Donald Munro and Carol Scholp

00:04 This is Carol. Schultz. Schoolpay. Am 74 years of age. Today's date is Thursday, April 22nd. 2021 Earth Day. I am in Hot Springs Arkansas and the name of my conversation partner is mr. Munroe my relationship to him. Is that he is a dear, dear dear friend that I belonged to a philanthropy philanthropy group with.

00:57 Yes, sir. John Monroe here. That's the m. U n r o.

01:03 I am.

01:06 You can tell from my picture or 92 or 93 and it 93.

01:11 This is, in fact, the 22nd of April is Carol says, I happen to be over in a town called, when in east Arkansas, which is one of the one of our facilities is based.

01:26 And, but I'm here partnering with the Carol show.

01:31 With whom I've been in Partnership and are giving circles for several years.

01:40 Essentially, that's

01:43 The only other thing I might have to that is but

01:48 One of our other partners. So they know Dorothy Morris, who brings a lot of energy and joy actually to the, we do. And she really should be in this car, but he's not available, but she and I are.

02:07 As we call Partners in philanthropy because we support many of the same things and are able to help each other in our efforts. So, I'm sorry that she's not with us. But want to make sure that you're aware of her importance to our group. Because she, she and I were the ones that started it.

02:35 Served on what brought you to Hot Springs in the first place.

02:42 I work for a small company in Northern New Hampshire. We were they supplier to Sears Roebuck, which at that time was the biggest retailer in the world.

02:56 They asked us to expand our production, which was limited in in, New Hampshire.

03:04 So, I was asked him to go to Arkansas and build a plant there. We were producing shoes for Sears and I moved there in 1959.

03:16 And built the plants and we have expanded to several times since then.

03:23 So what was it like then Don cuz it's very different. Today's world. What was Hot Springs like in 1959?

03:32 To tell you the truth. It was probably on its way to becoming a ghost town. There was not a lot of activity. There was very little industry. And so we were welcomed with open arms and given every kind of assistance that they could offer and

03:55 We started manufacturing put together or Workforce and it's worked extremely well for our company and for the city because subsequently other industry has come in and other facilities have been set in place and there's so much to do in Hot Springs and in the area that we're becoming the victims of our own success. That's wonderful. So what influence did did all of this have on your becoming a philanthropist?

04:43 I think that that was early on. I became a member of the Arkansas Community Foundation board. And after that time, I never thought of philanthropy certainly not not with a capital P and put us way things went along. We became more and more interesting. And we were trying to carry it up to the local levels.

05:18 And specifically Hot Springs.

05:21 And that's when Dorothy, and I

05:24 I partnered up and started talking about this. So the idea by giving Circle through the Round Table in Little Rock, Arkansas, philanthropic Roundtable. Is that correct?

05:42 Yes, I think that's director. There was a that was an offshoot of the Community Foundation. I wish I was the

05:50 I wish I was at that time, the chairman and we started this, I forget by weekly meetings of so-called philanthropist around the state and it was a great experience, one, that should be going on today.

06:11 So is that how it did that help you and Dorothy then conceive of the giving Circle that experience. We did not invent a giving Circle. The concept was brought to me by a young man working for me who sing it in a little bit about it in the book. And I picked, I picked up in the idea right away because I have been talking with my sister. Reminder lives in Philadelphia who had joined a Investment Circle. And so when I heard about the giving Circle, I realize that it was

06:53 Much the same as an investment Club only investing in people in a nonprofit's rather than in public publicly traded companies.

07:07 So,

07:09 I brought the idea to Dorothy and she didn't need to think about it. Twice, you picked up and on it immediately and we took off their.

07:22 So what you did that help?

07:25 How long have you and she been involved in this program? And how many what charities are you involved with?

07:33 Well, the circle has been officially going since 2007.

07:41 And,

07:43 You probably can't name a nonprofit and box springs that we are not supported every possible type. I'm thinking of the food backs and literacy councils and music festivals.

08:04 As I said nothing less than

08:09 It's wonderful that you have so much support within the community,. How did you decide when you started? How did you decide? Who would be? Who would participate? How would you? How did your participants?

08:23 Our Circle of Friends.

