Toasting the TCF Board 2010

Snow day in the Triangle- which means: schools are closed, things are being postponed/rescheduled, and I get to catch up on the dreaded emails. And other activities like posting on the blog. It's been a while since I've written.

The Foundation has been an unusually busy place these last few months and I am just now feeling like I can think about the end of the year. But of course it is December, which typically is our busiest month- and we certainly don't want to complain about that. We WANT it to be very busy this month. Gifts and grants is what it's all about. And I'm hoping that bell outside my office rings more than once..

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On Tuesday, we held our last Board meeting of the year, followed by a reception and toast made by our Chair Phail Wynn. I have said many times that we have a brilliant board, and one often hears CEOs/Exec Directors say the same thing about their boards. But I continue to be impressed by the level of commitment that our members have for the Foundation. Outstanding. We thank them for all they do.

Here are some pictures. And off to 2011 we go..

(above left) Leadership Council member Ron Strom, Marketing & Communications Chair Joel Sheer and Development Officer Jess Aylor


(above) Former Chair and Leadership Council member Peter Meehan, Leadership Council Chair Carol Bilbro, Executive Committee member Lacy Presnell




With Ron Strom

(Left) with Jack Walker, who has served as our General Counsel for many years.

(left) Investment CoChair Steve Nelson with Philanthropic Services Chair Cecile Noel

(below) Board meeting

(left) Chair Phail Wynn with Shannon St John Fellow Bradley Hicks

In Recognition of Our Illustrious Chair

Today, we recognized Dr. Phail Wynn as he Chaired his last Board meeting at the Foundation. Next month he takes on the role of Immediate Past Year, and as is the tradition here- I hope will continue his involvement with us in other leadership roles. But today was his last time at the helm of the Board.

Change and Board terms are healthy for an organization- but this doesn't mean that they are easy. I have served under three different Chairs in my five years here, and they have each been unique and special. I was happy that Peter Meehan, who was Chair when I arrived here, was at the meeting today. I was able to thank him for his guidance as I tried to find a way to say "THANK YOU" to Phail.

All of us on staff have been proud to have Phail associated with the Foundation. Indeed, his relationship with TCF goes all the way back to our founding, when he worked with Dr. George Hitchings in 1981 on another Board. Phail has served on many Boards over the years- indeed you'll have a hard time finding many people who can match his record of community service- or his reputation, skills and accomplishments.

And we are a better Foundation for it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

What Matters: A Diverse and Engaged Community

After months of planning and lots of work, the Foundation's largest event took place on May 5. And what a special evening it was. We are deeply thankful to Cokie and Steve Roberts, to the sponsors, the hosts and over 500 leaders from the region who were part of the evening.

I don't think we could have hoped for more...

The themes we chose were Growth, Diversity and Innovation, which we believe are important issues that will determine how we grow as a region in the future. This also served as a benefit dinner for the Foundation's ever-growing community outreach programs.

3.2 million people are expected to call the Triangle home over the next few years- people who will be coming from all parts of the country and the world. 120 languages are already spoken in our public schools. We are becoming bigger, more diverse and the need for regional engagement and cooperation has never been more critical.

These are the issues we asked our audience, and ourselves, to think about.

Cokie and Steve Roberts helped us think broadly and brought a national perspective to issues like immigration, school diversity and civil dialogue. They were the stars of the night.

Now we are discussing out how to keep the momentum going.. More to come. Stay tuned.

Immigration, Arizona, What is the Role of Philanthropy?

This past Wednesday, we had the pleasure of helping to host a statewide convening for HIP, Hispanics in Philanthropy- and its NC Latino Collaborative. This effort has invested over $3.2 million in Latino-led nonprofits around the state over the past few years, supported by many philanthropic institutions, including Triangle Community Foundation.

The convening was kicked off with an address by a longtime friend, Frank Sharry, head of America's Voice and former Executive Director of the National Immigration Forum.

We are at such a critical time, that I find it necessary to include a portion of my remarks here on my blog:

"Little did we know when we planned this convening several months ago that this would be the time when we would see a state like Arizona turn its back on anyone with an accent, like me and some of you, and anyone who 'looks' Hispanic or 'illegal.'

Whatever that means.

But I could use my entire time talking about Arizona. So I will leave the policy talk to Frank.

I will say, however, that we are at a time in which we have a chance to look at our values as a state and a country and that sometimes drastic measures take place so that more people get involved. And this may be the case here.

And let's not kid ourselves. North Carolina is not immune to these national-attention grabbing measures. Many of us in this room know this too well.

-287(g) and the Sheriff activity

-In-State tuition battles

-Drivers' Licenses

-and so much more

We do have much to proud of...

But we also have major challenges.

Like it or not, we have to talk about immigration because our state is heavily affected by it. We have gained by its labor and we are now home to many immigrants. Immigration touches many in our community's lives. And our immigration system is a mess. And it is a hot, controversial, emotional issue.

And yet, there seems to only be a small group involved. We can't continue to work on these issues in isolation. We must:

- Have a broader coalition of sectors informed, engaged and active

-More understanding

-More funding

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I ask: What is the role of the nonprofit and philanthropic community when one community is targeted?

We must stop and see what is happening in Arizona.

