givingcity austin winter 2012

Winter 2012 1

AFTER THE

BASTROP

WILDFIRES,

WHERE DID

ALL THE

MONEY GO?

BOB SCHNEIDER The Austin rocker organized a benefit concert for Texas wildfire relief

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2 GivingCityAustin.com

“Just to help others in need.”

“Just having a heart inspires me to give.”

“Giving is a response

to the blessings I enjoy.”

“Everybody needs help sometimes.”

“I know what it is like to need help.

I want others to have the same resources I have had.”

Why

childrensaustin.orgsetonhaysfoundation.org

setonwilliamsonfdn.orgsetonfund.org

Inspiring Donors • Building Endowments • Engaging Volunteers

Give online

We hope these words from our donors inspire you to give!

doGive?YoU

“Just to help others in need.”

“Just having a heart inspires me to give.”

“Giving is a response

to the blessings I enjoy.”

“Everybody needs help sometimes.”

“I know what it is like to need help.

I want others to have the same resources I have had.”

Why

childrensaustin.orgsetonhaysfoundation.org

setonwilliamsonfdn.orgsetonfund.org

Inspiring Donors • Building Endowments • Engaging Volunteers

Give online

We hope these words from our donors inspire you to give!

doGive?YoU

Winter 2012Issue 10

Editor-in-ChiefMonica M. Williams

Managing EditorSun Connor

DesignDJ StoutCarla RogersPentagram Design

Advertising DirectorAngela [email protected]

Events DirectorNarissa Johnson

ContributorsMartha CollinsSun ConnorKate HarringtonMatt MahonJoel Salcido

Shelley Seale

Erin Trieb

Sarah Wilson

GivingCity Austin is available online. To request print copies, please call 472-4483. 2012 Copyright GivingCity Austin. No part of this document may be reproduced without permission.

5 EDITOR’S LETTER

6 BRIEFSHighlights from last season including100 Homes, the opera, poverty stats, and a cow auction

8 HAPPENING NOWGet involved with “Rocket Science”, SXSW, Alamo Drafthouse and Latinitas

28 GIVE BETTERPlan a great event, connect with lawyers, understand collabo-rations, navigate pet charities, learn from Mary Margaret Farabee

33 DIRECTORYAustin businesses giving back

17 WHERE DID ALL THE MONEY GO?Bastrop’s recovery from the wildfire won’t be financed by donations. Five thousand people displaced from their homes are learning how philanthropy really works.

26 HOW TO HELP RETURNING SOLDIERSStatistics show Iraq War veterans are prone to depression, addiction and suicide. See which local nonprofits are helping soldiers come home.

G I V I N GC I T YA U S T I N

DEPARTMENTS

G I V I N G C O N T E N T S

FEATURES

COVER STORY

Winter 2012 3

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Cover photo by Matt Mahon

Winter 2012 5

The 10th issue of GivingCity Austin marks a major growth spurt for the magazine.

First and foremost, you’ll notice our new look. I’m thrilled to be in the good hands of some-one who is arguably one of the most talented and expert art directors in the country, DJ Stout of Pentagram. DJ and his colleague at Pentagram, Carla Rogers, have not only elevated content about philanthropy to a new level, they’ve been patient and generous with their time and tal-ent. We look forward to your feedback about our new look.

Torquil Dewar, our co-founder and art director, could not have been a better partner in launching this maga-zine, and I know many of you loved his work. Lots of people do. In fact, last year so many people loved his work that he became much too busy to handle GivingCity anymore. I’m happy for his success, but I will miss the 3 a.m. closings.

When we started in 2007, we hoped someday to be as useful to adver-tisers as we would be to readers. Because this is the only magazine that targets Central Texans who step up and get involved, we knew we could grow enough to offer local businesses an

opportunity to share their involvement in the com-munity, too. We’re happy to connect more of those businesses with our readers with every issue.

