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MySweetWishList: Art In Bloom 2019
According to Art in Bloom 2019 Chair Eleanor Bond,
“I hope the community will join me, along with Honorary Chair Beverly Freeman and the Dallas Museum of Art League, in celebrating the 20th anniversary of Art in Bloom, which supports the the Dallas Museum of Art’s exhibition and education programs, as well as the DMA League’s Floral Endowment Fund.
“The New Orleans-inspired celebration, Joie des Fleurs, will be held on Sunday, March 31, at the Museum and will include live jazz entertainment, two brunch seatings, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the Atrium, as well as two seatings in the Horchow Auditorium for a floral demonstration by designer Françoise Weeks, renowned throughout Europe, USA and Canada for her woodland and botanical haute couture, who will create beautiful floral arrangements and wearable works of floral art.
“As well, we are so excited to present the third annual ‘Art in Bloom Floral Exhibition,’ a unique display of floral arrangements inspired by works from the Museum’s permanent collection and created by local designers.
“With the event falling on a Sunday, we will also have ‘floral-inspired’ family activities throughout the Museum, including an artist demonstration in the Fleischner Courtyard, crafts in the Center for Creative Connections, and more.
“Sponsorships and tickets are on sale now. For more information about Art in Bloom: Joie des Fleurs, contact Edwina Gonzalez at the DMA’s Office of Special Events at 214.922.1800, or visit the Art In Bloom webpage.”
* Graphic courtesy of Art In Bloom 2019
MySweetWishList: Just Say YES
According to Just Say YES Board Member and Youth Advocate Jorge Gutierrez,
“Reflecting on the past year, we truly have so much to be thankful for at Just Say YES. Because of supporters like you, we have been able to expand our programming in the Dallas-Fort Worth area; equipping thousands of K-12th grade students to say YES to their dreams and goals and no to destructive choices.
“At the top of the Just Say YES wish list is to begin fundraising for the 22nd Annual Friends First STARS National Conference held each summer in Colorado. The action-packed, four-day event empowers teens to become leaders, learn how to build healthy relationships, and understand the importance of avoiding high-risk behaviors in order to achieve success (such as alcohol, drugs, dropping out, dating violence and bullying). Teens also get to experience life on a college campus, while learning important life-skills and how to be a positive role model in their community.
“In 2017, 19 student mentors from the Just Say YES Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program (along with three adult coordinators) attended the conference, and in 2018, an increase of 28 students attended; making Just Say YES the largest student group outside the state of Colorado.
“As the Just Say YES Peer-to-Peer Mentoring Program expands its Dallas-Fort Worth reach, and with student interest growing to attend the conference, we must start now in our fundraising efforts to cover the cost of both admission ($429 per student) and round-trip airfare (est. $450 per student). Our goal is to send at least 30 students to the 2019 conference.
“We believe that every student deserves the right to achieve a better and brighter future, regardless of their background or circumstance. Many of our student mentors come from low-income households within the DFW area, and possess powerful stories of overcoming adversity. Through Just Say YES, the STARS National Conference provides a unique opportunity for kids in our community, whom might not otherwise have the means to experience something of this caliber. For the majority of our students who attend, it is their first time to travel outside the state of Texas, as well as their first time on an airplane.
“Denilzon, a student mentor from Thomas Jefferson High School in the Dallas Independent School District, said of the 2018 conference, ‘Because of your support, I was able to attend the STARS National Conference; a place that encouraged and taught me that I am worth more than I ever realized.’
“I believe what makes the Dallas philanthropic community so remarkable is that we make the impossible, possible. This giving season, we ask you to please consider sending a Just Say YES student to the STARS National Conference for a leadership opportunity they’ll never forget.
“Thank you for caring for our youth. On behalf of the students and DFW schools we serve, please know what significant impact you make by supporting Just Say YES.
“For more information, or to make a donation, please contact Director of Development Sarah Conner at sconner@justsayyes.org or by visiting justsayyes.org/support/donation.”
* Photo provided by Just Say YES
“Diversity In Philanthropy” Discussion Provided A Better Understanding About High Net Worth Donors Of Color
Communities Foundation of Texas and Dallas Women’s Foundation along teamed up with The Vaid Group and Faces of Giving to provide a better understanding of the expanding world of philanthropy on Tuesday, October 30. Filling Communities Foundation of Texas’ main hall, the 350 guests learned how to identify and work with “high net worth” donors. Here’s a report from the field:
On Tuesday, October 30, Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) and Dallas Women’s Foundation (DWF) hosted a free discussion entitled “Diversity in Philanthropy: Understanding, Engaging and Networking the High Net Worth Donor of Color,” in partnership with The Vaid Group and Faces of Giving.