08:27 We asked six or eight of them, to get to get together, playing the idea to them, and they immediately, and stay the night, rest and decided to form an organization. I think we decided on a limit of 10 people or 10:10 voting members. And one of the business we had agreed early on that. We would a certain amount of money at what should I think at the time was $5,000 a year?

09:08 And preached member. And I gave us a base has a base on which to start making small grants.

09:18 The thing that was

09:23 Most enjoyable about the whole experience, was the fact that what was the group of friends who expanded and, and maintain those friendships and

09:37 It just made it a we acted on on the consensus of the group.

09:45 So there was a great deal of Comedy.

09:52 Support for each other.

09:56 It's been a wonderful experience, the idea of of the grants to those who?

10:09 How did you evolve the the parties that need the money?

10:14 Yeah, good, a good question. I likes a little more about Dorothy because I like she needs a key to that. She brings so much.

10:25 Energy to the process that

10:32 Has ever message me? Brought has brought me down to the level of the community and

10:46 Philanthropy was sort of a forbidden word and among the nonprofits that we supported. It was beyond our Reach In some cases, but now they started understanding it, believing it accepting it applying for it. So it's become more of a

11:14 Much more acceptable word in Hot Springs. I think that certainly was up until that time.

11:23 So how is it changed over the years? Now? How many members did you start with? And how many are there today? How how was it morphed over the years?

11:34 Captain, pretty constant at 10 and they're either members or couples and all extremely can Daniel. There have been two or three that have dropped off or valid reasons. Boom. Boom ain't moving that type of thing, but we're not able to replace them pretty easily in the probably opened up for more people if we really wanted to. But it's a very workable group when we met Nate. We have almost almost always 100% attendance and

12:16 And very

12:22 Easier to talk to than enjoyable to work with.

12:29 Probably easier to reach consensus. If you don't have a whole lot of cats to herd to get an application show. Somebody wants to file an application. What do they have to do?

12:46 Well, first of all, I should say that when we started, we had no real guidelines to go by. We sort of knew what we wanted to do. So we may things up as we went along and in most cases they were, they were good moves. And so we've started getting more requests. Then then then we had expected, we started to realize that we had to organize the organizing a little bit. So we developed a process which is still in place.

13:28 And the Saints be working really well.

13:34 So don't so the rules haven't changed much except maybe a little, they've been more formalized. Would you say?

13:42 They become a little more formalized, not a lot, but no, they have not really changed. And how are those? What's the process for? Somebody wants to try to get a grant, and how are they awarded?

14:01 You're better qualified to review those men that I am because

14:10 We have always had excellent, chairman of our group and they have picked up on these. This is processes and follow them pretty pretty well. So that's an eyeful and haven't had to pay a lot of attention, but Carol pays attention to everything so she can answer that better than I do. I do know that in our process. I loved our process cuz it is simplified. If you want to other organizations for Grant applications are ridiculous and fifty Pages. We have a one-page public sphere of the name of your group on financials. We ask for your bored. We ask what the score was, the money will be used for and then we ask what how it's going to benefit our community, which I think is really the most important part of that. And I do know, I mean, I just love how we handle it because as you said our chair then notified every member of the group and we get to review.

15:09 Ever, the application is from there. We decide whether we want to hear that application. The pic, the people come and presented and once they presented it, on our group was so fantastic because what is presented, are they leave the room? And then we discuss, you know, how we feel about it and then we do about it. Just I just love the fact that it's so uncomplicated. And then I want to see if there are awarded the mine are chair notifies, the Community Foundation where we have our money and they cut a check so they can get their money in a couple of days. So we we really simplify the process for 501, c 3 and I love the fact that we handled that we go with small groups like the emergent arts in Hot Springs, AR run by Aaron holiday.

16:03 Would not exist if it were not for us. If you remember when we went to her building, no one even wanted to participate. And if they thought the building should be torn down. And yet, once we had a chance to let her make her presentation, and we saw the effort that she had put in our group immediately, went to the Forefront. She would not have her, it would not exist today. If it were not for our group, we put in her heat and air are so she can use that building on what time and now the classes for children and adults are amazing and it's in a part of town that desperately needs that. So I can for myself. I look at things like that. What are what are visible reward to our community? And to think that we were part of it is just outstanding to me. That what is one example.