For just over a year now, GivingCity has been a project of the Austin Community Founda-tion, and we could not have a better home. The foundation’s support and the platform it offers GivingCity mean we can bring readers information they won’t get anywhere else about how local philanthropy works. Thanks to ACF, we continue to grow.

When I started the magazine in 2007, my mission was to under-stand and explain how local philanthropy works. In doing that, I’d hoped to find for myself and others an entry point to local giving. For me, the magazine itself became my role, and I’m having a great time learning and helping promote a cul-ture of philanthropy in Austin. I hope GivingCity helps you find your place in local giving, too.

I can’t wait to hear your ideas and feedback. Write to me at [email protected] or visit us on Facebook or GivingCityAustin.com.

MONICAEditor-in-Chief

WE’RE GROWING

Inside the Redesign

DJ Stout and Pentagram have a history of projects that focus on social issues. In 2009, we did a story about his edition for the Penta-gram Papers series called “Signs,” which explores the graphic qualities of home-less street signs. “I feel a deep connection with social issues like homelessness,” says Stout, “and it feels great to use my design skills to be a part of the solution.”

We knew we

could grow

enough to offer

local businesses

an opportunity

to share their

involvement in

the community.

EDITOR’S LETTER

G I V I N G I T B A C K

AFTER THE

BASTROP

WILDFIRES,

WHERE DID

ALL THE

MONEY GO?

BOB SCHNEIDER The Austin rocker organized a benefit concert for Texas wildfire relief

GI

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TY

AU

ST

IN


ARTS AND CULTUREDISASTER RELIEF

G I V I N G N E W S

POVERTY/BASIC NEEDS

Update

Opera Town Last year, we learned that the Austin Lyric Opera’s $2 million deficit led the board to make serious decisions about its next season.

So far the turnaround plan is working, says Kevin Smith, interim director. He says the ALO is doing everything right. “I give the board a lot of credit for that.”

Among the austerity mea-sures: a “silver anniversary” fundraising campaign is on track to reach its $3 million goal by the spring, and the sale of the ALO facility may be wrapped up by the time you read this. The Armstrong Music School, housed in that facility and under the ALO umbrella, will separate and “be in a better place than it had been,” says Smith. ALO also will produce four operas this season, but reduce the number of performances from four to three.

So far seats are filling up and costs are coming down. Even subscriptions are up from 2,500 to 3,000 this season.

“Austin is an opera town,” says Smith. An (over)educated demographic is more important to opera than high net worth, and Austin is far enough away from other urban centers that it needs its own arts community.

“Opera is big and complex and demanding. It’s building sets, making costumes, sing-ing in the chorus, the acting, the staging, the orchestra.... And you can’t import all your talent. So an opera company is a reflection of what a community can ac-complish in terms of its own artistic resources.”

Learn more at austinlyricopera.org

In September last year, local musicians Eric John-

son and Ray Benson had the same idea: To organize

a concert to benefit Central Texas wildfire victims.

While they came up with the idea separately, the

good news is they decided to join forces. ¶ Together

they pulled in the big talent and big organizations

to produce what is probably the biggest fundraising

concert in Austin, ever. ¶ On October 18, about 15,000

crowded the Erwin Center for the show of a lifetime.

The concert surpassed its goal of half a million dol-

lars, raising about $725,000 from ticket sales, spon-

sorships, auction items and more.

Learn more at austincommunityfoundation.org

A BIG CONCERTHard TimesThe news from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2009 survey shows just how bad that year was.

Poor in Austin

18% of Austinites lived in poverty

27% of children under 18 live in poverty

31.5% of children under five lived in poverty

Most likely to be poor in Austin

29.5% of Hispanics were poor

22.3% of African- Americans were poor

11.4% of non-Hispanic whites were poor

8.6% of Asians were poor

More working poor

35% in Travis County con-sidered “working poor”

46% of children under 18 living in working poor household in Travis County

50% of children under 18 living in working poor house-hold in Austin

(Working Poor Threshold: $44,000 annual household income for families of four with two children)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and Center

for Public Policy Priorities

Learn more at caction.org

Willie and Turk Pipkin take the stage for wildfire recovery. MA

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Winter 2012 7

HOMELESSNESS

HEARD AT

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CHILDREN’S SERVICES

“Philanthropy

isn’t about money.

