Sam Beard's Impact on America:

8 U.S. Presidents

Six Initiatives

Each initiative has impacted more than 50 million lives.

Watch This Powerful 2 Minute Video About Sam's Historic Impact On America.

“Sam Beard is one of the ripples of hope that Bobby believed were the power of people to advance justice and peace.”

Ethel Kennedy

Widow of U.S Senator Robert F Kennedy

"Many people guide the present: the exceptional create the future. With his energy and enthusiasm, Sam is exceptional."

Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Nobel Laureate

The Six Science-Proven Loving Habits Every Parent & Caregiver Should Know

These are the essential skills every parent and grandparents should know about empowering children for life.

Serve & Return with your child.

Engaging in serve-and-return interactions with your child, where you attentively respond to their gestures, sounds, and expressions, is crucial for building their brain architecture, enhancing language skills, and nurturing a secure emotional bond.

Count with your child.

Counting with your child lays a vital foundation for mathematical understanding and cognitive development, while also fostering a sense of curiosity and fun in learning new concepts together.

Read with your child

Reading to your child is a fundamental act that sparks imagination, fosters language development, and strengthens the parent-child bond, laying a crucial foundation for lifelong learning and emotional connection.

Sing with your child.

Singing to your child not only weaves a bond of love and security but also nurtures their language development and emotional well-being, making it a powerful and essential act of parenting.

Speak with your child.

Speaking to your child regularly is essential for their cognitive and social development, as it builds language skills, enhances emotional understanding, and strengthens the vital connection between parent and child.

Play with your child.

Counting with your child lays a vital foundation for mathematical understanding and cognitive development, while also fostering a sense of curiosity and fun in learning new concepts together.

Sammie, Your Personal Assistant, for Birth to Three

& Early Childhood Development

Ask any birth to three questions and get easy-to-understand answers

GIFT CONNECT ADVISORY & ADVOCACY BOARD

Sam Beard

Over 50 years in public service. Began work with Senator Robert Kennedy. Created and ran programs with eight Presidents of the United. States including six initiatives: Each initiative changed over 50 million lives.

Created the Jefferson Awards with Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Senator Robert Taft, Jr. to establish

the Nobel Prize for Service in America.

Dr. David Bray

Distinguished Fellow and co-chair of the Alfred Lee Loomis Innovation Council at the non-partisan Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, DC.

Non-resident Distinguished Fellow with the Business Executives for National Security.

Principal at LeadDoAdapt Ventures.

Specialization: Technology and AI.

Hector Colon

President and CEO of the Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. $75 mm budget. US Boxing Team: won seven national titles.

Dr. Libby Doggett

Over 30 years strategic change leader for early childhood development under President Obama and with the Pew Charitable Trust and the National Head Start Association.

Rebecca Kelley

Waterford.org. Executive Vice President of Advocacy & Community Development. $70 Million non-profit operating in 70+ communities nationwide.

Terry Lierman

CEO, Lierman Advisers Highlight

Highlight:

At age 26, Staff Director, Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Warren Magnuson

(Youngest ever)

Dr. Suzanne Mayo

Early Childhood Development Professor at Grambling State University in Louisiana. Special focus Birth to 3. Plus, hands on training of underserved mothers building empowerment and working with newborns and toddlers. Long-term Black leader at the highest levels with leading Black organizations across America.

Bill Milliken

Founder and Chairman of Communities in Schools,

one of America’s largest non-profits impacting underserved youth kindergarten through grade 12.

Jose Antonio Tijerino

President and CEO of the Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. $75 mm budget. US Boxing Team: won seven national titles.

Kathryn Way

Over 30 years of experience in early childhood development. Represented Delaware Governor Mike Castle to the National Governor’s Association. NGA created a breakthrough “first 60 months” report in the 1980’s. Special Assistance to President Bill Clinton for Early Childhood Development

Cindy Minton Walker

Over 30 years pioneering and leading the fight for Early Childhood Development. Began as a major leader in South Carolina, and then moved to Mississippi where she served as project director South MS PreK4Wards and helped build “The Mississippi Miracle.”