16:52 Because,

16:55 I want thing. I didn't mention that one of the things to do in Preston. They impressed me about the investment clubs, with the fact that they made these site, visit around the country visiting various companies and we have used that idea locally. So that we often Ranch site, visits to one of our and any one of our applicants, and they tried to typically come and make a presentation and, or we go to their place of business and see what they are doing on hand, and then a great education for all of us has learned so much about our community, so much about what the needs are in the community that may be the most important thing that I accomplished.

17:53 I couldn't agree. More. Do you remember when the Washington Children's Center over Christmas their freezers and and Refrigeration went out and are several of our people actually offered to purchase them right then and there but they asked us to wait and we went and visited their facility and we were able to get them all the two refrigerators and freezers and an ice maker with our donations. And they were so grateful and it's made such a difference in how they can operate. I love the fact that we are local that we make an impact on our, on our people and that they know who we are. This is not, you know, we're not hidden away somewhere. It's, it's so gratifying to see the people in the public and know if they recognize us and we recognize them. It's such a partnership. I think that's one of the things that I find. So, gratifying about it.

18:50 Do you know how much to give me Circle has given in our community since it? Since we started?

18:58 I know that because I am looking at report here.

19:06 I said, I

19:08 After you go by memories over $800,000.

19:14 My friend, just just the few people for starting to send it 2007, Don is that right? You have to separate 13 years and that's that small group of people has made such an impact and not time that I find that incredible. It just shows you what, what? An individual putting their effort forward can accomplish. And if it weren't for you and Dorothy we wouldn't be here doing this. So I'm very, very grateful. I personally have told Dorothy on many occasions, that the finest thing I've ever been invited to belong to is to giving Circle. If they can write on my Tombstone member of the give a circle and I'll be Satisfied. I just think it's the finest group of people. We have such a diverse group of people are our backgrounds are so different. Our politics are so different, and when we come together weed, there's no dissension whatsoever.

20:14 Everybody's Cooperative everybody listens to what the other person has to say. And when their decision is made its 90% of the time. You probably ninety-nine percent of the time unanimous so fine and good group of people like you put together, Don you and Dorothy get all the credit for finding the right individuals to put in a group that would continue with their philanthropy for such a long period of time. So I want to congratulate you on that, lets her, give it give it how much good just a few individuals can accomplish. How can we encourage others throughout the country to form their own giving circles and and help their own local communities? Because this is a simple process. It's like you said it's a it's a few individuals coming together offering to put their money forward and I'm making the process simple, but how do we encourage others to do that? How do we, how do we spawn more groups?

21:12 We've made a few presentations over the years and we've invited others to come and visit us and to watch what we do. If not necessarily picked up on it the way one, the way we expected, but we still maintain that as part of our mission to spread the word because we needed to sew

21:42 Important, I have so much potential and just everything we can do to promote it is the right thing to do.

21:55 I couldn't agree with you more. However, this is one of the, one of the things I say. It's a stumbling block in today's world, given the enormous changes in our economy. How do we encourage young people? Cuz you and I are you and I are young at heart. We may not be making it forever. So how do we what is it that we do? Or what suggestions do you have for us to to sponsor this for younger people? You know, I've gone to the library with the Joyce Whitfield who was our Arkansas Community Foundation represent and presented it to people in there but their forties and fifties and they think they love the idea, but I don't see them.

22:40 Capitalising on it. I do not see them this morning, the wrong groups. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't want to see it. I Even in our own community. So what would you suggest? How do we get?

22:56 Younger people, do we go to schools and talk to them, but would you be some of the suggestions you would put forward? Is it a, is it a presentation to Rotary? What what would encourage people to actually form their own groups? Like we have

23:10 Are there directing that question to me? I I don't have the answer because we've tried everything we can think of. I do believe that bringing in New Blood is so always helpful. There's a number of other organizations that that could cater to young people that are working really. Well. I'm thinking specifically of the Community Foundation Council and I think that that group of the oven school kids as they get older will be more and more open to things like the giving Circle.