DWF President and CEO Roslyn Dawson Thompson welcomed everyone to CFT and introduced the researchers and the panel. The event began with presentation of a report entitled, “The Apparitional Donor: Understanding and Engaging High Net Worth Donors of Color.” Following the presentation, CFT Chief Relationship Officer Monica Egert Smith moderated a panel discussion on the report with Paula Parker, one of the high net worth donors of color that was interviewed for the report; Ashindi Maxton, independent strategist and donor advisor and a member of The POC Donor Collaborative Project Team; Tuhina De O’Connor, co-founder of Faces of Giving, Inc.; and Hali Lee, executive director of Faces of Giving, Inc.
The 350 attendees stayed late after the presentation to network and get to know each other. Attendees included several of the DWF board like Caren Lock as well as many other donors of color.
The study released is the result of groundbreaking research on engaging and networking high net worth (HNW) donors of color. The study calls high net worth donors of color “apparitional in the field of philanthropy – rare and unusual phenomena, a spectral presence whose existence itself requires proof.” In short, not only are HNW donors of color hard to identify, they are hard to find.
The goal of the report and the event’s discussion was to identify ways to engage these potential donors of color. “The need for high net worth donors of color in philanthropy has never been more apparent,” the lead researcher, Urvashi Vaid asserted. “In a moment marked by urgently high levels of racism, nationalism, and xenophobia, over-policing and state abandonment based on race, nationality, economic status, ethnicity, gender identity and sexual orientation, new resources are needed that can be directed to the affected communities.”
The researchers reported that HNW donors of color are “keen to help create opportunities for others, as others have done for them, often through education and gifting money to family and friends.” The tradition of giving in communities of color has long been a part of these cultures and considered a priority. They might not necessarily identify with the word “philanthropy” but indeed that is what it is.
“We are delighted to co-host this discussion as we see an enormous opportunity to strengthen our communities through greater engagement in our ongoing efforts by donors of color,” said Dave Scullin, president and CEO of CFT. “High net worth donors of color provide much more than resources—they provide insight, focus, and leadership vital to building a community where all can thrive.”
While the study was conducted nationwide, approximately a fifth of the HNW donors of color interviewed were from the larger Dallas area. All those interviewed from North Texas held bachelor’s degrees, with a third of the group holding bachelor’s degrees alone, another third having earned master’s degrees, and another third holding professional or doctorate degrees. The average amount contributed by those interviewed from North Texas was more than $140,000 per year. Half of them have liquid investible assets of $1 to $5 million dollars; a third with $5 to $10 million; just over 11 percent have $10 to $20 million; and, five percent have liquid investible incomes of $50 to $75 million.
The panelists presented their findings, which included a landscape analysis that examines the giving patterns and priorities of high net worth people of color. The study showed that, while these donors are generous and philanthropically engaged, they are often invisible to mainstream philanthropy and largely not even known to each other.
The research team also shared findings from interviews with dozens of high net worth donors of color and leaders of existing donor networks, as well as present lessons learned from previous attempts to organize donors of color. In addition, the team shared observations and recommendations, including the potential development of a network of high net worth donors of color interested in funding racial and social justice. This potential network could coalesce the community of high net worth people of color, elevating the reach and impact of their experiences, resources, and talents at a critically important time.
“We were excited to partner with the research team to connect them with members of our donor community, who represent current and former board members, and even founders of our organization. While we’ve been rooted in values of diversity and inclusion, and enjoyed longstanding support from women of color who are passionate about gender and racial equity, we know this study reveals a critical reality about the lack of diversity and inclusion within and by the philanthropic community at large. That means we have an even greater responsibility to engage, support, and celebrate the potency and power of donors of color at all levels,” said Roslyn Dawson Thompson, president and CEO, Dallas Women’s Foundation.
Diversity in donors creates stronger communities, the panelists agreed, “The treatment of high net worth donors of color as apparitions has material consequences,” the researchers said. “For one, it renders critical experiences, resources, and talent missing at a moment in which societal institutions are most in need of new ideas, investment, and innovation. It contributes to a landscape in which organized philanthropy in the US is inadequately focused on the experiences and needs of the African American, Latinx, Native American, Asian American, Indo-American, Middle Eastern, and other communities of color in the United States.”
* Photo provided by Communities Foundation of Texas
MySweetWishList: Readers 2 Leaders
According to Readers 2 Leaders Reading Buddy volunteer Janie Cisneros,
“I volunteer at Readers 2 Leaders because my community is important to me. We all understand the value of reading, and books magically took me outside of West Dallas as a young girl. Every book took me into worlds that I could only imagine.
“My holiday wish is to expand the Readers 2 Leaders opportunity to more children in West Dallas who are in need of early literacy skills. With your support, we can achieve the necessary resources to scale the program while sustaining the 8 existing tutoring and partner locations.
“That mental travel accomplished through reading was powerful enough to help me escape the realities of growing up in a low income community. The additional perk was that reading helped me excel in my scholastic studies! It gives me much joy to take part in an organization that provides the children in my community access to this fundamental life navigating skill. Due to the program’s limit in capacity, it can currently only serve 478 students per year, while an estimated 93,000 k-3rd grade students in Dallas county are behind. My wish is to expand the number of children who can receive the help they need, and supporting Readers 2 Leaders can make that wish come true.
