Late last year I wrote about the billboards, posters and other media currently being utilized in a campaign to generate support for public education in Los Angeles. I wasn’t a big fan of the campaign (which portends an “or else” doomsday scenario) as a means of garnering donor support, but it certainly is striking.
Words to live by…
This week I saw a photo making its way around the Web of a much simpler billboard . This one, done by hand by someone on a message board outside what appears to be a typical suburban strip mall, strikes me as being much more inspirational than the negativity of the previously referenced campaign.
This simple message doesn’t involve a multi-million campaign, scare tactics, or shock media. It’s just a thought from someone who wanted to spread a positive message.
It reminds me of a quote I’ve often referenced in the past:
“It takes a noble man to plant the seed for a tree that will one day provide shade to people he may never meet.” – Dr. David Trueblood, philosopher and writer
The essence of philanthropy is embodied in the above quote and on that sign pictured above. Sometimes simple, positive messages carry much more weight than complicated negative ones.