Within a few months of releasing our first film, The Witness, we discovered that nearly half of the copies sold were being purchased by people who wanted to give them to others. Sometimes the intended recipients were friends, family, and colleagues, and other times, they were educators, opinion makers, and legislators. To us, it was poetic and beautiful that so many people wanted to share these films in the same spirit in which they were created.
Tribe of Heart’s Gift of Compassion Program offers anyone the opportunity to purchase 10 or more copies of our films at a discount of 50%, with the only condition being that a simple pledge be signed that the copies purchased in this manner are only to be used as gifts or donations and not for resale, either by the original purchaser or by any individual or organization to which they are given.
The copies of our films sold under this program have special gold labels that identify them as a "Gift of Compassion." If you would like to participate in this program, you can order on-line, contact us by email or call us at (607) 275-0806.
Since its establishment in 2000, this program has touched thousands upon thousands of individual lives and has produced many breakthroughs that have transformed our entire program.
Seeds of Compassion Planted
in the State House
An early participant in the Gift of Compassion program was an attorney in the Midwest who had the specific intent of educating his state legislators about animal issues. He shared with us a letter from a state representative who had this to say:
"After viewing The Witness, I have to agree with you that it is an outstanding documentary that was very well done. I have to admit that, while I was well aware of and informed about abuse and torture of animals, I was not so informed about the way fur bearing animals are raised in so-called factory farms by the commercial fur industry. I was absolutely shocked at how this industry operates. I don't think the public is aware of the operations of this industry...
"Truly the unique way in which the message and images were conveyed in this documentary make the seriousness of this issue more appreciated and understood by those who view it. I am confident many more legislators will view it, and I will encourage them to do so...
"Thank you again for forwarding the video and materials to me. I found them to be very informative. Your encouragement, in fact, raised my consciousness on this issue."
Making Change One Person at a Time
John Calabria(pictured above) shared his ideas for giving copies of TOH films through the Gift of Compassion program.
"It was great to arrive home the other night, and find Midnight (the stray cat I've been feeding) on my doorstep. He was sitting next to a case of Tribe of Heart films...
"My first gift of compassion was to the Maynard Public Library. I'll keep in touch about where the other 23 copies find new homes...
"My gift of compassion video #2 has found a good home at Kripalu [a yoga center] in the Berkshires...
"Gift of Compassion copy #3 was given to an environmental professor at RPI in Albany NY. He will watch it, and then will give it to one of the Ethics/Philosophy professors.
"Copy #4 will go to a Student animal group at a Quaker college (pop. 2000) in the middle of Indiana. I met a woman at [a recent] screening whose daughter goes there, and got her contact info.
"The copy of the Maynard Library has been checked out a few times, and I'm working on getting a copy placed at the Concord Library.
"I also sent a copy of the LA Times review to Dateline NBC, asking them to do a story."
