In keeping with our good news story theme, here are some stories you brought to my attention! Thank you for shining a light on these community jewels, and keep the accolades coming!
Peter Lundberg
Peter is applauded for hosting monthly dinners for groups of friends and acquaintances to “educate” and introduce them to hospice. No tough sales tactics — just stories of what it meant to care for a patient as a volunteer. Over the years, those stories have translated into more than $2 million in gifts to Agrace, a dollar amount augmented by generous financial gifts from Peter as well.
He also is generous with his time, volunteering for Madison Community Foundation and Madison Opera. Peter fundraises, with wife Jill, for Habitat for Humanity, Planned Parenthood, and other groups. He also helped establish the new downtown location for Madison Opera and is a “connector” for donors and worthy causes. In philanthropic circles, Peter Lundberg is perhaps best known for leading by example, which is the gold standard.
Lori Karst
This woman also makes a difference. With no prior event experience, in 2012 she took the reins as event chair to fundraise for a new educational program. Co-created by the Girl Scouts, the Madison fire and police departments, and Madison College, CampHERO teaches girls about careers in the protective services. By 2013, under her continued leadership, the event venue could no longer serve the burgeoning crowd of attendees, and so she found a new location. She thereby raised the proceeds from $8,400 the first year to $27,300 in 2013, while only inching up expenses from $2,300 to $2,600. This meant that 200 girls could participate in 2013, and the benefit to the community in the future is expected to be a higher rate of enrollment by women into protective services jobs.
Scouting isn’t her only passion. Lori also is very active with the Madison Curling Club, AIDS Network, and American Red Cross Blood Services. She organized the annual “9/11 Battle of the Badge” blood drive — a friendly competition between the police and fire departments. Also, for nine years she has been involved with ActRide, for which she’s personally raised about $10,000.
Katie Batterman
This lady donates considerable time to Dance Wisconsin, where, over the past eight years, she has volunteered and fundraised. She is credited with helping the organization maintain financial stability; improving communications between staff and dancers as well as volunteers and parents; and helping the organization better use other volunteers. During her 15 volunteer hours per week, Katie updates the website and Facebook, creates company newsletters, and submits articles to area media to create positive PR for dance. As a result, the school reports, it has been able to refocus staff and expand programming.
Katie also chairs Friends of Dance Wisconsin, working with the studio director and the board of directors, as well as other volunteers. Through that role, she oversees planning and execution of fundraising events such as garage sales, a charity golf outing, a National Dance Week event, and others. She is also involved as a member of the House Corporation Board, the entity that owns the Gamma Phi Beta sorority house, and she is a church volunteer for St. Bernard’s Parish, serving on the parish council as secretary and president.
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2013 National Philanthropy Day Awards
Here’s a group that also cares about good neighbor stories! The Association of Fundraising Professionals will host its 26th annual awards luncheon on Friday, Nov. 1 at the Overture Center for the Arts (mark your calendar!), showcasing several fundraising categories. Individuals, private companies, and nonprofits were nominated, and this will be your chance to meet the honorees.
Gordon Derzon will be formally honored that day in the category of “Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser.” Derzon serves on the boards of Agrace HospiceCare, Combat Blindness International, and Madison College Foundation, and he’s the development council chair for Access Community Health Centers. In the 13 years since retiring as president and CEO of the UW Hospital and Clinics, he’s been personally credited with fundraising millions of dollars for local nonprofit organizations.
One quick example of his influence and work: Of particular interest to Gordon is Combat Blindness International, which funds cataract surgeries worldwide and has helped more than 30,000 children suffering from malnutrition for as low a cost as $20 per patient. He has twice traveled to India, where he has witnessed the life-changing miracle of how sight can be immediately restored with surgery. Inspired, he helped secure a six-year commitment for $60,000 a year from Allergan, Inc., as well as a five-year, $250,000 private donation, and he continues to help the group annually raise $300,000 for operations.
Join me to meet more community-minded visionaries and philanthropists, including John and Coleen Flad, Martha Taylor, the people behind A Fund for Women, and all the wonderful philanthropic leaders who have been profiled in this series. All are an inspiration, and you’ll leave the luncheon with a smile on your face and a “thank you” in your heart.
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