Segment from What Gives

Call Now!

Cynthia Bell shares her memories on performing alongside stars like Bing Crosby on some of the earliest telethons.

00:00:00 / 00:06:28

Give It All Away

Scholar Isiah Wilner talks about the tradition of Kwakwaka’wakw potlatches -gatherings where you might give not only the shirt off your back, but the roof over your head.

00:05:47

To Give & Buy in the U.S.A.

Expanding on the potlatch, the hosts talk about giving and philanthropy throughout American history.

00:06:53

Democratic Institutions?

Historian Johann Neem and host Peter Onuf examine charity in the Early
Republic – and why Thomas Jefferson would not have been a fan of large private charitable foundations.

00:12:08

Scientific Method

Historian Alice O’Conner and host Ed Ayers talk about the rise of ‘scientific’ giving and modern philanthropy.

00:07:50

For Whom the Bell Tolls

The hosts take a call from a listener curious about the tradition of Salvation Army Santas.

00:04:19

Theater of Giving

Scholar Shelia Moeschen discusses the rise of philanthropy performances,
decades before the modern telethon was born. Read more here.

00:06:31

Call Now!

Cynthia Bell shares her memories on performing alongside stars like Bing Crosby on some of the earliest telethons.

00:06:28