The People & Passion Behind Community Philanthropy

“Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold."   - Anonymous 

In June 2006, the recently deceased Steve Job, then the CEO of Apple Computers and Pixar Animation Studios gave a commencement speech for the graduating class of Stanford University titled, “Doing What You Love.”  The thread that he weaved throughout his speech was that life is about connecting the dots. “You can’t connect the dots looking forward. You can only connect the dots looking backwards, so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust something – you gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever – because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leads you off the well-worn path, and that will make all the difference.”

This month’s article is dedicated to individuals and organizations that are committed to making a difference in the lives of our youth, a passion that I hold near and dear to my heart. And since I believe that nothing is random, “not the answer or the question, not the joy or relief, not the challenge or the victory, not the song or the sounds of the sparrow”, I am going to begin by sharing the stories behind some of the dots that gave me the confidence to follow my heart to create and champion the Circle of Community Partnership.org (CCP) – an on-going creative collaboration designed to educate, inspire and empower a younger demographic to get more involved with their community and hopefully become the next generation of philanthropists in our community.

Since a story is a tale that should accomplish something and arrive somewhere, I shall begin by sharing the first impactful “dot” on my journey – the incomparable Graci McGillicuddy – a woman dedicated to eradicating and breaking the cycle of child abuse. My first introduction to Graci was through a serendipitous meeting with Jocelyn Stevens, Manager, Development and Donor Relations for the Community Foundation of Sarasota County at the Ritz Carlton, who upon learning that I was an inspirational speaker, offered to introduce me to her boss. But instead, I met Graci, a woman “who never met a stranger”, who proceeded to warmly welcome this new kid in town to join her for a cup of tea.  In the course of getting to know each other she shared her love and commitment to help children and her beliefs in being the change you want to see, which altered the direction of my life.

When I left Graci that first day, I remember thinking what a great legacy she will be leaving behind for her children, grandchildren and so many others but I immediately knew that I also needed to do something worth celebrating my life as well. Since much of my life’s work has been based on helping others claim their power and to be the spark that ignites a brighter future, focusing my efforts on educating and inspiring a younger generation seemed only natural. But considering that fact that I literally only knew one person when I first came to town, I realized that for now, I would have to create my own legacy by following the little hummingbird’s lead.

You see the hummingbird may be one of the smallest of birds, but it is the only one that can fly backwards. This amazing feat takes lots of energy and requires that this little bird flutter about consuming more than its own weight in flower nectar daily. So it wasn’t surprising when the elephant saw it lying on its back with its tiny feet in the air one day, it said, ‘What are you doing?” The little hummingbird replied, "I heard that the sky might fall today, so I am ready to help hold it up, should it fall." The elephant laughed cruelly. "Do you really think that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?" The hummingbird kept his feet up in the air, intent on his purpose, as he replied, "Not alone. But we each must do what we can. And this is what I can do."

When I began this ambitious project, I realized this truth very early on. None of us can do it alone, no matter how great our desire or passion. And in this fabulous crazy world we live in there are a few leaders willing to support and help a passionate dreamer, lots of followers, and way too many naysayers. Fortunately for me, I met Dr. Larry Thompson, President of Ringling College, one of those rare leaders who is a dream maker committed to empowering our youth, someone who quickly became the “flowers filled with nectar” to my hummingbird spirit, and a true champion. Because this is a man who consistently walks his talk, when I reached out for help in finding someone to create the graphics for CCP’s website, Larry not only recruited Loan Tran, now a Ringling graduate, but also provided the unasked for funding in order to continue to dispel the myth of “the starving artist.”  This is a rare leader definitely worth emulating.

At the recent Imagination Conversation event held at Ringling (a great honor for the college as it was only one of the four Lincoln Center Institute (LCI) Imagination Conversations given in selected cities and an amazing experience for the 200 who attended), Larry shared his story of passion for the work he does.

Dr. Larry Thompson:  “There is no doubt that the future of our world is going to be designed by the creative minds of the upcoming generation. By launching The Business of Art and Design, the first in-the-nation program to integrate the study of business and the study of art and design, we are harnessing the creative energy of young minds and infusing the world of business with it. The concepts of marrying the right and left brain into one practice can jump start our economy like nothing else. As head of development for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I meet lots of “super stars”, but very few can hold a candle to the creative stars I am seeing coming out of Ringling. With this new program we can finally bust the myth of the starving artist and help transform the world.”

Henry Ford once said that “coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success,” so as Chair of the Board for The Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Larry’s introduction to Joe McKenna, CEO of Sarasota Orchestra, the man responsible for executing the strategic direction of the Orchestra’s board and ensuing the organizations security, was perfect.  Joe may choose to be low key in a such a high profile town, but I for one think it’s very impressive that during his tenure the Orchestra’s endowment has increased more than $10 million dollars and his leadership has helped to make sure that Sarasota Orchestra's Youth Orchestra Program has been hailed as one of the most exemplary youth programs in the Southeast. As nationally acclaimed artistic staff, conductors and coaches have created a learning experience for the young musician that is unparalleled. Joe McKenna has helped put Sarasota on the map.

Recently, Sarasota Orchestra hosted a scrumptious brunch at Michael’s on The East for 300 of its loyal supporters. Bunny Skirboll and her co-chairs did a great job in creating an event where the food was divine, the entertainment great, and if you happened to notice a petite blonde dancing to the Sarasota Jazz Ensemble (to sway the guilt for gorging on so many goodies), it may very well have been me! I was lucky enough to sit with a philanthropist on one side and a corporate sponsor on the other, listening to their reasons for choosing to support the Sarasota Orchestra and giving me even greater insight into this much beloved organization.

Philanthropist Carolynne Smith: “I was introduced to classical music as a young girl in 7th grade and have been a fan ever since. On a trip to Italy, sponsored by the Sarasota Orchestra (then the Florida West Coast Symphony), I met many of the Orchestra's patrons. Maestro Leif Bjaland joined the group for 5 days and re-awakened my love of classical music. Upon returning to Sarasota, I learned more about the Orchestra and its mission, which prompted me to donate to the Orchestra on a regular basis. The Youth Program is a major part of this mission and under the baton of Dirk Meyer, our youth orchestra performed at Carnegie Hall.   They really are a marvel! If you go to any of their six performances in the spring, you will hear and see little ones almost as talented as the more seasoned older ones. The Sarasota Orchestra is a great gift to our community in so many ways, and getting involved has been a wonderful experience for me.”

Corporate Sponsor Matthew Bower (PNC Wealth Management): “For a significant portion of my life, I have been involved with wealth management. So seeing this world class product backed by such an exemplary solid business model that is headed up by such a trustworthy, capable, and responsible a leader as Joe McKenna made our decision very simple. As a company, we like to support what our clients support and we are involved in other cultural organizations as well. But personally, the magic I feel when I attend a performance of Sarasota Orchestra transforms me into another place.  I find it so enjoyable, I try not to miss a performance. In a town that has so many amazing cultural activities, Sarasota Orchestra consistently performs second to none.   It is truly our pleasure to help support their continual success.”