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Why I regret #GivingTuesday

 Why I regret #GivingTuesday 900 506 Michael Hemphill

Now that Giving Tuesday is over, let me share why I regret Giving Tuesday.

Yesterday I received at least 43 emails from 27 different nonprofit organizations asking for my support on #GivingTuesday. This doesn’t count all the texts, social media posts and so forth. 

Mind you, I don’t fault the nonprofits. They’re taking advantage of this one day — fabricated with good intentions, I’m sure, in 2012 — to inspire us to think beyond ourselves during the holiday hustle and donate to these organizations that bind us together when so many other institutions have failed.

But the unintended consequence of Giving Tuesday is a further relegation of nonprofits to subservient status. By hyping this one day for charitable giving, we suggest that the countless causes with which nonprofits grapple aren’t important the other 364 days.

In our for-profit world, nonprofits are already consigned to the lesser ranks inhabited by Oliver Twist nearly 200 years ago: “Please, sir, I want some … more?”

This scarcity mindset calls to mind the tiresome adage I’ve too often heard in nonprofit board meetings: “Nonprofits should operate more like a business.” 

Are there some best business practices that all organizations should incorporate? Sure. But let’s do without the condescension when we talk about nonprofits as if they’re puppies scrambling for scraps at the dinner table.

The motivation of business is to make money … and there’s no money to be made in housing the homeless, feeding the hungry, spaying stray cats and dogs, teaching literacy to immigrants and native-born Americans, showing children how to dance and sing, preserving African-American history, awarding scholarships for kids to afford college, creating art in low-income neighborhoods or helping the frightened single mom care for her baby — just some of the nonprofit missions we’ve highlighted and helped on our TV show BUZZ. 

As I share in the opening of every episode: “their profit comes not in the thing they sell, but the good they do.”

This goodness deserves celebration year round, not just 1/365th of the year. 

If we as a society say that these missions are important, then let’s resolve in 2025 to celebrate Giving Tuesday each week, not just the first one of December. 

That nonprofit we professed such care about yesterday will be working just as tirelessly, just as heartfully, those Tuesdays as well.

Always buzzing,
Michael Hemphill
BUZZ creator

Watch our latest round of BUZZ in Birmingham

 Watch our latest round of BUZZ in Birmingham 900 506 Michael Hemphill

We just finished premiering our latest round of six BUZZ in Birmingham episodes on Alabama Public Television. Watch now on demand to see how we highlighted and helped the nonprofits Nurse-Family Partnership, United Ability, Small Magic, College Choice Foundation, and the Alabama Association of Nonprofits!

We thank The Daniel Foundation of Alabama and Joseph S. Bruno Charitable Foundation for providing the grants that underwrote our production costs.

Election Day BUZZ

 Election Day BUZZ 900 495 Michael Hemphill

On the eve of Election Day, please allow me to share my welcome remarks from our recent BUZZ in Birmingham preview party:

“Good evening everyone. My name is Michael Hemphill and it’s my privilege to be the creator of this TV show called BUZZ, which I launched in 2020 to highlight and help nonprofit organizations.

For the last 20+ years I’ve worked in the nonprofit world in and around my home in Virginia, where I’ve developed a deep passion for these charitable organizations because they literally do everything!

Consider: Over our first five years of BUZZ and 50+ episodes, we’ve featured a ballet company, a zoo, a community choir, food pantry, homeless shelters, foster care agency, unplanned pregnancy center, a business accelerator, a honeybee sanctuary and other environmental groups, an historic African-American school, literacy volunteers, service dogs, and on and on.

Here in my hometown of Birmingham, we’ve featured Children of Slain Police Officers, Studio by the Tracks, the Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama, Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank … and the stars of tonight’s shows: UAB’s Nurse-Family Partnership, United Ability, Small Magic and College Choice Foundation.

The uniqueness of these organizations can only be matched by their hearts. So thank you so much for coming tonight and supporting these great nonprofits and our work.

Now, before we start the show, please allow me this Public Service Announcement:

Here in this room tonight are my dearest friends and family, along with many in the Birmingham community, who represent the full spectrum of political and religious thought.

