A Visit to Santa Fe

Great thanks to Carlota Baca, director of the New Mexican Association of Grantmakers, who invited me to address a statewide luncheon meeting in beautiful, and snowy, Santa Fe. In consultation with Carlota, I chose to focus my remarks on the importance of breakthrough thinking in philanthropy.

I spoke about some of my philanthropic heroes, who make heroic “leaps of faith” in the power of philanthropy, Eugene Lang, Mary Garrett, and those anonymous abolitionists who raised money to buy and liberate slaves BEFORE our nation was even officially born.

Inspired by our great Western setting, and the energy of the audience, I urged the grant makers to cultivate inspiring proposals, long shot ideas that break the mold of typical ‘guidelines’, After all, it is unlikely that Dr. Flemming’s need to turn his  ‘mold’ into an antibiotic would have fit most foundation ‘guidelines’.

The next morning, Tom Aageson, executive director, invited me to conduct a working session with the Board of Trustees of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation. The Board has just approved a major capital and endowment campaign for their six museums.  We focused on the history of museum philanthropy in our country, of course, but I particularly stressed the economic importance of their efforts, the multiplier effect for the benefit of all citizens in their very economically and ethnically diverse state.

Thanks again to Carlota for kindly forwarding so many appreciative emails from her member participants.  I agree that our time together was both inspirational and educational.