One of Our Favorite Days of the Year: National Philanthropy Day
On Thursday, November 9th, in the Rotunda of Overture Center for the Arts, more than 250 people gathered to celebrate charitable giving and philanthropic work in the greater Madison community.
The Greater Madison National Philanthropy Day Celebration brought together development professionals, corporate giving and business leaders, individual philanthropists, and people of (almost) all ages.
A resounding message of the luncheon echoed from speaker to speaker – that a love of humankind and the passion to make positive change pushes us all forward. No matter how small the gift is, there is a great impact to be made on the world we share.
This year, two individuals (John Ralston and Pete Lundberg) received a Lifetime Achievement award in recognition of their work and dedication to the causes they have championed. Whether they gave their time, their talent, their treasure, or all three, award recipients accepted their recognition with humility and appreciation for the impact each cause had on them in turn.
The Outstanding Fundraising Professional was awarded to Jenny Pressman, a fundraiser and leader both at the philanthropic and programmatic level. Her acceptance speech rang with love for humankind, compassion for the challenges faced both locally and globally, and appreciation for the love and life that brought her to the stand that day.
May we all go back out into the world with renewed commitment, encouragement, and hope for the future. And, a deeper love and appreciation for humankind.