It has never been

about money. …

It’s about using

your energy to

affect change.”

KATHY LEMAY, Founder of Raising Change, which helps organizations raise capital for advocacy

“I walk in with a

stronger weapon

if I can document

that I have a plan

for us to be sus-

tainable. That we

can pay our bills.

That we’re not

constantly going

to come begging.”

EVAN SMITH, CEO and editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune, a nonprofit news service

Overheard

Texas Nonprofit Summit

Following a record-breaking live auction of 40 of

the famous Austin Art Cows, Milton Verret pre-

sented a check for $1 million to the Superhero Kids

Endowment at Dell Children’s Medical Center. Ver-

ret was the top sponsor of the 2011 CowParade

Austin. ¶ Superhero Kids Endowment has provided

support and helped cover essential quality of life

costs for patients and their families at the Chil-

dren’s Blood and Cancer Center of Central Texas.

More than 200 patients and their families have

been helped by Superhero Kids donations; funds

have provided food for families, transportation,

school supplies and a college scholarship.

Learn more at cowparadeaustin.com

CASHCOWS

100 HomesNew campaign targets the most vulnerable

This past November, teams of volunteers surveyed the homeless population and created a database of 289 of the city’s most vulnerable homeless people.

It’s all part of Austin’s new 100 Homes Campaign (www.100homesaustin.org), which partners with home-less advocacy organizations to provide permanent hous-ing and support for those most at risk for dying on the streets.

Austin’s ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition) conducts a home-less count annually to assess the need in our community, but this count was different.

“The 100 Homes Campaign targets long-term, chronical-ly homeless individuals and prioritizes them by medical condition,” said Jessie Aric, 100 Homes Coordinator.

Forty-seven percent of those 289 were assessed as at-risk of dying within five years if they remain home-less. So the campaign is also raising funds to provide medical services once the individuals are in housing.

Austin’s campaign is part of the national 100,000 Homes Campaign led by the Ending Community Home-lessness Coalition.

Learn more at 100HomesAustin.org

“Musicowly Speaking,” one of

60 fiberglass art cows auctioned

at the Nov. 13 event.


NONPROFITS WANTED AT SXSWNonprofits need bleeding-edge solutions, too. Hugh Forrest, event

director of SXSW Interactive, says its “Greater Good” sessions were

designed with you in mind.

GC: Has there always been a “Greater Good” campus part of Interactive? HF: We have always had lots of panel program-ming related to non-profits and socially-conscious activities. We feel that this kind of programming is an es-sential part of the SXSW Interactive experience and that some of the most exciting innovations in the digital world are happening in this space.

Why are nonprofits es-pecially good audiences for the type of content at SXSW Interactive?Like many other kinds of organizations, nonprof-

its are looking to adopt digital solutions that will allow them to become much more efficient at what they do. On an even more basic level, we hope that the creative minds at the festival will inspire nonprofits to think about their day-to-day approach in completely new ways.

Are these nonprofit sessions popular?Yes. But, SXSW Interac-tive is all about creativ-ity and innovation. SXSW registrants who work in the nonprofit world are likely to attend a pre-sentation from a speak-er from the for-profit

The Power of Tax ReturnsMore than 700 volunteers will help 20,000 families complete their 2011 tax returns through Foundation Communities Community Tax Center. Last year the program helped 17,000 families —who had an average income of $18,000 a year—get back $30 million in refunds.

