GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 13
grandfamilies
The magic behind Generations United Some GRAND comments
BY ALAN KING
about Donna Butts
n a controversial journal cover, a young person and an older person, dressed in battle
fatigues, stood back to back. They each had a gun. The accompanying message: "March 10
paces, turn and shoot. Whichever generation is left, gets our country's scarce resources." That
was in the mid-80s.
The cover image and message were signs of underlying fear that we were in a zero-sum
game, a struggle for resources between older and younger generations: in a time of budget
crisis, do we fund Social Security and Medicare for Americans over 65 or do we address youth
unemployment and fund education?
That zero-sum framework sets up a false conflict between keeping promises from the past
and making investments in the future in the bookend generations that hold our civil society
together.
That understanding - along with the journal cover - prompted leaders from the National
Council on Aging (NCOA), the Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), AARP, and the
Children's Defense Fund to come together and found Generations United in 1986.
"We formed Generations United to argue for a caring society," said Jack Ossofsky former
president of NCOA. "We believe that the time is long past when advocates for children, families, and the elderly can afford separate agendas. We foresee a new and brighter America when [youth and aging] organizations ...can join forces to strengthen our communities. That is exactly what Generations United intends to do."
The organization started as a loose knit coalition. Ten years later, the founders sought an Executive Director to lead the
newly incorporated nonprofit.
CWLA's then Executive Director David Liederman told Donna Butts as much during a discussion over 20 years ago.
At the time, she thought about her career - her work primarily with teens and her leadership roles
at Covenant House, the National 4-H Council, and the YWCA.
"What drew me to Generations United was something that happened early in my career when I
was in my twenties and in my home state of Oregon," Donna recounted.
At 23, she was the teen director of the YWCA in Salem, Oregon.
BY JACK LEVINE
I
Click here to continue reading
13 GRAND
SEPT-OCT 2019
Donna Butts personifies the passion and persuasion needed to influence others to pay attention and take action for all ages and stages of life.
She's a Pied Piper for gathering us on a mission to
make our lives better...her music is mesmerizing.
Donna strives to give families and communities
the benefit of emotional connectedness. As the
leading advocate in our field, she shines a bright
light to illuminate the path for developing policies
and creating innovative programs which give all of
us hope for the future.
Having Donna as an advocacy partner elevates
the debate over social policy to its highest level.
She uses compelling demographic data to give
proof to the case for uniting our voices for mutual
respect across the generations.
Thanks to her leadership, Generations United
is not just another organization...it's a powerful
force for the movement to build bridges of respect
among all community members irrespective of
age, ethnicity, economic class or political leanings.
Alan King is communications specialist
at Generations United
https://www.facebook.com/GRANDmagazine/
https://www.twitter.com/grandMmagazine
https://www.gu.org/
https://www.gu.org/
https://www.grandmagazine.com/2019/08/is-blogging-right-for-you/
https://www.grandmagazine.com/2019/08/the-magic-behind-generations-united/
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019
Contents
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 1
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 2
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 3
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - Contents
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 5
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 6
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 7
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 8
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 9
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 10
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 11
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 12
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 13
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 14
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 15
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 16
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 17
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 18
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 19
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 20
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 21
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 22
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 23
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 24
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 25
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 26
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 27
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 28
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 29
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 30
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 31
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 32
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 33
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 34
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 35
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 36
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 37
GRAND Magazine - September/October 2019 - 38
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2024winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020fall_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20191112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20190102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112_drm
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20181112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20180102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20171112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20170102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20161112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20160102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20151112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20150102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201401112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20140102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20131112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20130102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20121112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20120102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20111112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20110102_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20101112_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100708_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100506_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20100304_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/201001_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200912_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200911_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200909_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200908_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200907_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200906_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200905_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20080910_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200904_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200903_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/200902_v3
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grand/20081112_v6
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com