I am extremely appreciative of this weeks assignment. I know the DivaProf said you would get more out of interviewing someone you didn't know, and that very well may be true for some. However, in my opinion I don't think I would've gained one-millionth of insight from a stranger than I did from this week's interviewees. Shout out to Dr. Rock! No offense though! The reason I say this is because yes I have, at one point of time, interacted with both of my role models and these interactions is what made me want to approach them on this assignment; and I think by them knowing me, the interview were, for lack of a better vocabulary, informal and somewhat unprofessional. I think this is what made it easier for them to open up and get personal with me. With that being said, Dr. Rock, I apologize for not taking your advice (this time). I still very much appreciate your advice and your opinion in all instances.
Last week was me reaching out to my pharmacy role models. For this week's assignment, I interviewed two role models who have had enjoyed quite a bit of success while working in non-profit organizations. When I say success, I'm not talking about the financial gains made in running a successful non-profit organization. I'm speaking of the success of helping your fellow man or woman, when he or she may not have sufficient means of doing this on their own; and then the ability to duplicate that success, improve on it, and help even more people. This is what these two gentlemen have done countless times... over and over, without tiring, getting lazy, or becoming complacent with all of the achievements or accolades they've respectively received. I to, one day, will achieve this level of success! So I would like to say thank you George and Warren, in advance, for taking the time out to meet with someone like myself. It means more to me than words can say.
My first interview was with Mr. George Randazzo, the owner of National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, a NPO based out of Chicago, right in the heart of the UIC campus. Although I had questions prepared, the meeting felt more like a conversation than an actual interview. It was very unstructured but for this blog, I'll list the Q & A similar to how I did last week.
JF: How did you get involved with non-profit organizations? What made you want to open up your own non-profit organization? Where there any influences in your decision making? How old were you/ what year did you begin?
GR: I started off as a buyer for Motorola in 1977. During this time period an acquaintance wanted me to help throw a dinner bring the world boxing champions together to raise funds for a school sponsored by the Italian Boxing Hall of Fame. In order to raise money to host a , I had to do two things, quit my job, and file for my 501C3 license. Once I got licensed, I was able to receive donations. That's how I got my start.
JF: Why the National Italian American Hall of Fame? Where did the idea come from? Any influences?
I was always into sports. I started as a kid organizing social clubs, baseball teams, et-cetera in the neighborhood because I always had a passion for helping people; especially young people. The night after I hosted my first event, with well over 2,500 attendees, I began receiving phone calls from some of the people in attendance saying that they were from such and such company and they like what I was doing and was willing to give me an office to work out of, and other businessmen calling and saying that they would donate to my organization and sponsor upcoming events. At that point, I decided that I would like to incorporate the other sports into my business, and in 1978 I changed the name from The National Italian Boxing Hall of Fame to The National Italian-American Sports Hall of Fame.
My biggest influence was my father. He was hardworking, he respected my mother, and he was outstanding at providing for his family. I knew I wanted to be like him when I got older.
JF: What do you like about opening up and running your own NPO?
GR: That I am my own boss, and I am in total control of every decision that is made around here.
JF: You obviously have achieved a great level of success, what keeps you coming to work every day?
GR: My young innovative staff, that shares my ideas and passions.
JF: Were there any moments where you though that you would not make it, or you wanted to give up and do something else?
GR: No, when I started this organization I had so many people telling me that they didn't want me to succeed. However, I constantly believed that what I was doing was right, so I never allowed anyone's negative attitudes to influence my decision making.
JF: What is your fondest memory or the highlight of of career as the owner of the NIASHF?
GR: The fondest memory I have since opening the Hall of Fame is meeting one of my childhood idols, Joe DiMaggio, and having him join my board of directors which helped make our transition from the Italian Boxing Hall of Fame to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame. The highlight of my career was in 1998. I met Jerry Colangelo and he helped raise money to build the NIASHF museum on Taylor street.
JF: Do you have any advice for a young man wishing to run his own NPO? Is there anything I should cautious of?
GR: Find your dream and hopefully make it a reality. You will have to come up with your own idea, and see it through to the end. Have a good attorney, a good accountant, loyal friends, and a good board of directors who you trust. Lastly, never give out cash and never receive cash from anybody.
JF: Give me one thing that you know now that you wish you would have known back then?
GR: I wish I could have gotten more schooling. I went to Wright College for one semester for a year.
The next interview is with a gentleman named Warren Chapman former Vice-President of NPO known as the Joyce Foundation, he also ran two other successful NPO's in conjunction with the Joyce Foundation. The format of this interview went a little differently than the one with Mr. Randazzo. There were unforeseen circumstances that prevented us from meeting face to face. However, we conducted the interview via e-mail. Due to time constraints I'll cut and paste the questions and the answers.
What are the names of the NPO's you were involved in? How long were you involved with them? What was your position or role with the diffe rent organizations?
How old were you when you first began working in NPO's? What drew you to these particular organizations? Where there influences from friends, family, etcetera?
What did you most like about working=2 0with NPO's? If there was anything, what did you dislike the most about working with them?
What is you fondest memory of working in any of these organizations? If different from your fondest memory, what was you greatest or most memorable achievement in working in an NPO?
Is there anything that you know now that you wish you would have known back then? And this could be anything, from anytime period; not necessarily your experience in the world of NPO's.
Do you have any advice for a young man (myself) wishing to run a successful NPO? For example things I should try to do or things I should be cautious about?
Does Bonnie still make that banana flavored ice cream? ( I think it was ice cream) And when can I get some of that? Obviouslly this has nothing to do with my assignment. I figured I'd ask anyway.
I started working with the Chicago Youth Centers (CYC) at their Summer Camp in 1972, as the Arts and Craft Director. In the fall of 1972, I was hired by CYC as the Director of Arts and Crafts for the all of their youth centers in Chicago. I left CYC in 1975. In 1973, I became the Summer Camp Director for CYC ( I hired you dad and the rest is history).
Prior to working at CYC, I worked at Franklin Park Day Camp as a counselor in the summers of 1960 and 1961, my father was the Park Supervisor. I had to go to work with my father in the summer, so I got paid and had fun at the same time. I was 12 years old when I worked at the park. I liked working the kids, and learning from the adults who supervised all of us. Later, when I taught art, I liked watching the students get excited when they made something or they painted a picture and realized that they had talent and some were interested in pursuing a career in art.
As the summer camp director, I was able to give city kids from poor neighborhoods an opportunity to relax and have fun in the woods, away from the traffic and hustle of the city. We also take kids how to swim and fish for the first times in their lives.
I learned a lot about myself in those years, and as I look back, I did not know how much it meant to give kids a chance to experience life in a different setting from the one they came from. Also, I did not realize how much I was learning about life until years later, when I reflect on my past experiences and how they have helped to shape my present thinking.
Be true to what you believe in, and do what you do to make the world a better place, do something great for the world, not yourself.
Bonnie makes banana pudding, but Monica and I have not been able to get her to make it for years.
Later
Warren
that's what's up James!
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