But why would anyone volunteer to do for someone else what most of us dread doing for ourselves? Here’s what one tax center volun-teer had to say:

“There was an Ethiopian mother of two. Her husband had been able to immigrate but she wasn’t able to get that status and was working as a nurse.

“When I pulled up her return, she looked at the screen and saw this number of the return she was going to get and it just choked us both up. And she said, ‘Oh my good-ness now I can go visit my husband.’”

The Tax Center opens on January 13.

Learn more at foundcom.org

world—if this speaker is particularly inspiring. Likewise, SXSW regis-trants who work in the for-profit world are likely to attend a presenta-tion from a particularly inspiring speaker from the nonprofit world. At SXSW, the specific focus of the content is less important than the creativity and innovation that drives this content.

A SXSW Interactive badge is $850 after Jan. 13. Can you make a case for why it’s worth it for a nonprofit professional to attend? As compared to other similar new media events, we think that the SXSW Interactive Festival is priced very inexpensively. To this end, we feel that the content and connec-tions an attendee can gain from the event is a great value for the money. Moreover, for people who can’t afford the registration price, there are various op-tions to attend at a much lower cost (ranging from the non-profit scholarship contest to SXSW volunteer opportunities).

Learn more at sxsw.com/interactive

Q&A COMMUNITY SERVICES

G I V I N G I N A C T I O N

Winter 2012 9

Purchase a wristband for a minimum of $1 February 3 - February 12. Receive a 10% discount on all prepared beverages February 3 - February 29.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf ® supports Wonders & Worries

221 S. Lamar Blvd. • 38th & N. Lamar Blvd. • 41st & Red RiverThe Domain • 24th & Guadalupe • 183 & Anderson Mill Rd.W. Slaughter Lane & S. Mopac

Helping children cope during family health crisis.

Offer valid only at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® retail locations in Austin, Texas. Valid only between February 3 through February 29, 2012. Offer applies to prepared beverages, not valid on any packaged food items or bottled beverages. Cannot be combined with other offers. While supplies last.

coffeebeanaustin.com • wondersandworries.org

11-CBT-138 Wonders and Worries_v2.indd 1 1/4/12 9:53 AM

Would you buy a T-shirt for your daughter that read “I’m too pretty to do homework so my brother does it for me” on the front? What about one that read “Allergic to Algebra?”

Last year, you could buy those shirts from retail giants JCPenney and Forever 21.This summer, however, they were forced to stop selling the shirts after Change.org collected 1,600 signatures renouncing the message.

Austin’s Girlstart went even further and created two new shirts for their members. The Girlstart T-shirts— It’s Just Rocket Science” and “We Put the Sparkle in STEM”—are available to donors.

“We appreciate that people took a stand and spoke out against retailers who perpetuated negative stereotypes about girls,” said Tamara Hudgins, Girlstart’s executive director. “We felt it was important for us to offer everyone who sup-ports STEM education for girls the chance to proudly spread a positive message about what girls can do.”

Girlstart’s programs serve more than 500 girls in 21 schools across Central Texas, with more schools to be added in Fall 2012. In fact, a recent study conducted by SEDL declared GirlStart to have the widest reach in STEM education of any after-school program in the nation.

Learn more at girlstart.org

Too Smart for Your T-Shirt

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What Will Save Philanthropy?Kate Robinson thinks she knows. And she teamed up with her brother, filmmaker Robby Robinson, to tell us.

In a word, what Kate Robin-son thinks will save philan-thropy is metrics. And maybe we’ve all heard that before, that nonprofits should mea-sure their outcomes.

But Robinson says the message in her film, “Saving Philanthropy,” is different.

“This isn’t just a recom-mendation that gives you no direction for actually implementing a process,” says Robinson. “We set out to determine how exactly cer-tain organizations measure progress toward their goals and we profile organizations that do it well, getting into the nitty-gritty of how they do it.”

