While some gals were shopping to support nonprofits Wednesday night, Lynn McBee had the perfect excuse not to. She was hostessing a party for the Women of Tocqueville at her home. No, this group does not sample cucumber sandwiches or discuss the most exhilarating romantic novel. These are top-notch, savvy women who define leadership in business and philanthropy. Need names? Try Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Frito-Lay, Exxon Mobil Corporation, PepsiCo, JCPenney, Jones Day, Texas Instruments, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Locke Lord Bissell & Lidell and Baker Botts.
Their live-by-the-rule: “Give. Volunteer. Advocate.”
The reason for Lynn’s having the party at her place was simple — she’s chairing the entire Tocqueville Campaign for 2011.
Just to be a member of the Tocqueville team, one contributes at least $10,000 a year. In 2010 there were 681 members of Tocqueville, an increase of 3% over the previous year.
Yes, we know your next question and got the MySweetCharity hand-crank calculator out. That means this group of Tocques raised at least $6,810,000 alone to support United Way. Hard to believe! But we ran the numbers four times because it was so hard to believe.
With that past goal achieved, you just know that Ms. McBee is planning on topping that one. Let’s say a nice round number like $7 million. The MSC calculator is fired up to see how things add up.
BTW, they do more than count dollar signs. Seems they really got into the advocating part in the 2009 Legislative session, when a group of the women went to Austin to learn the fine art of lobbying, which they proceeded to do for a pre-school education program. It wound up passing the Legislature, but Gov. Perry vetoed the bill. They learned, you can never stop!