September 5, 2007 | Read Time: 2 minutes
A young charity got a taste of the Oprah-effect yesterday.
During an appearance by former President Bill Clinton on the Oprah Winfrey Show to promote his new book on philanthropy, the daytime diva interviewed Matt and Jessica Flannery as an example of antipoverty pioneers.
The couple founded Kiva, a group that connects wealthy donors to entrepreneurs in impoverished areas abroad. (Read The Chronicle‘s profile of Kiva.)
On his blog, Mr. Flannery describes in detail the “surreal” opportunity to reach millions of people — and the anxiety of appearing in front of such a large audience.
After getting make-up applied — “our faces were speckle free and mostly monochrome” — the couple sat in the front row for the taping, he writes. About 45 minutes into the show, Ms. Winfrey quizzed them about their work.
“Since that time, I’ve replayed the answers in my head, second guessing every word. I’ll probably never get the chance to address that many people again in my life. Thinking about it too much can drive you crazy,” he writes.
In all though, the show was a huge step for Kiva, he writes, including a chance to schmooze with Mr. Clinton afterwards.
Kiva’s 15 minutes of fame was applauded by many bloggers. However, at least one Kiva supporter questioned the appearance.
Josh Brown, a graphic designer, writes on his blog.
that it’s ironic that Mr. Clinton praised Kiva while during his presidency he backed policies that, in Mr. Brown’s opinion, contributed to global “economic instability,” the very problem the charity is trying to fix.
What do you think? Will Kiva’s appearance or Mr. Clinton’s book enlist new donors, volunteers, or nonprofit workers to charitable causes? Should a charity consider the Clinton administration’s policies before agreeing to appear with the former president? Share your thoughts by clicking on the comments link below.