Robinson’s background in nonprofits compelled her to research this issue and led to her enlisting her brother to make this film. “It’s not enough to be ambitious, hard working and earnest in ones efforts to change peoples’ lives,” says Robinson, “it takes dedication not only to tracking progress but also to assessing, beyond intuition, which efforts are effective and which are not. The film shows that this can be done,” says Robinson.

Robinson will host a screening of “Saving Philan-thropy” along with a half-day workshop on measuring outcomes on Feb. 14. Seating is limited.

Learn more at SavingPhilanthropy.org

Viva Las Latinitas! Celebrating 10 years of giving Latina girls a voice.

In 2002, Latinitas was a homework assignment for two graduate journalism students. But it was also a dream. Now 10 years later, co-founder Laura Donnelly Gonzalez (below with co-founder Alicia Rascon) reflects on the journey that changed her life—and changed the lives of hun-dreds of Austin Latina girls.

“ What keeps us going is the fact that young Latinas face some daunting statis-tics—the highest teen preg-nancy rates, school drop-outs, drug abuse, suicides—and yet we barely hear about it in mainstream media.

“Some of these girls are literally living in the shadows as undocumented kids or the only English speaker in the house, handling serious issues for their parents such as bill-paying and reading complex things such as pay-ment forms at the hospital.”

“The reality is that most people are not asking Latina girls what they need, what they want, how they want to be portrayed in media and what kind of help they need getting to their goals. We do that daily. That’s our mission.”

Learn more at laslatinitas.com

NEW ZACH You’d be amazed to see what’s been happening

behind the fence on Lamar at Lady Bird Lake. The

new ZACH Theatre campus is the regional theatre

Austin’s been waiting for...but we’ll have to wait until

it opens in September 2012 to enjoy it. ¶ The new

Topfer Theatre will double the seating of the current

theatre at ZACH to 420 and will include the Karen

Kuykendall Stage, three and a half times larger than

ZACH’s current stage; a fly tower for lifting things off

the stage; and a fully equipped backstage with larger

dressing rooms and green room. ¶ On a recent tour

of the construction site, Mort Topfer, a major donor to

the build, was spotted in a hard hat and safety vest.

“We’re just as thrilled as we can be,” says Mort Topfer

of his and his wife Bobbi’s involvement.

Learn more at ZACHTheatre.org


CHILDREN’S SERVICES ARTS AND CULTURE

Winter 2012 11

Star sponsor

PlatinumBill Dickson •

GoldButler nonprofit consulting • corcoran & co.• silicon laBoratories • south texas Money ManageMent, ltD • topfer faMily founDation • cerqa printing* • syBil slate Designs*

in kind*

Michael & susan Dell founDation

Silver

Jeff & Deanna SerraOutstanding Philanthropists

National InstrumentsOutstanding Philanthropic Corporation - Large

Give Realty, Inc.Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation - Small / Medium

Lew AldridgeOutstanding Volunteer Fundraiser

The Junior League of AustinOutstanding Philanthropic Organization

Lisa Lee, CFRE, Austin Children’s MuseumOutstanding Fundraising Professional

Sandra MartinSpecial Recognition

Mark HarrisKelly Davidson Memorial Outstanding Philanthropic Youth

Congratulations 2012 Award Honorees!

2012February 9, 2012 www.afpaustin.org


BUSINESSES GIVING BACK

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Winter 2012 13

HOW ALAMO GIVES NOWAlways generous, Alamo Drafthouse now has a system for community giving,

and Amy Averett’s in charge.

When rattlesnakes and live explosions are part of your business, it’s not hard to get noticed in the community. But as Alamo Drafthouse’s profile grew, so did re-quests for donations.

Not that its execu-tives mind. Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO, is a firm believer in community involve-ment. But until this past summer, Alamo had no system for responding to these requests. That’s where Amy Averett came in.

True to Alamo’s cul-ture, Averett isn’t afraid to take some risks. In fact, she created the position she now holds with Alamo Draft-house, and pitched it to League. She’s been the community relations coordinator for the company since June 2011, and in that time has helped cre-ate a system that all the Alamo Drafthouse locations can use when requests come in.

