Interview mit Renée Richardson von All Within My Hands

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Climate change and war, racism, hatred and exploitation: every day we are bombarded with negative news from all over the world. But as important as it is to deal with these problems, it is also important to keep an eye on the positive. In addition to the often bitterly necessary “escapism through music enjoyment”, the metal scene offers plenty of great projects for this (despite all the undeniable problems). In our interview series “HEAVY … aber herzlich!” we introduce you to socially, ecologically or politically committed associations, events and people who encourage us and make the world a better place.

With their ALL WITHIN MY HANDS (AWMH) foundation, METALLICA have been helping people in need for almost ten years – wherever the band performs, but also in cooperation with aid organizations for food supplies or education. For part 12 of our series, we spoke to Renée Richardson, Director of Philanthropy at AWMH, who explained the concept, aim and concrete successes of the foundation’s work in an interview.

You can find more information about ALL WITHIN MY HANDS on www.allwithinmyhands.org, as well as on Facebook and Instagram.

Please introduce yourself briefly as a person. Who are you, how did you get into music – and what’s your role at the AWMH foundation?
My name is Renee, and for over 25 years, I was a radio host in San Francisco. I was on the air at Live 105 (KITS), as Renee Rotten in the late 1990s – early 2000s, and moved over to the legendary KFOG 104.5 until 2016 – when they asked me to leave, I wear it as a badge of honor. I have always been into music, which is why I pursued a radio career. Over the years in SF, I became very involved in nonprofit work and fundraising. When METALLICA formed their foundation, I was in a great position to support their mission.

Do you know what specifically prompted the members and management of METALICA to set up this non-profit, philanthropic foundation in 2017?
METALLICA has always given back to the communities that support them. When they visited a city, they would leave behind gifts for food banks. So when the use of social media platforms started to become more common, they felt it was essential to use their voice to engage their fans in the many ways they could join them in giving back. They also wanted to have a focus for their mission. Three primary areas emerged: the need to feed people, the desire to support trade education, and to provide relief in times of disaster. Our mission statement is: Founded by the members and management of METALLICA, ALL WITHIN MY HANDS is dedicated to creating sustainable communities through workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

Can you outline the history of AWMH – what has changed fundamentally since it was founded? How is the AWMH foundation structured today, how many employees or volunteers are there, and where do you operate from?
Over the years since the Foundation began, we have witnessed the amazing performance of the Metallica Scholars Initiative. We partnered with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to support career and technical education programs across the US. When speaking of the evolution of the Foundation, this area is experiencing the most growth and tangible outcomes. The program is changing people’s lives, often ending the cycle of poverty for some families. The foundation’s structure remains the same. One full-time employee (paid for by METALLICA), one Executive Director who is a volunteer, and the rest of the METALLICA team play a massive role in everything the Foundation does. The Board of Directors (also volunteers) helps guide the Foundation’s decision-making. For the most part, the Foundation operates out of our headquater, but since COVID, most of us work remotely.

AWMH acts as a supporting foundation: it works together with established non-profit partners instead of setting up its own aid structures on the ground. Why is this better than taking the initiative yourself?
We are a small team. Our area of expertise is not trade education, or feeding the hungry, or disaster relief. So, we have chosen select partners who have boots on the ground in these areas. We rely on them to do the most effective work with our funding and support.

What are your current goals and priorities with AWMH, what is the project in its current form specifically about?
Growth. We are uniquely positioned to have the mighty voice of METALLICA in everything we do. We want other organizations to partner with us to amplify our impact.

AWMH has been supporting apprenticeships at community colleges in the USA through the Metallica Scholars program since 2019. What kind of apprenticeships are these, and who is entitled to them?
As mentioned, the Metallica Scholars Initiative is run through our exclusive partnership with the AACC. They help us identify schools with programs that offer incredible job opportunities for their students. We don’t tell them what to teach; we help them teach what is needed based on the local economy. Anyone can apply at a community college that is part of the Metallica Scholars Initiative.

Together with AWMH, the band officially began the #MetallicaGivesBack campaign, donating a portion of every ticket sold throughout the WorldWired Tour to a local food bank. Can you tell us how much per ticket (or also overall, when it comes to the most recent tour) was donated?
The donation to AWMH from M72 World Tour is $3 per ticket. We will leave some of those funds behind on each tour stop, the rest comes to AWMH to be used for the many things we do all year long (MSI, fight hunger, and disaster relief). Check our Annual Report. We gave back over US$ 1.2 M on tour in 2024, plus our donations were matched in EU by Iveco Group – another reason we love partnerships!