“I firmly believe every child in West Dallas should have an equal opportunity to learn to read. The Readers 2 Leaders literacy program develops and grows the reading skills of underserved West Dallas elementary school children to gain a solid foundation for their middle and high school learning endeavors.
“It is said that one learns to read up until 3rd grade and then one reads to learn moving forward. Taking part in an organization that empowers young minds and launches them on a trajectory for personal development and growth is something that is well worth my time and efforts. There is nothing more fulfilling than watching the eyes of the children I work with light up when they realize they are able to read words such as under, read, or get. Pretty simple huh? Yet not the case for many 3rd graders in West Dallas who are currently unable to read at grade level.
“Readers 2 Leaders takes a holistic approach and uses reading as a gateway to career exploration. It exposes children to a variety of career paths and hosts various activities, such as field trips, arts and crafts, and science experiments to enrich our students’ education.
“The West Dallas community will benefit from empowered students ready to take charge of their futures and successfully graduate from high school with the doors of a university in sight. We make time to create memorable moments as our students journey on their road to literacy!
“Consider being part of their journey. This holiday season, invest in the lives of the children in West Dallas and make a donation. Help my wish of expanding the Readers 2 Leaders literacy program come true! For a more interactive contribution, consider signing up to become my fellow Reading Buddy. Reach out to volunteer@readers2leaders.org with questions or visit us on Facebook.”
* Graphic and photo provided by Readers 2 Leaders
JUST IN: Equest Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon And Style Show Results In A Jaw Opening Check
The season of giving continues for nonprofits. This time the handing over of funds took place at Etro before the store opened this morning. Since Equest Women’s Auxiliary Luncheon and Style Show Chair Heather Randall had a 9 a.m. phone conference, the presentation of the check was scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Oops! It seems that someone had an accident on the Dallas North Tollway and Etro Manager Melinda Rathke’s car was safe but stuck in the back-up.
Instead of shivering outside, Equest’s lead team CEO Lili Kellogg, Chief Philanthropy and Director of Development Christine Volkmer checked out nearby Bird Bakery, while Heather was joined in her Land Rover by Equest Women’s Auxiliary President Kara Axley to guard the check. They weren’t going to reveal the amount until the last moment.
At 8:45 Melinda arrived and opened the doors to let the ladies in. That wasn’t the only thing that was opened. Lili’s jaw dropped when she saw the amount on the check — $274,000 resulting from this past October’s fashion show featuring Highland Park Village merchants.
Luckily, the presentation only took a couple of minutes, so the gals had time to check out the fashions… even Heather, who made her appointment on time.
Lela Rose Returned To Dallas To Receive The Inaugural Fashion Notes Designer Award
Dallas native/acclaimed designer Lela Rose came home on Monday, October 29, to receive the Inaugural Fashion Notes Designer Award at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League's sold-out Fashion Notes Luncheon and Style Show in The Fairmont Dallas' Venetian Room. It was the perfect occasion to showcase … Read More...
MySweetWishList: The Senior Source’s Senior Companion Program
According to The Senior Source President and CEO Stacey Paddock Malcolmson,“During the holiday season, the gifts of time spent with friends and family often bring the most joy. For many seniors, though, the holidays can be a lonely time. The Senior Source works diligently to ensure older adults … Read More...
The Sweetheart Ball Tea Provided Food For Thought In Fundraising For UT Southwestern
Many of the ladies who had attended the 2018 Celebrating Women Luncheon at the Hilton Anatole on Thursday, October 25, headed north to Lisa and Kenny Troutt’s estate. The occasion was to introduce The Sweetheart Ball new members, hear about plans for the 37th annual fundraiser and to learn about new … Read More...
JUST IN: KidneyTexas Inc. Presents A Total Of $155,898 To Seven Area Nonprofits
Tis the season of giving and the KidneyTexas Inc. group did just that Wednesday night at Tootsies.No, they didn't give clothes away. With a crowd that included Donna Arp Weitzman, Mari Epperson, Sandy Secor, Andrea Alcorn, Emilynn Wilson and Brent Christopher, KidneyTexas President Mary Lee Cox … Read More...
MySweetWishList: Trinity River Mission
According to Trinity River Mission CEO Gloria Lopez,“My holiday wish is simple: to make sure that every student who wants to come to Trinity River Mission (TRM) every day to help themselves will have the resources and opportunities they need to do so.“Just look at 10th grader, Kamryn. Just … Read More...
MySweetCharity Photo Gallery Alert: The Sweetheart Ball Tea
The annual Sweetheart Ball tea is rather unique. Not only does it introduce the newest members of the organization that has provided millions of dollars for UT Southwestern's cardiology undertakings, it also provides an update by Southwestern's leading experts to discuss developments and plans in … Read More...