Ways to Give Back

No matter how you slice it, mentoring works. You have a profound impact on another person. And you get to know yourself much better too.

Chuck Hirsch was the group product planner of Microsoft's Dare to Dream Group. Its first product is ActiMates Interactive Barney.

Andrew Rasiej
Founder, Making Opportunities for Upgrading Schools and Education (MOUSE)
New York, New York
andrew@irvingplaza.com

If you can adopt a highway, why not a school? I live just down the block from Washington Irving High School. It's a typical failing urban school. Local businesses have always been involved in it, but I wanted to do more.

Then I heard about NetDay the effort to connect schools to the Internet. My immediate reaction was that Washington Irving should get involved. I turned to Silicon Alley, and in a short time we had more than 300 volunteers to help on NetDay.

But after NetDay was over, the teachers and students had no support or training. That's when a lightbulb went on and MOUSE was formed. We're creating a volunteer corps to help wire schools, maintain equipment, and train teachers and students on an ongoing basis. I'm working on a business plan to establish MOUSE in other cities. That kind of human network has incredible value. The warm and fuzzy feeling of accomplishment is great. But this kind of strategic philanthropy is much more lasting.

Andrew Rasiej helped restore New York's Irving Plaza, an old vaudeville theater, and has been a real estate consultant to nonprofit groups.

Anthony Sansone Jr.
President
Sansone Group Inc.
St. Louis, Missouri
asansonejr@aol.com

For years I sent checks to the Special Olympics and other associations for the disabled. Then it struck me that I was taking the easy way out. I didn't see any direct results, and I didn't feel personally involved. My family loves ice hockey, so we formed the Gateway Locomotives: a hockey team made up of disabled youths.

When I first solicited various organizations for their support, I didn't get the response that I was hoping for. But that just motivated me further. Over time we won the support of many volunteers, and with about 20 National Hockey League players, 100 instructors, and more than 200 participating players, we've formed Special Hockey International.

We've developed Special Hockey teams throughout Canada and the United States. But we're not stopping yet! Our goal is to have teams in all 26 National Hockey League cities. More important, we want the Special Olympics organization to sanction our sport.

The moral of this whole experience: if you believe in what you're doing, it will happen. Have a concrete plan. Stick to it. Don't let anyone tell you it can't happen. When you encounter resistance, draw inspiration from the naysayers. Change their impressions by showing them your results. If you do that, you'll find that what you're doing will become contagious.

Anthony Sansone Jr. develops and manages shopping centers, office and medical buildings, and low-income housing.