The three donors interviewed for this article come from entirely different backgrounds and have pursued equally distinct paths in life. Yet they share a common commitment to supporting the organizations that have made a difference in their lives and/or their communities. We asked them how they came to believe in the importance of giving and what motivates them to continue—and increase—their support today.
Lee Michael Kennedy, President & CEO
Lee Kennedy Co., Inc.
Lee Michael Kennedy began working with Lee Kennedy Co., Inc. as a field laborer in 1980. Over 29 years, Mr. Kennedy rose through the ranks of the company, serving as estimator, project manager, senior project manager, project executive, vice president of administration and executive vice president before being named president in 2003 and CEO in 2007.
Mr. Kennedy plays a major role in driving the company’s philanthropic efforts. Some of the most notable of these charitable endeavors include construction of the South Boston Neighborhood House and South Boston Intervention Center and the construction management of the Paul R. McLaughlin Youth Center for the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, where he serves on the Board of Directors. Mr. Kennedy also serves on the Board of Directors for College Bound Dorchester and the Dorchester Neighborhood Charter School.
WG: Briefly describe where/how your sense of philanthropy developed?
LMK: Early in life, my father and mother always impressed upon me the importance of giving back and seeing that this part of their lives made a hugely positive impression on those around them. Then all through my life I continued to be impressed by those that gave for the right reasons. The ability to be altruistic and feel a real sense of responsibility toward humanity always impressed me. I saw it in people who had little to give as well as icons like [Bruce] Springsteen, but they were always people that did not boast and they had a full sense of what they were doing. They were not doing it for personal gain in any way.
WG: What motivated you to make your first gift to an organization? And why did you decide to then make your first major gift to this organization?
LMK: I don’t remember exactly the first instance but I do recall making a significant (for me at the time) gift to the Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester (previously named the Colonel Daniel Marr Boys & Girls Club). I felt both a connection to the mission and the Director, and it was providing a substantially positive influence in the neighborhood where our business was located.
WG: What are some of the guiding principles you use to make your philanthropic decisions?
LMK: Technically, it is mission and effectiveness, leadership (the people), location, and stability. Instinctively, it is quality of the people, the underdog value, and always the “human connection”
WG: If you could pass along a lesson in philanthropy to others, what would it be?
LMK: Giving; give if you really believe it will make a difference to those that are ultimately receiving the charity not because of the pull on the heart string. There are millions of causes and more than plenty deserving causes, but if the organization can not deliver your gift is in vain. Asking; it has to be personal and you have to make the human connection. These mass mailings, cold/warm calls, and e-mails are a complete joke for individual giving. My rule of thumb is that if you can’t call me to make the ask you don’t believe in it so why should I.
WG: In continuing your philanthropy with an organization, what is important to you? What do you expect from charitable organizations in which you are involved?
LMK: Maintaining all of the aforementioned qualities, sustainability. Be thoughtful about your “ask” expectations each year. Some people are involved in helping many organizations not just one.
WG: Of the organizations to which you give, which ones do the best job of sharing the significance and impact of your gifts? How so?
LMK: Boys & Girls Club of Dorchester, The Neighborhood House Charter School, College Bound Dorchester (previously named Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses, Inc.), and Duxbury Rural & Historical Society. All of these organizations have a leader that engages you and keeps you well informed, they keep up the “human connection”. I personally don’t have time or the patience to read the abundance of literature that all of the many organizations spend great amounts of money to send to me, but I don’t need to because they have engaged me personally.
WG: From your perspective, what are the three most important things an organization can do to sustain your philanthropic commitment?
LMK: Maintain the personal, human connection. It’s the only one that matters - you give to people you like and believe in, right?
WG: Of all the gifts you have given, which have provided you the most joy? How so?
LMK: I couldn’t distinguish one in that way. But all of them in sum help me feel more balanced, and that I am living up to the qualities of my father and mother who inspired me early, and to all of the others that give for the right reason. Very few people are familiar with Don Rodman from Boston or how much Bruce Springsteen has given away. But these two people from the most different of circumstances have probably given a larger percentage of their earnings away than anybody else in their category, and yet nobody knows that. They give for the most altruistic purpose.
