interview

Storytelling, movement, and music have been part of the human experience since we first walked upright. And though we still perform in theaters and on stages, our artistic pursuits are constantly redefined and reinvented through social media. At this nexus of art and tech sits Jane Chu, president and CEO of the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts in Kansas City -- but she needs your social citizen-brand of genius to make the project really sing for Millennials in her community. Read on to find out how Jane wants to make the Center a community focal point, and leave your advice/suggestions/answers in the comments for her. Thanks in advance!

College usually consists of picking a major, studying for finals, and hanging out with friends. But not for Duke University student Josh Sommer. Instead, he's leading a foundation and conducting cancer research -- all in a fight for his life.

That's because Josh has chordoma, a rare cancer affecting 300 Americans a year. And rather than wait around for more research, he and his mother have taken matters into their own hands and created the Chordoma Foundation to accelerate the search for a cure.

I can't do Josh's remarkable story justice in a blog post alone, so I'm very glad he's our inaugural Social Citizens podcast and can tell you his journey in his own words. His unique perspective -- as a patient, Millennial, and nonprofit executive director -- is one you probably can't hear anywhere else on the Web, so tune in here to find out how this young leader is making some serious lemonade out of one of life's biggest lemons.

Ed. note: There's a full transcript following this note for those of you who prefer to read the interview. Also, many thanks to Josh for being our first podcast guinea pig! As with everything else on Social Citizens, we'll be constantly refining and improving our approach to audio -- so don't be surprised if the format changes in the future. And if you hit any technical glitches, shoot us an email or comment, and we'll get right on it. Thanks!

I had a wonderful time chatting on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website yesterday. The interest was so high that I wasn’t able to answer all the questions. So, I wanted to get to a few more here so as not to leave folks out!

It’s no surprise that members of the Millennial Generation are finding new ways to promote, give to, and engage in causes they’re passionate about (largely through technology and their ever growing use of social networks).

So, why is it that so many nonprofits and foundations are finding it difficult to connect with and unlock some secret code to understanding this generation’s new rules for engagement?

Allison Fine answered this question and a whole lot more in yesterday’s live chat with the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Let’s keep the conversation going — if you have more questions, or want to expand on any of the topics raised in Tuesday’s forum, we hope you’ll use the Social Citizens blog to do just that.

I will be e-chatting on the Chronicle of Philanthropy website about the Social Citizens paper next Tuesday, May 27, from 12—1 p.m. EST.

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the paper, maybe even a challenge or two — and a prize for the most unusual (but still relevant!) question — I am the judge and jury on that one! I’ll post the link to the comments section when it goes up this weekend.