by Dick Rolfe, CEO

Those were the words that greeted me when I first met the president of worldwide distribution for a major Hollywood film studio.

His frank approach set me back at first. Then I realized that this person was very busy and he wanted to get to the bottom line. He had the right to know whether the next half hour would be wasted or well spent. I’m pleased to report that this executive soon became a believer in the value of Dove and we have formed a great partnership with the studio ever since. We have favored relationships with senior executives at many of the major studios and hundreds of top-level filmmakers.

Now, my task is to convince you that your time will be well spent reading the next few paragraphs.

So, what is the Dove Foundation? Twenty-four years ago, I joined a group of parents who were concerned about the content of movies and videos. We poured over several thousand titles and created a list of 600 movies we could recommend as safe for family viewing. We then shared our list with relatives, friends and fellow church members. It wasn’t long before word spread about the Dove Family-Approved Movies list and it went viral! (This was in 1990, before the internet was available.) Soon tens of thousands of people nationwide were using the list as their family entertainment guide, and The Dove Foundation was born.

You probably know that Dove is a non-profit advocacy organization dedicated to representing the values and tastes of caring families to the leaders in the entertainment industry. The familiar blue & white Dove Family Approved Seal has become a respected symbol and trusted brand by filmmakers and consumers alike. We have reviewed nearly 10,000 movies and videos since the beginning. Recently, we added two seals to identify movies with faith friendly and faith-based stories.

In addition to meeting with studio executives, we review about 40 films each month. This includes major theatrical releases. In fact, by 5pm every Friday, you can go to www.dove.org and find complete reviews of every major release opening that day. Our goal is to inform consumers about the content of films before they plunk down their hard earned money to buy a movie ticket or purchase a DVD.

Whether you are one of the hundreds of thousands of people who visit our website each month, or new to the Dove family, you are welcome to freely access the information we provide online. You may also subscribe to HOLLYWOOD UPLINK, our monthly newsletter. Why not tell your friends and family members to sign up for their free copy?

If you feel we are a blessing to you, we would love to hear from you. You can follow us and post comments or questions on FACEBOOK or TWITTER. You may also wish to support our efforts by sending in a tax-deductible gift so we can continue advocating on your behalf.

We’re here to serve!