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More Than Wishful Thinking:
Jane Francisco talks philanthropy…
For Jane Francisco of Wish magazine, philanthropy fits naturally into her line of work.
It's hard to find prominent philanthropic content flipping through today's top consumer magazines. Sure, they dispense plenty of advice on fashion, beauty and décor, but what about tips to help beautify readers from the inside out (and endorse some worthy causes to boot)? Is it really so far-fetched to expect to see some socially responsible content included within the pages of some of North America's top-selling magazines? For Jane Francisco, Editor-in-Chief of Wish magazine - "the Canadian woman's Shopping List for Life" - promoting ways to get out there and do some good is an important part of sitting at the helm of one of Canada's newest and brightest consumer glossies.
As an arts student at the University of Toronto, Francisco never imagined she would rise so quickly to the top of the magazine world. Though she always held a "high interest in magazines," the closest she had come to the publishing business at that point was editing papers and essays for classmates and colleagues. Francisco's formal introduction to the industry, however, would happen sooner than expected, and in a very unique way. Agreeing to help a friend complete a school assignment, Francisco co-developed the concept for a new magazine, Venue, which was to serve as a platform through which visual artists and photographers could expose their work to the public.
"The idea and inspiration for Venue were the arts," says Francisco. "We knew of so many artists and photographers pouring their blood, sweat and tears into their work and getting so little in return in terms of recognition and publicity. Venue was a place they could display their work, since art and photography wasn't being published anywhere else at the time." Pouring much of her own energy into the book seven days a week for the next five years, Francisco helped evolve Venue to take on the look and feel of a mainstream magazine.
Though she may not have realized it at the time, Francisco's involvement with Venue would spark a long-term commitment to using her skills as an editor and publisher to promote underexposed and deserving causes to the public. After selling the Venue brand and moving on to other business- and content-related pursuits, Francisco eventually became editor of another all-Canadian publication, Glow. Though the subject matter - health and beauty - was worlds apart from the visual arts, she stayed true to her belief that "getting involved fits in everywhere.
"I'm hardly angelic on any front," Francisco admits. "But I try to maintain a constantly evolving sense of social responsibility." For that reason, once at Glow, she pioneered a section entitled "Get Involved," a monthly spread featuring profiles of unique charitable organizations, as well as details about fundraisers and other ways to donate and volunteer across the country. To Francisco, making the department a permanent part of the retail-focused magazine was natural: "Life is made up of a combination of superfluous things - it's important to remember that. Sure, going to the spa, buying beautiful things and indulging yourself are a great part of life, but so is actually doing things that are a bit more meaningful in a number of ways."
Fortunately, the same principles have followed Francisco to her current post at the pinnacle of Wish's Masthead, as has the "Get Involved" concept itself. "Wish is about embracing how fortunate we are. It's not about solving world problems, but it is about helping you make smart choices," she explains. "Our mandate is to sort through all the 'stuff' out there, and bring the best of it to our readers. That includes clothing items, beauty products…and philanthropy. We zero in on local organizations, like women's charities and issues, health, and the environment, and include a monthly offering in our 'Get Involved' section. These are the things we recommend our readers can do to help out in their own communities."
While Francisco admits it can be challenging making philanthropy as desirable to her readers as the consumer goods offered up by the magazine, she's come up with some clever ways to make charity and volunteerism more appealing - and relatable. "Our demographic is the professional, busy woman, who wants to live a stylish lifestyle and look good," she explains. "I think, if our readers like to shop, why not encourage them to buy things that will benefit finding a cure for breast cancer?" (The September issue of Wish, coincidentally, features "Pink Power" items you can purchase to "help people facing major life challenges in a variety of ways." The goods - from T-fal's rose-coloured Food for Thought frying pan to Nine West's trendy limited-edition pink brocade ballet slippers - all promise to donate a portion of their proceeds to breast cancer research and awareness.)
In fact, Francisco points to herself as a prime example of someone who would like to get involved but simply doesn't have much time to volunteer. "People like our readers do think of getting out there and donating their time," she says. "But then they find themselves too busy or they think, 'What's the point?' At this stage in my life, I do a lot less hands-on contribution than I used to, because I don't have the time. Purchasing a ribbon or t-shirt or buying something at a charity auction suits my lifestyle better, and I feel good knowing some of the money I spend is going to a good cause. At the end of the day, if everyone just does something, anything, that fits their life and schedule, we could make a real difference together."
Recognizing that "it takes all kinds of things to make something happen," Francisco feels even the simple idea of inspiring others to do something can be an extremely powerful one. "When your job is being the grand champion of something - like the editor of a magazine that reaches so many people - it's your responsibility to do something with that," she says. "I may not do a great job of contributing my time, but I'm lucky that I have an opportunity through Wish to do something."
Despite her many efforts, Francisco wishes more magazines - no matter genre or subject matter - would try harder to spread a positive and socially responsible message around the world. "I love the idea of what we at Wish can do," she says, "even though I realize the limitations of this venue. What little we do here, however, if every publication did the same amount…just imagine the impact we could make."
In terms of career, Francisco ties her future in to her solid belief system. "In a way, this is the last thing I want to do - encourage people to be involved, not just in terms of giving time and money, but getting and being aware and interested. I can't imagine that ever going away. I've made a decision to edit a magazine whose core mandate isn't social responsibility, but I'll continue to be committed to look for ways to promote social responsibility through what we do on a daily basis." ¤ Noa
For more information on Wish magazine's Get Involved department, visit www.wish.ca.