The Foundation for a Better Life
The Foundation for a Better Life is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization which was founded in 2000 to "promote good values".[1] The foundation creates public service campaigns to share with others its interpretation of values, including honesty, caring, and optimism in order to create better social paradigms. The foundation communicates its message through television, outdoor advertising, theatre, radio, and the internet; it is best known for the "Pass It On" campaign in which viewers are encouraged to live by and pass on certain values, with the rationale that examples of individuals living values-based lives may not change the world but collectively they make a difference. While it officially declares itself a non-partisan and non-sectarian organization,[2] it is funded solely by The Anschutz Family Foundation,[3] which primarily receives its funding from conservative businessman Phillip Anschutz.
History[]
Founded in 2000, its president is Gary Dixon. The organization launched its first campaign on November 9, 2001. The original start date was September 13, 2001 but it was postponed by the September 11 attacks. The initial campaign appeared on about 10,000 billboards, signs and posters nationwide.[4] The original message of the campaign was modified to include themes which recognized the state of the nation following the attacks. Specifically the values of "unity" and "courage" were added with images of flags and firefighters.[4] The campaign was created by copywriter Jay Schulberg[4] and art director Bernie Hogya.[5]
Prior to the launch of the campaign, Dixon contacted Nancy Fletcher, president and chief executive at the Outdoor Advertising Association of America in Washington. Reportedly he was inspired by the association's billboard campaign called God Speaks which generated enormous attention in 1999 and 2000.[4]
The foundation continues to sponsor public service messages in various media. The foundation's "Pass It On" campaign has incorporated the likenesses of Wayne Gretzky, Michelle Kwan, Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela, Michael J. Fox, Albert Einstein, and Muhammad Ali.[6]
Funding[]
The Foundation neither solicits nor accepts monetary donations from the public. It is not officially affiliated with any religion and instead hopes "the values we share transcend any particular religion or nationality". The chief contributor of the foundation also serves as the chief contributor of the Random Acts of Kindness Foundation.[7] All funding comes from the Anschutz Family Foundation.[3]
References[]
- ^ "FAQs - Inspirational Quotes - Positive Values".
- ^ "About Us - Pass It On". passiton.com. Retrieved 2021-06-27.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ a b "Point Person: Our Q&A with Gary Dixon on promoting values". Retrieved 2016-07-06.
- ^ a b c d Elliott, Stuart (November 9, 2001). "The Media Business; ADVERTISING; A campaign promotes noble behavior and the adoption of better values by everyone". The New York Times. New York City.
- ^ Weller, John (2019-06-21). "Pass It On!". Billboard Insider. Retrieved 2020-07-02.
- ^ "Champion skaters makes Times Square billboard". The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina: Evening Post Industries. October 7, 2003.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions and Answers About The Foundation for a Better Life". The Foundation for a Better Life.
External links[]
- Public service announcements of the United States
- Religious charities based in the United States
- Organizations established in 2000