Part of that is an online donation form, found on the Alamo Drafthouse website, which helps or-ganize requests. Averett is also able to act as a point person and help each location coordinate events or donations.

“We donate a lot of goods and services throughout the year and try to stay involved in a lot of charities,” says League. “Unfortunately, when our time gets stretched too thin, com-munity involvement can get pushed to the back burner. Having Amy on-board helps us to focus our charitable priorities as a company.”

As the company expands to new loca-tions, it’s increasingly important to establish a coordinated model for community involvement.

Averett finds that creating that system has also allowed Alamo Drafthouse to make the events and partnerships it’s involved with work in a big way. With the structure in place, the company can focus on using creative capital in its community work.

Alamo Drafthouse recently worked with the Ending Commu-nity Homelessness Coalition for its annual Hunger & Homeless-ness Awareness Week, screening a documen-tary about the Art From the Streets art sale with a question and answer session. But the work didn’t stop there: Alamo Drafthouse

also had Art From the Streets artwork there for sale, and promoted the art sale through social media.

Alamo Drafthouse also created a series of activities over the course of the current school year for Travis High School’s Culinary Arts program. Students there toured the South Lamar kitchen, met with the company’s executive chef, made Alamo Drafthouse reci-pes with the tutelage of its chefs, and later this year will do mock job interviews and have a chance to do their own cooking evaluations of a meal prepared spe-cially for them.

Averett says that while Alamo Drafthouse is known for its creativ-ity, there’s no reason other companies that want to be effective givers or community partners can’t pack as much of a punch when it comes to giving back.

“I think if you approach it from place of ‘what do we do better than any-one else, and what do we offer that’s truly unique?’ that’s powerful,” Averett says. “You’re aligning your philanthropic work with the priorities of your business.”

Amy Averett (opposite)

convinced her friend Tim

League that Alamo needed

her. Now she’s having fun

leading Alamo’s philanthropy.

JANUARY 15

Nonprofit Film Frenzy

Ten nonprofits and 10 film-makers team up to race against the clock and create films about their cause— in just 48 hours.

The Reel Change Film Frenzy kicks off at noon on Friday, Jan. 13, with final films being screened on Sun-day at noon at the Alamo Drafthouse on South Lamar. Film teams are eligible for up to $500 cash and Alamo Drafthouse tickets.

Watch CASA of Travis County, Sustainable Food Center, The Wine and Food Foundation of Texas, Texas Roller Girls, Multicultural Refugee Coalition, Theatre Action Project, Badgerdog Literary Publishing, Austin Pets Alive, Austin Bat Cave and Whole Planet Founda-tion compete on film!

For tickets to Sunday’s show, go to

AlamoDrafthouse.com.

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MARCH 2

Hot Ticket: Austin Under 40 AwardsThe Austin Under 40 Awards attracts the brightest young professionals every year, and this year’s event at the Austin Music Hall likely will be another glamorous, sold-out evening.

But at its core is the gen-erosity of two organizations, the Young Men’s Business League of Austin and the Young Women’s Alliance, which raise money for their shared mission: to help Austin kids.

In its 15 years, AU40 has raised more than $330,000 for Austin Sunshine Camps, which hosts about 1,000 children each summer, most of whom would otherwise never attend a camp. But it’s also raised money for YWA’s scholarship funds, which are granted to young women in high school and college for higher education. “This is a true community event in which the benefits and recognition stay in Austin,” says Crystal Pharr, AU40 vice president.

Learn more at Austinunder40.org

Both Austin Sunshine Camps and

YWA Foundation are growing, in-

creasing the number of children and

youth they serve in Central Texas.



