Donna S. Redgrave
Founder, Project Lighthouse, New York State
Donna Redgrave founded Project Lighthouse in November of 2011 as a New York State nonprofit in order to receive money from fundraising events held on behalf of her son, who died in September of 2010 as an indirect result of the long-term use of drugs. Her mission is to provide funding for financially needy young people in addiction-recovery programs that include both traditional talk therapy and body work, such as yoga, healing touch, thought-field therapy, etc. Her brief experience with this project has led her to believe there is a real need for this type of financial support.
Why did you get involved in charitable work?
My world changed with the death of my son. When one of his friends told me that she was organizing a fundraiser and intended to turn over the money to me to donate as I chose, I knew almost immediately what I wanted to do with it. It has become a passion of mine to provide financial assistance to young people who have already taken the steps to avail themselves of psychiatric counseling and/or therapy programs, but who cannot afford to enroll in the additional programs they need. Through my own studies and interests I have come to believe that traditional therapy must be combined with some type of body work in order to be immediately effective and also provide long-term healing.
How does your charitable work affect you personally? What are the “returns” for working in the charitable sector (personal, societal, monetary, etc.)?
I believe wholeheartedly in the need for the funding I intend to provide through Project Lighthouse. I personally have a need to help provide healing to others in memory of my son. Being involved in charitable work on this level satisfies both of the above needs and therefore has a profound effect on me personally. It allows me to turn the energy of grief into a positive force for good.
What makes an effective leader?
An effective leader must have a clear vision as to the goals of the organization and the means of obtaining those goals, and must be willing to invest the time and energy in doing the necessary work to accomplish them and be able to articulate them to others. She must also know her own strengths and weaknesses and know how to solicit the help of others in the areas where it is needed.