We have here diehard Democrats and diehard Republicans … Christians and agnostics … liberals, conservatives, libertarians. If my wife’s brother was here, we would even have a real life communist. We have Trumpers, never Trumpers. People, we even have Alabama and Auburn fans … and folks there’s even here with us tonight a guy who roots for Vanderbilt.

All this to say that in the weeks ahead you may be tempted to despair … and to my daughters, nieces and nephews, I am sorry this is the political climate you’re growing up in. It didn’t use to be this way and I hope we can one day soon return to compromise, civility and decency.

In the meantime, when you are tempted to despair, I encourage you to keep in your minds and hearts what we are here tonight to celebrate: the beauty of IRS Code 501c3 and the sector that this provision inspires, which is unlike any in the world: our nonprofit organizations, which work every day, tirelessly, in every field imaginable, to make our communities and country better.

Amen? All right … on with the show!“

Inspiring moms star in new BUZZ on Children’s Assistive Technology Service

 Inspiring moms star in new BUZZ on Children’s Assistive Technology Service 900 506 Michael Hemphill

Have a tissue nearby as you learn about the incredible people serving, and served by, Children’s Assistive Technology Service in our 52nd episode of BUZZ.

BUZZ in Birmingham is back!

 BUZZ in Birmingham is back! 900 506 Michael Hemphill

Join our free Watch Party on October 10, 5:30 pm Central, at Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus when we preview our newest episodes of BUZZ television show highlighting and helping nonprofits in Birmingham, Alabama!

The Watch Party will include hors d’oeuvres, cash bar … and an opportunity for the greater Birmingham community to meet and greet the stars in our shows and learn more about their missions: Nurse-Family Partnership, United Ability, Small Magic, College Choice Foundation, and the Alabama Association of Nonprofits’ Micro-Film Initiative.

Harvest Blaque Birthday Bash & Album Release Party – presented by BUZZ

 Harvest Blaque Birthday Bash & Album Release Party – presented by BUZZ 1024 576 Michael Hemphill

You’ve seen him on BUZZ as a spoken word artist extraordinaire. As a healing therapist for people suffering depression. And as the heart and soul behind “It’s Here!” – his tribute to his beloved city that we featured in our episode highlighting Art & Economic Development in Roanoke, Virginia.

He’s even voiced Motown-singing female meerkats on internationally acclaimed Cece Bell’s newest book Animal Albums from A-Z.

Now Bryan “Harvest Blaque” Hancock takes the spotlight as we celebrate the release of his second album, The Care Package, on August 15, 6:00 p.m., at Hotel Roanoke’s AKA Lounge! Listen and watch the music video of Dear God which dropped June 14.

BUZZ celebrates 50th Episode!

 BUZZ celebrates 50th Episode! 900 506 Michael Hemphill

As originally broadcast July 17, 2024, on Blue Ridge PBS …

Celebrate a milestone with us as we present our 50th episode of BUZZ on PBS!

BUZZ earns 2 Emmy nominations

 BUZZ earns 2 Emmy nominations 900 675 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ has earned 2 Emmy Award nominations!

Our “Staying Connected through Art at Roanoke City Public Schools” episode — produced in partnership with Roanoke Cultural Endowment and Art in Roanoke — received the nod in the Education/Schools (Long Form Content) category. And our feature of The Least of These homeless shelter was nominated in the Societal Concerns (Long Form Content) category.

Buzzing in California!

 Buzzing in California! 900 416 Michael Hemphill

BUZZ is now on in California!

Carol Jessee, former executive director of Southwest Virginia Ballet, which we featured in our first episode in 2020, texted us: “Just got a note from a friend who lives in LA saying he turned his TV on and there I was! The ballet Buzz4good was on!!! WOW! Congrats!”

Free BUZZ Concert features Addie Levy + Domino

 Free BUZZ Concert features Addie Levy + Domino 900 506 Michael Hemphill

Dear friends:

In addition to BUZZ, I also work for the nonprofit Friends of the Blue Ridge, which recently introduced me to the multi-talented Addie Levy.

The 21-year-old Radford native – who now splits her time between Nashville and Dollywood – headlined Friends’ ON THE RISE concerts in Roanoke and Asheville featuring phenomenal up-and-coming Bluegrass sensations.