JANUARY13-14 Reel Change Film Frenzy. Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar. Benefitting winning charities. lightscamerahelp.org

13-14 Austin Symphony. Long Center for the Performing Arts.austinsymphony.org

13 Hill Country Ride for AIDS 2012 Kick-Off Party. 6:30-8:30pm at Austin Music Hall. Benefitting Hill Country Ride for AIDS. hillcountry.org

15 Johnson Bentsen Richards Dinner. 7pm at Four Seasons Hotel. Benefitting the Travis County Democratic Party. TxDemocrats.org

16 MLK Day of Service. Vol-unteer opportunities across Austin. handsoncentraltexas.org

19-29 Sip and Savor. Benefit-ting The Wine & Food Founda-tion of Texas. sipandsavoraustin.com

21 Kids Got Talent Galaat Westin Domain. Benefitting Center Stage Texas’ program-ming for youth in Austin. centerstagetexas.com

25 EPIC Happy Hour. Delta Mill-works. Benefitting Hill Country Conservancy. HillCountryConservancy.org

26-28 The Blind Café: Dinner, Benefit and a Concert in Com-plete DARKNESS! 6:45-9:30pm at University Ave. Church of Christ. Benefitting The BELL Program. blindcafe.com

28 Dell Children’s Gala 2012. 6pm at Austin Convention Cen-ter. Benefitting Dell Children’s Medical Center of Central Texas. childrensaustin.org

31 ACF The Power of Video. 9 - 11 am at Austin Community Foundation. AustinCF.org

FEBRUARY4 Austin Modern Home Tour. 11am-6pm at Various Loca-tions. modernhometouraustin.com

4 St. Gabriel’s Catholic School Red Carpet Affair. 6:30pm at Bob Bullock Texas State

History Museum. Benefitting St. Gabriel’s Catholic School. sgs-austin.org

4 Carnaval Brasileiro. 9-10pm at Palmer Events Center.sambaparty.com

6-10 Austin Beauty Week. Various Locations. Benefitting American Heart Association- Austin. austinbeautyweek.com

7 2012 Put Kids 1st Awards Luncheon. Benefitting Texans for Children. txchildren.org

10-12 Austin Symphony Pop Series: Natalie Cole. 8pm at Long Center for the Performing Arts. austinsymphony.org

10 Beyond Batten Disease Foundation Gala. 9pm at ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Benefitting Batten Disease Foundation. beyondbatten.org

11 CASAblanca Gala. 6pm at Hyatt Regency Austin. Benefit-ting CASA of Travis County.casatravis.org

11 HRC Austin Dinner. 6pm at Four Seasons Hotel Austin. Benefitting Human Rights Campaign. hrc.org

11 Rodeo Austin Gala. 6-10pm at Palmer Events Center. Benefitting Rodeo Austin. rodeoaustin.com

11 Guitars Under the Stars. 6:30-7:30pm at One World Theatre. Benefitting Austin Classical Guitar Society.austinclassicalguitar.org

18 Deal for a Cure. 6pm-12am at UT Alumni Center. Benefitting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. jdrf.org

18 2nd Annual CharityBash Masquerade Ball. 8pm at The Mansion. Benefitting Capital Area Food Bank.charitybashmasquerade-eorg.eventbrite.com

19 Spring Swing. 5-6pm. Proceeds directly support St. Stephen’s commitment to excellence in education and financial aid. sstx.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=22&Itemid=34

23 KLRU 50th Anniversaryat ACL Live at the Moody Theater. Benefitting KLRU, Austin’s PBS. klru.org

25 2012 Eanes City Limits Gala. Renaissance Austin Hotel. Benefitting Eanes Education Foundation.eaneseducationfoundation.org

25 Fine Wine Dinner and Auction. Four Seasons Hotel. Benefitting Austin Lyric Operaaustinlyricopera.com

28 ACF Telling Your Story on Video. 9 - 11 am at Austin Community Foundation. AustinCF.org

MARCH1 Texas Independence Day Gala. 6pm at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. Benefitting Texas State History Museum Foundation. thestoryoftexas.com

