Beauty and the Beast Storytellers

Tax-Exempt Donations

Beauty and the Beast Storytellers have a not-for-profit sponsor called "Tandem Productions" that enables them to write grants to foundations and solicit funding from a variety of sources. This has allowed them to lead a storytelling project for over twenty years in their hometown district, Ithaca, NY. Click here to read articles that describe the project.

Donations range from the $25 "Story" category to the $250 "Whopper" and $2,500 "Epic." If you would like to contribute, print out the Donation Form and send your tax-exempt donation to "Tandem Productions" at the following address:

Tandem Productions
954 Coddington Road
Ithaca, New York 14850

For more information, please contact Mitch and Martha here. To view the complete list of donors, click here.

Sample Thank-You Letters from Student Tellers

These letters were written by third graders in Ithaca, New York to thank individuals, businesses. and foundations that supported Beauty & the Beast's storytelling project.

Click on any thank-you to make it bigger.

Marty Kaminsky, president of the Tandem Productions Board wrote the following letter asking for community support:

I am writing on behalf of the Board of Tandem Productions, the not-for-profit sponsor of Beauty and the Beast Storytellers, to ask for your help in supporting the storytelling project in the Ithaca schools. As a teacher at Cayuga Heights School, I have seen the profound and positive effects of this program on our children. It is especially rewarding to watch all students, even those who might not otherwise be academic stars, expand their abilities. This is a program that truly gives every child a chance to shine.

Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton, nationally renowned storytellers and authors of numerous award-winning books, lead the project. Their Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom, is considered the classic book on the topic. They have traveled throughout the world to share their passion for storytelling, and we are indeed fortunate that they make their home in Ithaca.

The project focuses on teaching third graders to become storytellers. Students choose world folktales and bring them to life in their own words. They tell their stories for classmates, in other classrooms, at an evening event for families, and at the Ithaca Festival. Because students are emotionally involved and truly enjoy storytelling, it increases their self-confidence, improves their listening skills, inspires their writing, and creates a positive attitude toward the learning process.

The New York State Educational Standards place a high value on listening and speaking. Storytelling teaches these skills in a fun, effective, engaging way and strengthens the fabric of the elementary language arts curriculum. It introduces children to public speaking and gives them an early means by which to overcome what is too often an adult insecurity. Years after taking part in this program, children speak with fondness and fervor about their storytelling experiences.

For many years, the project was implemented in all eight elementary schools. Funds came from the New York State Council on the Arts (which no longer funds district-wide projects) and the Ithaca City School District (ICSD), with each school paying a small part. Ever since ICSD funds were cut in 2003, Mitch and Martha have undertaken the daunting task of raising half of the funds, and asking individual schools to pay the other half. Not only is this a difficult and time-consuming process, the cost still remains beyond the reach of some schools.

Funding from the Triad Foundation (a family foundation based in Ithaca), along with smaller amounts from other local foundations, organizations, and folks like you, is the main reason the storytelling project has continued in several ICSD schools (Belle Sherman, BJM, Northeast, Fall Creek, and Cayuga Heights in '06-'07 and '07-'08).

Your tax-deductible contribution to help fund this project would be greatly appreciated. We would be glad to send you a receipt for tax purposes. Your name will be listed on a flyer at each of the evening events for families, attended by more than 1,000 adults last year.

For more information on Mitch and Martha's work, see www.beautyandthebeaststorytellers.com. If you would like to attend a family storytelling night or if you have questions regarding the project, contact Mitch and Martha. Any ideas for fund raising would be welcomed; refer those who might be interested in helping to their Web site under "Tax Exempt Donations" at the top of each page.

Thank you very much for considering this request.

Sincerely,

Marty Kaminsky
President, Board of Tandem Productions

THANK YOU!
Mitch and Martha are extremely grateful to the Triad Foundation, without which this project would not have continued in Ithaca, and all of the following donors:

Epic: $2,500 or more
Triad Foundation
Tompkins Charitable Gift Fund

Legend $1,000 or more
Brooks Family Foundation
Arthur Kuckes & Martha Wright

Saga: $500 or more
Anonymous
Service League
True Insurance
Haro Foundation
Jeff & Robin Henig

Whopper: $250 or more
Friends of the LIbrary

Tall Tale: $100 or more
Anonymous
Bangs Ambulance
Borg Warner
Jim & Terry Byrnes
Tim & Mary Ann Colbert
Barbara Johnson Foote
Parents of Aidan Galloway
Charles & Linda Garbo
Mary & Brad Grainger
Lesley & Philip Lempert
James & Dianne Orcutt
Charlotte & Arthur Shull
Turkey Shoot Lacrosse Tournament
Amy & Steve Yale-Loehr
Robbert VanRenesse & Lesley Greene

Myth: $50 or more
Molly & Barry Adams
Pat Cassano & Ron Booker
Greg & Buff Boyce
Charles Brodhead
Lisa & Ted Eisenberg
Howard Feinstein, MD
Maralyn Fleming
Steve Fontana
Janet Lowe
Terry & Randy Marcus
Hussni Omar Mohammed
David Shmoys & Eva Tardos
Jim & Ceil Spero
Dianne & Jessica Thaler

Story: $25 or more
Martha Frommelt & David Feldshuh
Alice E. Garmezy
Rick & Joan Grossman
Esther Racoosin & Eric Alani
Nerissa Russell