Do-Gooders Need Not Apply

For example, when the music-therapy center opened in Bosnia, the BBC wanted to do a story on the work that was taking place there. Leeson worked with people at the center, telling them why a camera crew was coming and why they were being filmed. As a filmmaker, he had a sense of which stories were more visual, and so he led reporters to those stories. "When I evaluate projects for War Child," he says, "I have three criteria: First, is it needed? Second, does it duplicate other efforts? Third, can I publicize it? You can't raise money without awareness."

That's one reason why Leeson's plans for War Child include developing a film division, one that would provide footage of wars in remote areas to TV stations with limited budgets. Such efforts are designed to make War Child a name that resonates -- not only in the entertainment world, but in any arena that the organization chooses to enter. "War Child is a brand name," Leeson explains. "When people see it -- whether it's tied to an event or a book of photographs -- I want them to think, 'That was done by War Child, so it must be good.' "

To learn more about War Child, visit the Web (www.warchild.org).