“What reality was ever created by realists? What we cannot dream we can never do.”—Richard Flanagan 
So, I started a foundation to honor my daughter, Tasman Mckay Grout, who died suddenly and unexpectedly in 2018 of a cerebral aneurysm.
As I’ve written before, Taz’s 25 years were pure magic. She landed here on planet earth with indiscriminate and generous love. She was beautiful, brilliant. Wild light coursed through her every cell.
To honor her legacy, the 222 Foundation is committed to rewriting the dream of the modern world from consumption and acquisition to the dream of creativity and self-expression. We believe the pursuit of happiness comes from human solidarity, simple living, respect for nature and the empowerment of all people. Our mission is to reallocate the world’s resources away from fear and towards love.
Here are the guidelines (as printed on the sunflower packets we distributed at Taz’s Celebration of Life):
Each year on February 22 (2/22), Taz Grout’s 222 Foundation will award a $10,222 grant to an innovative project or person with a big idea to change consciousness and therefore the world.
We look for projects that support the following ideas:
1. All people long to be generous and create beautiful things.
2. The story of scarcity, lack and the need to fight for resources was made up and is no longer valid. We aim to prove that, once liberated from outdated paradigms, the world is generative and endlessly abundant.
3. We believe all humans are interconnected and that even tiny actions have great significance.
Any and all projects that supports Taz’s vision will be considered. Here are a few that have recently caught my eye:
**The El Paso challenge. Started by 11-year-old Ruben, this social media phenomenon encourages people to do 22 kind things in honor of each of the 22 people who died in the recent shooting.
**Koolulam. This incredible initiative creates mass singing events, bringing large groups of strangers together to sing as one big human ensemble. I ran into a YouTube (check it out below) of 3000 strangers in Haifa, Israel singing One Day.
**Grupo Ecológico. Started by one family, this locally-managed Biosphere Reserve in Mexico’s Sierra Gorda empowers local farmers and teaches permaculture.
These are just a few examples of the kinds of projects we seek. The more creative, the better. We want nothing more than to generate new possibilities and shake up the world as we know it.
I hope you, my friends here on the blog, will help spread the word.
If you or anyone you know would like to apply for next year’s grant, please send a description of the project to taz.grout.222.foundation@gmail.com. Applications will be accepted through December 31, 2019.
And, as always, thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Pam Grout is the author of 19 books including E-Squared, E-Cubed, Thank & Grow Rich and her latest book, Art & Soul,Reloaded: A Year-Long Apprenticeship to Summon the Muses and Ignite Your Daring, Audacious, Creative Side.
24 Responses
What a symphony of voices in “One Day.” Thank you, Pam, for sharing this extraordinary choral event.
Isn’t it fabulous!
Wow, that was beautiful and incredibly moving. (Still wiping tears as I write this.) Thank you, Pam! I’m in. You can look for a yearly donation to 222.
Thanks! My biggest need is figuring a way to get the word out. I welcome any and all applicants for the annual prize. I’m very proud of last year’s recipients which I wrote about yesterday here: https://www.frommers.com/trip-ideas/food-and-drink/near-the-taj-mahal-a-caf-by-acid-attack-survivors-that-shares-beauty-with-tourists
what you are doing is a wonderful thing!!! I am certain Taz is helping to orchestrate from Heaven.Keeping you in prayer.Love and Light,Sharon
Thank you so much, Sharon. She is working her magic from what we often call “the other side.”
What about helping Marianne2020?
Sent from my iPhone
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I’m a fan of Marianne!–Hey, that rhymes!
I would like to donate a painting to you & your daughters foundation. Perhaps you could auction the painting or just keep it personally. I do not want anything in return including any publicity. I have read all your books and you have done great things for the world, and especially me. It started a whole new trajectory for my life. I will send the image separately in case the spam filter blocks it. Robert A McArthur. RobertMcarthurArtist on facebook.
I like supporting Marianne…..
Hmmmmmmm…….
Wow! That song is absolutely beautiful and that performance so stunning! I was moved to tears too, just like Robert G Martens, though it was a bit awkward because I was standing on the platform at the railway station. But then I thought “who cares! I’m moved!” And then I started physically moving in time with the song. Thankyou so much for sharing that clip. I love singing and have belonged to several choirs over the years. The biggest was somewhere between 200 and 300 people and that was incredible. I can’t imagine how wonderful it would be to sing with 3000!!! And the fact they learned their parts in less than an hour to perform like that is amazing and inspiring. Koolulam is definitely a worthy contender for the 222 Foundation Grant. I will put my thinking cap on and share your vision with friends I think might be interested in spreading the word about what you’re doing so there might be plenty of worthy applicants for the opportunity of receiving a Grant from Taz’s Foundation.
Blessings galore to you dear Pam, and thanks for putting that gorgeous song in my head 😁 It’s “playing” in the background of my mind as I write whilst travelling on the train to work. A great way to start my day ☺️
🎶🎼🎵
Pam, my wheels are turning! 🙂 Here’s to getting the word out!! A dear and long time friend of mine started a non profit organization called Zylofone, a Performing Arts Center designed for the Special Needs Community. She is an amazing musician, educator, humanitarian and just one of the coolest people I have ever known. Her name is Debbie Major and I will send her your blog post.
