Kiphart, head of corporate finance and principal at William Blair & Co., is one of only seven people worldwide, including George Soros, who serve with Bono on the board of Debt AIDS Trade Africa, the rock star’s African advocacy organization (www.data.org). As an example of that work, Kiphart described accompanying Bono to lobby U.S. Congress members, including Sen. Hillary Clinton and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
But working to effect policy change doesn’t speak to Susie’s heart.
“I don’t understand advocacy. It’s not tangible enough,” the petite, bespeckled brunette admits as she stands beside a painting by Bono in her living room. However, the former Director of Christian Education at Kenilworth Union Church (KUC) perfectly understands improving children’s lives by building them a school and providing towns with clean water by building them wells. So in 2004, about the same time that her husband joined DATA, Kiphart started a program to funnel resources directly from her congregation to small, profoundly impoverished towns in Ghana.
The Kipharts and KUC have already built wells in 15 sites and one new three-room school. Residents no longer walk miles to haul dirty, disease-ridden water from the closest rivers. The new school means girls will also receive a formal education. “What we are doing may seem to some like a ‘drop in the bucket,’” Susie says. “But it is a particular drop in a real person’s bucket.” The energy and passion both Kipharts radiate as they discuss this project (they just returned from their second trip to Ghana) makes every drop seem immensely important.“For only $4,500, we built a well that forever transforms an entire village,” Susie gushes. A new roof over the home of malnourished children costs only $200 to $300, Dick adds. Or as Susie puts it, “money that we (might otherwise) whittle away at Neiman Marcus on clothes that we won’t want to wear next year.”
The power emanating from this couple isn’t just about what they did for others. It’s what the others did for them.“The people of Ghana are loving, dignified, industrious, grateful, and as deeply faithful as you could find anywhere on earth,” Susie says. “There is no wiggle in their faith.” The project is one-on-one and personal.The mantra is “if you have a little spirit you can help me. If I have a little money, I can help you,” Susie explains. “So I went with a little money, and I got helped!”
Passion and personal interest fuel the stories of these three start-ups. I invite you to share the story of your favorite projects or organizations fueled by a similar energy. I also very much welcome your suggestions for future “Make It Better” topics. Please send them to: Susan@MakeItBetter.com.