How are the donation targets selected – and in how far are METALLICA involved in this process?
Since we work with a very limited number of predetermined partners, including Feeding America, World Central Kitchen, Direct Relief, and Team Rubicon the donation targets are set based on the need. When Brazil flooded last year, we had folks from Direct Relief poised to help, so we donated to them to help the people of Brazil. All to say, it varies based on many factors. The band members are AWMH Board members, so they are asked to vote on every grant we make.

Besides #MetallicaGivesBack AWMH raises money in various ways – with and without a direct involvement of the band. Can you briefly list the most important ones?
The big ones are our biannual event, Helping Hands Concert and Auction, which has brought in millions for the Foundation every two years. Our Month of Giving in May, which is great because the METALLICA fan clubs really drive it. And our auctions and sweepstakes. We know people love METALLICA memorabilia, and these monthly events offer options for fans at many financial levels.

Last year’s iteration of the annual Helping Hands Concert and Auction has set a new record by raising more than $3.5 million. How important are such band-sponsored activities compared to the Foundation’s activities that are independent of the band’s activities, such as the annual “Month of Giving”?
Band-sponsored events are huge for us; we couldn’t have such great financial success with an event without them. The money comes not just from ticket sales; corporate sponsorship is huge. We have some incredible vendors and partners who see this event as a way to give back, and we make it easy because the show is always so incredibly unique! Everyone is engaged: the touring team, the digital team, and the merchandise team – the support the Foundation gets from the rest of the METALLICA Family is incredible.

Most recently, AWMH donated $500,000 to wildfire relief efforts after the fires in Los Angeles. How does the Foundation decide whether and how to get involved, and how quickly can funds be made available?
WMH does not take unsolicited requests for grants, so the request must come from a board member. In the case of Los Angeles, we had just had our Helping Hands benefit in LA in December 2024. We have many members of the METALLICA Family and extended family who call LA home. A donation was proposed, and we voted on it. We are structured so that the funds are available immediately. We are very nimble.

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, AWMH has provided donations for the WCK #ChefsForUkraine program – together with the “Month Of Giving” over one million dollars, which has helped distribute hundreds of thousands of meals to Ukrainian refugees in various locations in Eastern Europe. Given this support for Ukraine, what is AWHM’s position on President Trump’s Ukraine policy?
As a nonprofit 501(c)(3), AWMH does not take political positions.

Are there any special moments or successes that have made you as a part of AWMH particularly proud?
I am proud every minute of every day. What this band has set out to do with their voice is incredible, and the fact that I have the privilege of acting as a steward to their vision is truly humbling. These guys don’t have to do any of this, but they do it and they mean it. They don’t do it to brag; usually, the news of our philanthropic work comes from AWMH social channels first. They do what feels right. There are so many proud moments. The fact that over 9,000 trades people have in some way received our support is amazing. The complete and utter support by the fans, whether it’s volunteering, fundraising, or simply sharing the news about our work, is just mind-blowing. And the fact that it doesn’t matter where you are from, the support is there. I am especially proud of how much AWMH means to everyone connected to it.

Can you tell us how much money has already been donated via AWMH since it was founded?
At the end of 2024, we had given back over $20 million as a foundation.

What other metrics do you use to measure the Foundation’s success? Can you give examples of the impact achieved?
It’s hard to say exactly, MSI is the easiest to measure, and that number will be approximately 9000 individuals by the end of June this year. Because our donations to food banks and World Central Kitchen will vary, and the number of meals distributed per dollar spent will vary based on location and circumstances. It’s hard to quantify – but safe to say, we have provided millions of meals to millions of families.

What are the aims – short and long term – with AWMH, also in view of the fact that METALLICA’s career will certainly not last forever. Is there a plan for what will happen afterward?
The hope is that the Foundation will live on after METALLICA, but you never know. So the short answer is that we simply want to do the best work that we can, in the time we have.

Why is the METALLICA fan base perfect for taking this project forward? What makes METALLICA’s fans?
The METALLICA fan base is perfect for helping AWMH move forward because they honor what we are doing by jumping in and getting involved. They are a family. As for what makes METALLICA’s fans? I am not sure. METALLICA makes the music, the music creates the energy, the fans give back the energy, and it just keeps going round and round, I guess.

Your message to all metal fans out there:
Thank you. Your passion fuels creativity.

Screenshots/Images courtesy of © AWMH (used with kind permission)

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All other parts of this series can be found here: