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 continued support of the storytelling project in the Ithaca schools. Having just retired after teaching for thirty years in the Ithaca City School District, I have seen the profound and positive effects of this program on our children; it truly gives every child a chance to shine and is valued by students, teachers, and children. It may be difficult to measure the effects of storytelling on a fill-in-the-bubble test, but anyone who witnesses children telling stories immediately sees its educational value. It is also a powerful tool for making a strong home-school connection as well as a strong family connection. Here are a couple of excerpts from this year's rave reviews written by parents on evaluation forms:

"What an invaluable experience! Neither my husband nor I have ever seen anything like this project before, and wish that we would have had such an opportunity when we were in school. It does so much more than help a child understand basic storytelling methods such as public speaking or simply holding a one-on-one conversation - it also boosts self-confidence, gives children the chance to face and overcome their fears, fosters a spirit of community where children learn to genuinely support and root for one another's success, and gives shy, withdrawn children a chance to show what is inside them. Even better, it brought our family together every night to listen to our son's story and give him help and suggestions."

"With so much focus on "Facebook" and texting among young people today, they learn to be confident in a virtual world, and yet many do not have the social skills needed to communicate face-to-face with others. As I watched my daughter and the other third graders confidently stand and tell their stories in front of the large group of their classmates and families, I was impressed by their vocal and facial expression, use of gestures, and eye contact. More emphasis needs to be placed on the kinds of skills that the storytelling project teaches."

Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton, nationally renowned storytellers and authors of numerous award-winning books, lead the project. We are indeed fortunate that they make their home in Ithaca. The project began at Enfield School in 1986 and for many years 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 half. 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 reason the storytelling project has continued in several schools. For the '09-'10 school year, Mitch and Martha will teach storytelling at Belle Sherman, Caroline, Northeast, Fall Creek, and Cayuga Heights. They are thrilled that they will be returning to Caroline after a hiatus of several years; the third grade teachers there have shown a strong commitment to have them back by writing and receiving a grant from the Ithaca Public Education Initiative.

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.

Your tax-deductible contribution to help continue 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.

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

Legend $1,000 or more
Brooks Family Foundation

Saga: $500 or more
Marcia Cutting & Family
Jeff & Robin Henig
Sandy & Jay True

Tall Tale: $100 or more
Anonymous
Jim & Terry Byrnes
Tim & Mary Ann Colbert
Barbara Foote
Charlotte & Arthur Shull
John Young/Susan Barnett

Myth: $50 or more
Molly & Barry Adams
Greg & Buff Boyce
Gould & Cynthia Coleman
Howard Feinstein, MD
Maralyn Fleming
Mary & Brad Grainger
Janet Lowe
Terry & Randy Marcus
Jim Rothenberg & Mariana Wolffner
David Shmoys & Eva Tardos
Alice Moore & Robert Smith
Nancy Sorrells
Jim & Ceil Spero
Robbert VanRenesse & Lesley Greene

Story: $25 or more
Debra Castillo
Joyce & Cheki Dev
Diane Feldman & Ileen Devault
Martha Frommelt & David Feldshuh
Linda & Charles Garbo
Alice E. Garmezy
Rosemarie Parker & Sol Gruner
Nerissa Russell
Michael & Karen Shuler
Alison & Elliott Smith