Q&A with Jim Luce on Identifying Leaders for Leadership

New York, N.Y. Recently our editors sat down with Jim Luce to discuss how leaders for his leadership-driven organizations were identified.

Q:  From Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW), incorporated in 2001, to the J. Luce Foundation and its Stewardship Report on Connecting Goodness launched eight years ago, to the newly formed New York Global Leaders Lions Club (NYGLLC) – leadership seems to be a strong common thread in this century. How did you get to this point from orphan care?

A. Great question. Orphans International was charted to ‘raise global citizens,’ which was later modified to ‘ raising global leaders .’ The Foundation, inspired by my father, is focused on ‘supporting young global leadership .’ And the name of the New York Global Leaders Lions Club speaks for itself. This is the reason that we are partnered with the Marietta College McDonough Leadership Center .

Q:  There are so many categories within your leadership circle – from Board members to interns, Luce Fellows to Luce Leaders – how is it all organized?

A. Many categories! All together today, we have over 100 individuals on our leadership team. There are three primary organizations, OIWW, the Foundation, and our Lions Club - each has a Board of Directors . These Boards receive support from our many Global Advisers who are chosen for their field of expertise – lawyers, doctors, bankers, publicists, entrepreneurs, etc.

Q:  How does one become a Board member or Global Adviser?

A. Trust is the most important element of my relationship with each and every member of our leadership circle. Then, a strong desire to better humanity has to be there. Finally, different levels of engagement , both it terms of hard work and contribution, dictate the role various professionals play on our team. Integrity is everything. You can promise the world – we look for who delivers.

Q. Can you give us an example?

A. Sure. At the moment, Board members of OIWW and the Foundation commit to raising $5,000 each year towards our philanthropic goals. In addition, each Board member is required to review the frequent communications of our organizations, staying abreast of developments. We convene for meetings, either as committees or as a whole, frequently. This give-or-get requirement may be raised to $10,000 in 2017.

Q. How has the New York Global Leaders Lions Club been involved?

A. Many years ago senior interns working with active Board members began to meet weekly on Roosevelt Island. This became our Executive Committee, made up of young people from around the world living in New York and various Board members and Global Advisers. This is where most of the boots-on-the-ground work gets done. Today, we have 35 Charter Members, 21 Associate Members, 8 Honorary Members – and 2 Club Guides (Lions Mentors).

Q. And this group became a Lions Club ?

Lions Day at the United Nations.

Basically, yes. Years ago, we were approached by local representatives of Lions Clubs International , a 99-year old institution dedicated to service. Its original work was with eye care, having been charged by Helen Keller at its first convention to get involved with helping humanity. We were recruited because there was interest in expanding Lions service to involvement in orphan care .

Q. So, who qualifies to be part of all of this?

A. Anyone can join the N.Y. Global Leaders Lions Club – we meet every Monday night. Just email us at info@lucefoudnation.org and we will let you know when and where are gathering. Membership dues are under $100 a year.

Q. And you all are working closely with other Lions Clubs in New York and around the world?

A. Yes, for sure. We get enormous support from the New York Cosmopolitan Lions Club and the New York Tribeca Campus Lions Club at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. The importance of the Lions to us is that there are over 1,400 members in the area and more than 1.4 million members in over 200 countries around the world – that’s huge!

Q. Impressive! And to become a Global Adviser ?

A. Well, Global Advisers have two membership tracks: they can either be nominated or they can begin as Corporate Sponsors . Corporate Sponsors commit to contributing $1,000 per year in product or services. Global Advisers donate the same. Global Advisers in good standing – listed on our website – are eligible for half-price discounts at all of our events, which can be an enormous savings over a year.

Q. When is your next open recruitment for Global Advisers ?

A. In July we will begin to accept Global Adviser nominations for 2016-17. Existing Global Advisers and Board Members are encouraged to nominate professionals they believe meet the standards of our foundation.

Q. Tell us about the Foundation’s planned Endowment Funds ?

A. Sure. We have been negotiating with an investment bank to launch a multi-million dollar Endowment Fund beginning in 2017 and they challenged us to bring in new blood from the world of finance to help steer our upcoming Capital Campaign. So, we brought in four new Board members who we knew from Wall Street firms who are familiar with big money. Several more individuals have been nominated specifically to assist us with this breakthrough undertaking.

Q. So, the highest leadership position in your world is being a Board Member ?

A. Maybe, although our annual Humanitarians are really valued institutionally as well. These include Kevin McGovern, Mitzi Perdue, Rita Cosby … Our board members usually rise through our ranks, although on occasion we recruit Board members with specific skills as needed.

Q. Can you give us an example of that?

A. Well, we have not formally launched, but I can give you a sneak peak. We will, over five years, have about twenty funds holding a million dollars each. These will include funds for contemporary dance, Israel, Jamaica, special needs children (Lovve Fund), and young global leadership. Existing funds support mental health and suicide prevention ( Bauer Fund) , as well as projects in Hellas (Greece), Sri Lanka , Our latest fund launched April 27 for the Dalai Lama’s Tibetan orphans in India – our Manjushree Fund.

Q. Do these heads of these Funds become Board members?

A. It’s not automatic, but in general, yes. We give our Fund Chairs a seat at the table.

Q. That makes sense. So, above and beyond those leading your efforts, you anoint new young leadership. Tell us about that?

A. We have over the years created J. Luce Leaders, Scholars – and now Fellows . We present our annual Luce Leadership Awards to young leaders working to better humanity, either in the U.S. or abroad, who embody the characteristics of honor, intelligence, benevolence, and stewardship. Again, integrity is also crucial. Those who have a record of acting on their promises.

Q. How are these young leaders chosen?

A. We are working with Marietta College’s Leadership Center to create a formal application process . So far, these young leaders have been identified and nominated by our leadership circle.

Q. And the  Fellowship Program ?

A. We have some great interns from Marietta College and are exploring the possibility of additional Fellows from other universities for 2016-17. Recently, our Fellows presented very strongly at the McDonough Leadership Conference in Ohio.

Q. What about  interns ?

A. Our Summer Internship Program begins on Roosevelt Island in New York City next month and we anticipate eight interns. Over the years, we have had many fine young leaders including the children of elected officials and foreign diplomats. Interns have come from Yale, Princeton, as well as the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC).

Q. Who else is circulating through this body of philanthropy?

A. Well, we have now over 150 writers of The Stewardship Report , about 6,000 subscribers to our newsletter, and almost 75,000 followers on social media.

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