The Greater Dallas Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) brought together nonprofits, volunteers, funders, foundations, businesses and community members to honor some of Dallas’ finest
National Philanthropy Day is a special day set aside in November to recognize the great contributions of philanthropy—and those people active in the philanthropic community—to the enrichment of our world. More than 28,000 individuals celebrate this occasion each year through special awards luncheons organized by chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals across the globe.
The Greater Dallas Chapter of AFP, one of the first to begin celebrating National Philanthropy Day in 1981, held its 29th annual event on November 14, at the Hyatt Regency Dallas. They, along with presenting sponsor KERA, honored recipients in six categories. More than 500 attended the awards luncheon, themed “Imagine, Dream, Grow.” Luncheon Chair Christina Moore-Salinas, CFRE, and Co-Chair Sarah Elliott joined long-time master of ceremonies Scott Murray in presenting the awards.
A highlight of the annual luncheon is the presentation of the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy award. This year’s recipient, Charlsie Doan, age 13 and a student at Hockaday, was born with symbrachydactyly, a congenital hand disorder, and is missing her right hand. Nominated by Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children and sponsored by Hunt Consolidated, Inc., Doan became a patient of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital at the age of 6 months. At age 2, she and her family became involved with the hospital’s inaugural KidSwing Golf Tournament in 2003, and they have been faithfully involved ever since. To date she has raised over $167,000 for patient care. Additionally, she was instrumental in a gift of $500,000 to TSRHC from the Crystal Charity Ball. She spoke to the Crystal Charity Ball committee and as she played her violin, demonstrated how a custom prosthetic device allowed her to pursue her musical ambitions. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at age 11, Doan was chosen as a delegate for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) Children’s Congress, through which she has helped to promote government funding for research for a cure.
Katherine Perot Reeves was honored as the Outstanding Philanthropist, nominated by North Texas Food Bank and sponsored by Clarkson Davis. A passionate advocate for hunger-relief causes, Reeves personally donates to North Texas Food Bank’s programs and serves as an active board member, volunteer and tour guide of NTFB’s distribution center. She has twice chaired the organization’s letter-writing campaign, raising funds for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program, providing weekend food to more than 11,000 chronically hungry children. Since joining the board in 2011, her combined personal donations and fundraising efforts have exceeded $6 million. Reeves’ family’s legacy with NTFB began when her aunt, Bette Perot, helped NTFB founder Liz Minyard acquire warehouse space to launch the food bank’s operation in 1982. Bette Perot was in attendance at the luncheon along with parents Margot and Ross Perot, to whom she credits her “service heart.”
Michelle Riddell of Blue Cross Blue and Shield of Texas accepted the company’s award for Outstanding Corporation, nominated by the Caring for Children Foundation of Texas. For more than eight decades, the company has demonstrated that belief through funding programs that support organizations focused on underserved/underinsured Texans. Last year BCBSTX provided support to nearly 360 organizations, with over $6.2 million in corporate contributions. One of the company’s most longstanding philanthropic efforts is a mobile health outreach program called the Care Van® Program. More than 2 million children currently living in Texas go without immunizations due to costs or limited medical care access. Operated by the Caring for Children Foundation of Texas, a fleet of 10 mobile units travels into medically underserved areas providing vaccinations, dental screenings, and other health services. Celebrating 20 years, the organization has reached nearly 750,000 children and provided more than 1.1 million vaccines thanks to the support of BCBSTX.
Children’s Cancer Fund Board Chair Dana Williams accepted the award for Children’s Cancer Fund for Outstanding Foundation, nominated by Children’s Medical Center Foundation and sponsored by Children’s Medical Center. Children’s Cancer Fund (CCF) was founded in 1982 by a coalition of parents whose children were receiving cancer therapy at Children’s. Its mission is to advance pediatric treatment and prevention through research and improved clinical service. Partnering since its inception with Children’s Medical Center and UT Southwestern Medical Center, CCF has provided over $7 million in funding to these institutions over the past three decades. CCF’s two signature fundraising events, the Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show and the SBB Golf Classic, inspire others to take active leadership roles in the fight against pediatric cancer.
Chris Kleinert was named Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser, nominated by Methodist Health System Foundation and sponsored by Dini Spheris. Kleinert, president and CEO of Hunt Consolidated Investments, LLC, a subsidiary of Hunt Consolidated, Inc., is known for his board service and nonprofit commitments, most recently leading the successful fundraising campaign for Methodist Health System’s Bright ER Capital Campaign. Launched in 2012, this campaign was Methodist’s largest fundraising effort to date. Under Kleinert’s leadership, the campaign exceeded its goal by raising over $20 million including securing several gifts of over $1 million and important leadership gifts from many leading foundations as well as a broad base of first-time donors to Methodist.
The Outstanding Fundraising Executive Award was presented to Milton Key, nominated by John Roppolo. Key, vice president of development and executive director of the foundation for Presbyterian Communities and Services has more than 23 years of experience in advancing organizations through fundraising. In leadership positions or as an integral part of fundraising teams, Key has worked with donors whose contributions have totaled millions of dollars through annual gifts, major gifts, and planned gifts, toward campaigns and initiatives that have resulted in more than $300 million for higher education, children’s services, and healthcare. Key recently led a $38.6 million campaign for Faith Presbyterian Hospice to build the T. Boone Pickens Hospice and Palliative Care Center – Dallas’ first stand-alone community inpatient hospice center.
Additional sponsors include North Texas Food Bank, sponsor of the VIP Reception held prior to the luncheon.
"We were proud to present and pay tribute to these outstanding individuals and organizations that make a real difference in our community through their leadership, vision and generosity,” said National Philanthropy Day Chair Christina Moore-Salinas, CFRE. “This day serves as wonderful reminder that everyone can be a philanthropist - young to old, individuals to organizations—and that our contributions are wonderfully unique, but all extraordinary.”
For more information, visit afpdallas.org or contact Madeleine Crouch at 972-233-9107, ext. 204, afpchapteroffice@afpdallas.org.
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The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), an individual member association, advances philanthropy through advocacy, research, education, and certification programs. AFP members and affiliates enable people and organizations to better serve diverse communities and society as a whole. AFP represents 28,248 members in 172 chapters throughout the world. Visit afpdallas.org, call 214-354-8742, or email afpchapteroffice@afpdallas.org.