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Stephen Robbins
Real Estate Consultant
Certified Distressed Property Expert (COPE)
Stephen Robbins graduated in 1980 from Franklin Pierce University, a small private liberal arts university located in rural Rindge, New Hampshire. Over the years, his evolving association with his alma mater has played a key role in his approach to philanthropy. And, though FPU hasn't built a "strong culture of giving" according to Mr. Robbins, the institution has clearly earned Mr.Robbins' loyalty and generosity, as he explains below.
WG: Briefly describe where and how your sense of philanthropy developed?
SR: It developed from my parents. We didn't have a lot of money but we were always very involved in the community. My mother in particular saw it as something fun to do and an outlet for her. She raised seven children, cared for her ailing parents until their deaths, and worked fulltime outside of the home.
WG: What motivated you to make your first gift to an organization? And why did you decide to then make your first major gift to this organization?
SR: Franklin Pierce is the number one recipient of my support. I had always given $15, $20, or $100. Over the years, I became very good friends with the President emeritus, and I am still very close to my core group of friends there. One of the first people I met at FPU is still a friend. Eventually, I was asked to run for the alumni board and I was elected!
I was on the Board for 3 years. As President of the Alumni Board I was automatically appointed to the Board of Trustees. I have been a Trustee for nine years and Chairman of the Executive Committee for seven years. I want to make sure that the institution is there long term. I made my first Capital Campaign gift of $15,000 in an effort to help raise the bar among
alumni on the need to give to the University. I give elsewhere in small amounts. Somebody has to give, and there are people who can't afford to give. So who is going to do it? It makes me feel good.
WG: What are some of the guiding principles you use to make your philanthropic decisions?
SR: I have to believe in the mission. That is foremost. In Roanoke, Virginia I was on the opera board, which had huge outreach to children. Here in Atlanta I am involved in the Atlanta Gay Men's Chorus. I believe in the mission of the Chorus. I want what I do to be meaningful.
WG: If you could pass along a lesson in philanthropy to others, what would it be?
SR: It's really important for the long term health of the university. The endowment is down to about eight million. To give back to make sure that the university can sustain itself. Select an organization that needs you. I would rather have young people get in on the ground level of a fledging organization and help it grow.
WG: In continuing your philanthropy with an organization, what is important to you? What do you expect from charitable organizations in which you are involved?
SR: I don't expect a lot. I am not one of those who need a lot of personal attention. I just expect to be listened to, to be respected, and to feel a part of the overall mission of the organization. At FPU my opinion is highly regarded. [I have helped set] goals and objectives and am pleased to have been a guiding force in making those things happen.
WG: Of the organizations to which you give, which ones do the best job in sharing the significance and impact of your gifts? How so?
SR: I don't think we [at FPU] do a good job of this. The best known is the Presidents Council because it goes to scholarships. We really haven't had many gifts that we can brag about. It has been just a handful of alums that give $250 or more. And it's the same people who keep giving. I've endowed a scholarship. There was a board challenge based on my gift. I don't think anyone knows about those things. We don't have a particularly strong culture of giving at FPU. This is something we need to work on.
WG: From your perspective, what are the three most important things an organization can do to sustain your philanthropic commitment?
SR:
a. The institution needs to be true to its mission
b. They must be well managed
c. They must embrace diversity in all that they do.
WG: Of all the gifts you have given, which have provided you the most joy? How so?
SR: Giving to FPU gives me a feeling of happiness. Giving is a warm feeling, akin to love. The scholarship that my partner and I endowed is a tribute to my parents who helped make me the person I am today.
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Mim Farmakis
Board of Trustees
Hollins University, Roanoke, VA
Mrs. Farmakis is a 1967 graduate, BA, from Hollins University (then Hollins College). She left fashion journalism and promotion upon marriage and has been involved in volunteer work and philanthropy since. Currently she is a member of Hollins' board of trustees. Her story reflects a traditional path of starting out by giving what she could to her alma mater as a young graduate. She credits the University with recognizing her commitment and working to nurture the relationship over time. Mrs. Farmakis expects high standards and a clear sense of mission from Hollins, as well as from any organization which she might support. In return, she is thrilled by the opportunity to make a difference.