There are no easy answers. But there are certainly courageous leaders and some institutions who have taken a stance. And it gives us a lot to think about as we get together tonight.

I believe we can each have a role in this debate, however big, however small, but a role nonetheless. And what is happening in Arizona can give us a chance to model something different here in North Carolina.

I also think we can have a reasoned conversation about this, but it must happen away from partisan politics, and among reasonable people. "

Thanks for reading.

The new NC Museum of Art- World Class!

I got a special treat last week- a private tour of the NC Museum of Art and its final phases of expansion- by Executive Director Larry Wheeler.

The Collections, the architecture, the promise this transformation brings to our region is truly marvelous. I'm honored to be serving on the Committee 100 and help spread the word about the Grand-Reopening and the many festivities planned for all.

Encouraging people to go see the Museum won't be hard. I've long been a fan of the Museum and all the activities and programming- I've also watched approvingly as the campus where it sits has developed walking trails, and invested in outdoor art for all the enjoy.

But I keep learning about how much we have to proud of. I didn't know, for example, that our state was the first in the nation to create a museum with public funding. That admission is always free. Many of us have been to events at the MOA and know that it's always a great place to highlight a good effort. But over a run of 60plus years, museums can lose their freshness and interest by the public. The expansion and re-opening has received a lot of buzz.

We're lucky that Larry Wheeler has been at the helm of the MOA and has brought such enthusiasm, innovative ideas and great exhibits.

He's outdone himself with this expansion. The Rodin collection alone is worth the trip. The architecture- beautiful and simple. The modern art pieces are wonderful.

There are several activities planned, all kicking off with a gala on April 17. For more information, go to www.ncartmuseum.org

Thank you Larry, staff, and all who continue to invest in the museum, including many fundholders at TCF, for this latest gift to our state.

He walks free after 17 years

Some of you may have been following the case of Gregory Taylor, a convicted murderer who has been serving time for 17 years and whose case has been in front of a panel of three judges over the past few days in Raleigh.

The panel's decision has just been announced and Mr. Taylor, by a unanimous vote, is being set free. Imagine. Serving 17 years as an innocent man. Fairness and justice should be at the core of our judicial system.

This will mark the first time that the so-called NC Inquiry Commission, the only one of its kind in the US, has considered a case. So it's a landmark decision. And one that we should all ponder.

A situation like this calls for us to examine what happened, what we can learn from, what needs to be changed. That's what pushed the creation of the Commission in the first place. That and the involvement of people from across political aisles, which is an infrequent happening these days.

The Foundation has funded several nonprofits and efforts over recent years involved in different aspects of this issue, from the NC Coalition for a Moratorium, to the many groups who worked on the Racial Justice Act, the NC Center on Actual Innocence, and many others.

The Taylor case, together with other recent high profile cases, should bring more attention to the need for support for these efforts.

The legal team and all those involved in the Taylor case are to be applauded.

Phil Serving

The Philanthropic Services Committee met this morning, and as we were sitting there, deep in discussion, I thought- I better blog about this. This is one of our better board committees at TCF. I'm already going through withdrawals because our long-time Chair, Mary Mountcastle, will be retiring from the board in the next few months- but more on that at a later time.

The Committee guides the Foundation and staff on grantmaking and special projects, as well as fundholder policies. Not an easy or small task.

Today on the agenda: The Community Grantmaking Program, our partnership with Executive Service Corps, Haiti Relief, and looking ahead at the new Strategic Plan. All in 1.5 hours.







So about CGP. TCF has been proactive in funding some great issue areas through its Community Grantmaking Program, or CGP, mainly, Civic Engagement and Youth Leadership & Development. We've been deliberating the next phase of CGP, as our funding for this program is limited and proposals are many. The program has been in existence for several years already, and it's one of our better known initiatives.

The Committee engaged in a spirited conversation today about how we move forward, given the region's many needs and interests, the track record of CGP, the fundholders' interests, the Foundation's standing in the community, etc. In the area of civic engagement, we fund direct lobbying, and some of it go to groups that are doing advocacy for some good and needed systemic change. Some of these groups don't get funding from many other places. They can be called controversial by some. Proactive by others.

At some point over the past few months, we have wondered if we should focus on just one issue area and do away with the other- would that be a better way to focus our resources? Should we try to change the parameters of CGP? We've done some evaluation of CGP grantees, but not an exhaustive assessment. Today, we took this up to the committee once again.

When you consider that we are a community foundation that holds over 750 funds, we could never reach a place where we will have consensus with everyone about what issues are funded. The CGP program is overseen by the Board, and funded by unrestricted and what are called 'field of interest' funds. And, at an average of $350,000 a year, this program is only a very small portion of our over $15 Million yearly grant portfolio.

For now, CGP will continue to fund under its current guidelines. We decided to tackle this further during our upcoming Strategic Plan (late Spring) and see how it evolves. A suggestion was made to also investigate how the Foundation can take a more proactive role on issues affecting the community at large. Someone said: we need to ensure that the foundation, its board, its fundholders, its staff, has criteria it can consider when it's asked to take a position on something.

The more we're out there, the more we're asked to do. Which is what being a community leader is all about.

Great meeting today.