♾ 222 ♾ Forever
❤️Virginia
Hi Pam,
I wrote and published this short illustrated story through Balboa Press.
Thought you might enjoy.
ð
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Hi Pam I have a foundation in South Africa called lboc and I help youth pursue further studies after high school. Would like to find 10 girl’s and it’s about $6700 per student a year. If you can assist these girls. Thank you Penny
Pam this is so inspiring! Your daughter is smiling upon you and your great work! I’m thinking now what can I do from my own life experiences to help HEAL the world! 🙏🏾 I read your first Two books and still practice them today. Awesome!
Great song and such inspiration you send out in each post, focus on the positive, be thankful, look for the miracles, surround yourself with uplifting people, smile! Thank you!
Loved the original One Day song, but this was incredible in this form. Very hopeful. Thank you for sharing Pam. You and Taz continue to touch so many people!
Pam, I recently started reading E-Squared
again. I had badly sprained my ankle and was still hobbling around fighting off self-pity and feeling old (62). Started to read Louise Hay, Pema Chrodon and you. Googled you to get reacquainted and found out about your beloved Tasman.
So much of my previous reading of your books and others was to somehow control my life and keep me and my beloveds safe from harm. That explanation is a very simplistic, linear version of my discombobulated subconscious.
In reading your blogs about your daughter, I have had this thunderbolt hit me. Despite all my reading, wishing and good intentions, the concept of no guarantees has kept running through my whole journey. No, Tracy, doing all the experiments in Pam’s books are not going to keep you safe or reading(or trying to read) the Course in Miracles is going to keep the bogeyman away.
Your poignant writings about you and Taz reminds me of the scene in Finding Nemo when Marlon (the fearful, overprotective father) and Dory are trapped (or so Marlon thinks) in the whale’s mouth. Marlon cries out “I promised him ( Nemo) that I would never let anything happen to him.” And Dory replies, “That’s a funny thing to promise. . . Well you can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him.”
I don’t know if this will make any sense, but your talks with Tasman remind me of Dory’s wisdom. Thank you and for what it’s worth my 63rd birthday is on February 2, 2020, a coincidence I don’t think so.
I would like to nominate Greta Thunberg. What a gift to the planet!
I’m writing a book and today I have reached page 222. This made me think of Taz, a beautiful woman whom I have never known. It’s a wonderful coincidence (we are all mysteriously connected) that the chapter I’m currently writing is about self-expression and creativity.
You are still connected with her, Pam. I believe she still expresses herself (222) and she still creates relentlessly: Once a dreamer, always a dreamer.
Lots of love Eva-Lynn
Dear Pam, I would like to nominate the LookForTheGoodProject.org as a 222 Foundation recipient in 2020. This program, for Kindergarten through 6th grade students, proves the effectiveness of Gratitude, Looking for Good, and acknowledging Good in others, In just seven years, two million messages of gratitude have been written by over 120,000 grade school students in 30 states in the United States. The results have been significant with several thousand surveys taken by students and staff showing a 76% increase in kindness and a 71% decrease in bullying. Anne Kubitsky, the founder of this non-profit, has been courageously fostering its promotion and carrying almost single-handedly forward. She could definitely use the financial help. I would love to see every grade school in our country, and in the world, include this two-week program in their curriculum — The Look for the Good Project. Thank you for the 222 Foundation and the blessings it brings.
Hi Pam,
My name is Deb Major and I am a good friend of Virginia Petzold (Chiropractor in Goshen, NY). She told me all about you and your daughter… my heart is heavy for your loss❤️.
I start a nonprofit organization 8 years ago called Zylofone! I am the mother of twin boys, both disabled and truly my inspiration. Gage was born with Cerebral Palsy and then diagnosed on the Autism spectrum at the age of 11. My other son Jacob is Autistic. I have been an entertainer/singer for over 40 years and music was always my families connection to one another. I taught them everything I could using singing, dancing to help move them gracefully through their world.
When Gage journeyed through highschool he was introduced to acting. Already an accomplished singer, he became passionate about this new venture! When he graduated from HS, he asked me to help him find an acting school or a college to assist him with a “theater” degree. I searched to find a place that would help him grow this dream into a reality. Unfortunately many venues were not Handicapped friendly and were not able to inspire or assist in this dream. I have never allowed my boys to think of themselves as less or less capable. My mantra was that they were different because everyone is different and they had amazing abilities like all of us do.
I decided to create a place that children and adults of every age and every ability to come and be themselves… be creative and explore this through music, movement, dance, singing, recording, instruments, art and ACTING!! I would love to plant the seed of hope for the 222 award for 2020 for my organization Zylofone! Please visit our Facebook page and our website http://www.zylofone.org
Many blessings to you for your giving heart and spirit to all those in need ….
Love
Deb
I’m working on an earth shattering project right now but I don’t want any money. Instead I’d like to chat with some extraordinary people like you 🙂