Barry Zuckerman

Professor & Chair Emeritus, Department of Pediatrics, Boston University Medicine, Boston Medical Center. Co-Founder: HealthLeads (Healthy Steps).

Co-Founder: Reach Out & Read.

Limitless Potential for Every Baby

Vision - Goals - Problems - Solutions

Sam - Six Initiatives:

Each Impacted More Than 50 Million Lives

THE FIRST 55 YEARS AND BEYOND

CREATED 10 MILLION JOBS IN LOW INCOME COMMUNITIES

Working with Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, NDC worked with mayors in 100 cities and governors in 30 states, trained 100,000 economic development professionals and created 1,000 local development corporations. With NDC’s encouragement, President Jimmy Carter enacted one of America’s largest federal-private loan programs. The first 55 years generated more than $400 billion for small business job creation.

In the 1970’s in Baltimore, NDC pioneered a breakthrough $89.5 financial system to show banks how to partner with government programs and flow capital into low-income communities. Do GOOD and Do WELL. Stop redlining. As NDC worked in the 100 cities and 30 states with the Presidents Carter and Reagan, this breakthrough financial system was required to be included in the president’s program. Imagine the impact. After 55 years and climbing, these systems remain self-sustaining.

CHANGED MINORITY OWNED BUSINESS IN AMERICA

In 1968, all the banks in New York City together did not lend $1 million to Black and Hispanic owned businesses. In 1968 Blacks and Hispanics owned less than 1 1,000 th of 1% of America’s business assets.

The NDC and a handful of dedicated pioneers, worked with Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford to begin to transform minority-owned business in America.

1971: President Nixon messages the NDC, “Congratulations to NDC for achieving the largest transfer of economic resources into minority- owned economic institutions in the history of America.”

1973-1974: NDC worked with Avon Products to become the first Fortune 500 company to purchase over $100 million per year from minority-owned businesses.

1978 to 1989: NDC Worked with Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan, in 100 cities (mayors) and 30 states (governors) and generated tens of millions of dollars in loans for all sizes of job-creating businesses. 15% to 18% of these loans went to minority-owned businesses. After 55 years and climbing, these systems remain self-sustaining.

ENGAGED LOCAL TV STATIONS AND NEWSPAPERS TO INSPIRE “NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS”

The idea was to have media companies like ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, HEARST, and GANNETT to partner with the Jefferson Awards to inspire their viewers and readers to multiply volunteer service in local communities.

“Neighbors Helping Neighbors” began in 1977 and by 1986 the Jefferson Awards had more than 100 media partners reaching more than 100 million Americans every year.

From 1986 to the present. these systems are still in place and remain self- sustaining. This has impacted more than 50 million lives.

(The Jefferson Awards were recently renamed. Multiplying Good.)

MULTIPLIED MORE THAN 50 MILLION ACTS OF SERVICE

In 1989, the Jefferson Awards set out to copy the President’s Physical Fitness Awards that impacts 6 to 7 million lives a year to exercise, and have Presidents use their power to encourage youth service.

From 1991 through 2003, Presidents George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton and then George W. Bush ran The President’s Youth Service Awards implementing the Jefferson Awards’ idea.

In 1997 four Presidents met in Philadelphia to multiply service, and included a Jefferson Awards’ provision to get two million young people to volunteer 100 hours each annually. With Jefferson Awards encouragement, by Executive Order, President George W. Bush in 2003 created the President’s Volunteer Service Awards. These awards now promote service by all ages. With four presidents the Jefferson Awards have impacted more than 50 million lives.

PRESIDENTIAL IMPACT

Sam in the Oval Office with President George W. Bush

Member

The President's Commission on Social Security Reform.