WG: Briefly describe where/how your sense of philanthropy developed?
MF: As I child, I was taught to value others. Though my family was very generous with each other, this generosity didn’t often extend beyond the family. It was our feeling that charity is very often an expression of pity rather than one of respect for the person receiving the charity. Therefore my giving usually stems from love for a person and respect and admiration for an institution.
WG: What motivated you to make your first gift to an organization? And then why did you decide to make your first major gift to this organization?
MF: My first gift was to my alma mater, Hollins University [in Roanoke, Virginia]. During my first year after graduation, I received a letter describing their annual fund. I felt great good will toward Hollins; I’d been happy there. My check was a very, very small one, but I thought that if many alums stepped forward, together we would be helpful. As the years passed, I continued to give what I could. Years later I learned about a piece of equipment which Hollins needed and which I realized that my husband and I could help buy. As Hollins was just then starting a major campaign we recognized that our gift could give the campaign a bit of a boost right at the start.
WG: What are some of the guiding principles you use to make your philanthropic decisions?
MF: Love, respect and admiration for the mission motivate me. Guilt doesn’t inspire me. Fear doesn’t goad me either. “Give back” is an overused expression which I don’t really understand. Give back to what exactly? Furthermore, any money I give or volunteer effort I make has to help satisfy a need and has to be directed to that purpose.
WG: If you could pass along a lesson in philanthropy to others, what would it be?
MF: The recipients must be diligent and very forward about their mission and their goals. Their terminology has to be clearly defined, so that donors can understand what it is. In the home children should be encouraged to give to others. Everyone has some sort of abundance to share. The physically adept can teach swimming to someone less able. Those who are academically strong can tutor someone who is struggling academically. Giving is a lifelong learning experience.
WG: In continuing your philanthropy with an organization, what is important to you? What do you expect from organizations with which you are involved?
MF: My money and my volunteer efforts should be used for a specific purpose or to promote the organization’s mission. Then I need to know the outcome. Was the goal met? Was the equipment purchased?
Finally donors need to be acknowledged. A letter, a phone call or even an informative mass mailing does the job. However expressed, a thank-you is a respectful gesture. At the least it recognizes the donor’s existence. It can begin and ideally will help foster good relations which might then have the potential to grow. For some reason (my age?), email thank-you’s seem to lack spirit. I might try and update my attitude. As stated earlier, giving is a lifelong learning experience!
WG: Of the organizations to which you give, which ones do the best job in sharing the significance and impact of your gifts? How so?
MF: Hollins University does, hands down. I greatly admire the poise of the development staff there who, very wisely, keep contributors up to date on events and progress. Decades ago, someone in the development office noticed that my little checks were regular and gradually getting larger. At some point someone from Hollins who was planning to visit New York called me to make an appointment for lunch. Over time personal relationships were established and maintained in spite of personnel changes. Eventually I was asked to serve on the alumni board and, more recently, on the board of trustees. So by now, I feel that I’m working in the trenches with buddies, with pals. This is relationship building at its best! Hollins happens to be blessed with a president, Nancy Gray, and senior staff who are inspiring, hard working and passionate. They are true leaders.
WG: From your perspective, what are the three most important things an organization can do to sustain your philanthropic commitment?
a. Keep me informed. What are their hopes and projects?
b. Maintain the mission. Make sure all donors understand and believe in it.
c. Keep up the personal contact. This is skilled and time consuming work and is a must.
WG: Of all the gifts you have given, which have provided you the most joy? How so?
MF: Two gifts have given me great joy: the first was a donation of gym equipment given to the Boys Club of Manhattan. After it was installed up on the roof of the clubhouse, my husband Tom and I were invited to take a look. This was the first time that a big organization had thanked us in such a personal and surprising way. The second gift with an equally joyful outcome was an energy-efficient boiler which Tom and I bought for Hollins. The old equipment was staggering along and could have been patched up. But the vice president of finance and administration at that time, Richard Alvarez, made it plain that buying something new would pay off over time. This appealed to us, practical souls that we are. Richard was so excited at the prospect of having a new boiler! After it had been installed—round and cerulean blue!—he talked about it and showed it off as if he had been its proud grandparent!
