Dear Colleagues:
With spring at hand and (hopefully) the winter of our discontent behind us,
like so many others, I was captivated recently by a couple of small events.
The first - embodied by an unimposing middle-aged Scotswoman with a glorious
voice that filled every listener with wonder. Considering Pavarotti was
not exactly male model material, it's interesting so many initially expected so
little from her. The second came in the form of a $9500 horse that was
driven over 2000 miles days before a major race when he hadn't won any race in 7
months...running dead last with a jockey who rode him because he couldn't get a
better offer, but when paired together, stole the show, took the money and made
believers of us all. The unexpected thrill of small miracles that happen
every day in the field of Philanthropy....
We all know donors who preface their gift with their demands; but most of us
work in the hopes of the unanticipated donation. The gift that takes us by
surprise, either by size or by source and steals the show; the donor who asks
little, but does much. Philanthropy in word and deed to carry us through
the tough times when chocolate alone is not enough. Surely these are such
days and I hope the 50-1 long shots are headed your way.
Reading the
letter from Jennifer Berger, our Chamberlain Scholar,
about her New Orleans experience is reminiscent of these events (click
here to view the letter from Jennifer in PDF format). Her
enthusiasm is infectious and she clearly represented us well. Next year will be
AFP's 50th Anniversary making the Conference in Baltimore a truly celebratory
event. Please keep this in mind when we advise of the Chamberlain
Scholarship application deadline.
The Los Angeles Business Journal will shortly be publishing their 2009 Nonprofit
Guide & Directory (click
here to view the PDF outlining the Los Angeles Business Journal Advertising
Supplement). Please refer to the information in the PDF in support of
their efforts and our thanks to Jim Slater for his participation with GLAC.
I need to also recognize Paul Vandeventer for his thoughtful presentation last
month and donation of his latest book, Networks that Work, available through
Community Partners.
Please make sure welcome to our newest GLAC members at our July Networking event
(click here to view the list of new members for March and April 2009 in PDF
format).
In closing, I am pleased to advise the Board has adopted a GLAC-specific
definition of Diversity. This definition will now be used as a signature
hallmark of the chapter, appearing on our website and throughout our materials.
Special thanks are due to Randi Sunshine who worked continuously to achieve this
important milestone.
On behalf of the GLAC Board, thank you for your continuing participation.
This is your chapter and we are heartened by your support. I hope your Mom
still has a few truffles left in the box.
Jan
Janice H. Rice, CFRE, CSPG
President, AFP-GLAC