23:57 Because couldn't, we don't, I mean, I think we can do it alone. But if we, the schools could do this by just having your children put in $5 a year or something and then pick their own charity, whatever it is that they wish to give to just to start them on the process so that the concept stays a lot. That's a good idea. I require somebody to step up and take a leadership role and doing that.

24:27 Well, I'm out.

24:37 You know, right right now, I'm working with that a group that's trying to put together their, their proposal for, and I offered them at this goes right to the heart of the giving Circle. I have offered to start savings account for these children, so that they burn the savings processing through the same as process. They learned that they can give to Tony traffic organization, but it's it's a, it's a tough call especially because people aren't as fortunate as you and I they they don't get to be millionaires as easily as you. And I did coming up when the, when the economy was different and you can start with almost nothing and and and do so well today, that's I'm pretty much the IT people, you know, the technology people. But no young kids on a job. They don't pay benefits. They don't get a severance very difficult in today's world. For young people's we, if we can pay him, $15 an hour, you can expect

25:37 More difficult, but for anybody listening, pretty much for anybody listening and for future Generations, what can we do to pass? What would you pass on to them? From what we've done? What would you, what would you say to them?

26:02 So it's probably a peer thing.

26:06 And if you can, can

26:09 Start startup. That was a few individuals and

26:17 Help them to apply. Clear pressure.

26:20 But maybe you can get in groups to formalize, what they do. Just the way we did.

26:30 Or along the same lines.

26:33 I think, I think there's a greater possibility of that with the young people, if they know that.

26:41 They themselves will make the difference and I think we do see that some in efforts today. Young people trying to respond changes in our political climate. So maybe we can get them to do it through a philanthropic climate. It's well, that, that we can encourage them. I really don't have much else to ask. John. Do you have anything else to add to it? I don't want to necessarily give our our members names because some of them don't don't like to be advertised. But I will say this, it's the finest group of people I've ever had the opportunity to work with and no. Unlike other organizations. Where is a strip board? This is very easy to say, say there's never any conflict in our group. We just go in, we listen to the presentation. We have turn people down for their applications, but we've done so much good in. I just like to mention a few of the things that we've been able to help with. We did robotics.

27:41 For the mountains for the Mid-America Science Museum. We helped to build an apartment for the Samaritan Ministries for the homeless men.

27:52 We've like you said that the documentary film festival which is the oldest documentary film festival in the country. We've helped them on several occasions. We've done for Christian Ministries where we help them with. I don't know where all the documents we've done for them. And then we, we've also the food bank and Jackson house we've given so much money. And, in this last year, that needs were dire. So we were very fortunate to have the money to put forward to help feed people. We both still have a program in town and I don't know how many how many supported this cuz they didn't come to us. But to help pay for the utilities of people in dire need because they lost their jobs or what have we really I think the giving Circle really

28:46 Just present a wonderful wonderful face to the public for what you can accomplish if you set your mind to it and just a few individuals. It's it's it has so much heart that so much kindness in it. I just can't say enough good things about belonging to the giving Circle.

29:06 Has your girl is certainly, I concur?

29:09 I wish I'd been a little bit more, put a little more emphasis on the

29:15 The Sting of the future the contribution of the community foundation's youth advisory Council because those young people are going to be right for forming giving circles in the future.

29:35 It would become so interested in Grant making and end in philanthropy. That I think they're going to be easy convert 2 to a given Circle. Concept. Just wanted to emphasize that point. Otherwise, I certainly agree with your comments. We just need a few more Carol Schultz. I remember when I tried.

30:06 Everybody was in shock.

30:13 I've had so much joy come from it and end the meeting. The people that the, the hearts of the people in our group are just incredible. We have artist, we have philanthropist. We have fun or what it, what a diverse group of people. And so I can't encourage people enough to die in a fire by people who are like-minded in what they want to accomplish. They don't have to be like minded in any other areas, but they should be like minded in what they wish to accomplish. And of course one thing that like, we do a lot of different charities, but there's no reason you couldn't put together a giving Circle that was put together that you just to help the homeless or, or just to feed the poor. So it's not that it hasn't, it's not that you have to spread your money. So thin, if you have less money, you can concentrated on a single calls and make that work. So good idea. Good idea.

31:13 That's for me.