2 14th Annual Austin Under 40 Awards. Austin Music Hall. Benefitting Austin Sunshine Camps & YWA Foundation.austinunder40.org

2-3 Austin Symphony. Long Center for the Performing Arts.austinsymphony.org

3 Viva Las Vegas. 8 - 11:30 pm at Austin Music Hall. Benefit-ting AIDS Services of Austin.asaustin.org

9-24 Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo. Various Locations. Benefitting Rodeo Austin.rodeoaustin.com

9-17 SXSW Film. Downtown Austin Various Locations.sxsw.com

9-13 SXSW Interactive. Down-town Austin Various Locations.sxsw.com

9-11 Austin Symphony Pop Series: Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel. 8pm at Long Center for the Performing Arts. austinsymphony.org

13-18 SXSW Music. Downtown Austin Various Locations.sxsw.com

24 Big Hair Country Fair. 7-11pm at Salt Lick Pavilion. Benefitting Theatre Action Project. theatreactionproject.org

25 The Nobility Project Artists and Filmmakers Dinner. 6pm at Four Seasons Hotel Austinnobelity.org

26-30 RISE Week. Entrepre-neur education across Austin. riseglobal.org

27 ACF Make That Video. 9 - 11 am at Austin Community Foundation. AustinCF.org

30-Apr 1 Austin Food & Wine Festival. Various Locations. Benefitting Austin Food & Wine Foundation. austinfoodandwine-festival.com

30-31 Austin Symphony feat. Bion Tsang, cello. Long Center for the Performing Arts.austinsymphony.org

31 2012 Bandana Ball. Wild On-ion Ranch. Benefitting Ronald McDonald House Charities.rmhc-austin.org

31 ZOOMA Texas Half Marathon & 5K. Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa. Benefitting The American Cancer Society DetermiNation. zoomarun.com

31 Type1 Now Conference. 8am-3pm at The Commons Learning Center. Benefitting Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation jdrf.org

APRIL 5 Girl Scouts of Central Texas: Women of Distinction Lun-cheon. 11am-1:30pm at AT&T Conference Center. Benefitting Girl Scouts of Central Texas.gsctx.org

9 16th Annual “There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch” Lun-cheon. 11:30am-1pm at Renais-sance Austin Hotel. Benefitting People’s Community Clinic.austinpcc.org

10 University Medical Center Brackenridge Luncheon. 11am-1:30pm at Four Seasons Hotel Austin. Benefitting Level I Trauma, Graduate Medical Edu-cation, Research. setonfund.org

Winter 2012 15

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THE BASTROP WILDFIRE LEFT 5,000 HOMELESS. AS NEWS OF THE DEVASTATION QUICKLY SPREAD, THE DONATIONS POURED IN. BUT WITH ALMOST $4 MILLION RAISED, WHERE DID ALL THAT MONEY GO?

DISASTER RELIEF


Ruth Rodgers isn’t looking for a handout—her Bastrop home was spared by the wild-fire of Labor Day weekend. But that doesn’t mean she doesn’t expect to get some of the money raised to help wildfire victims. ¶While the wildfires were still burning, Rodgers and her friend Lau-rie Eskew set up a table in a driveway at the entrance of Tahitian Village, a Bastrop County neighborhood that was one of the hardest hit by the wildfires.

They collected water, food and clothing and handed it out to anyone who needed it. Their makeshift distribution center became a hub for basic necessities and information amid the chaos.

For weeks they kept the distribution center running, managing do-nations and volunteers. After a while, the donat-ed items got bigger, like

household goods and furniture. Then in No-vember, just as the cold, wet weather started to roll in, a local business-man offered Rodgers an empty store in a strip mall near the Wal-Mart on U.S Highway 71, and finally they were able to move the distribution center indoors. It’s been a blessing, Rodgers says, but they can’t af-ford the utilities. Right

now there’s no heat and no lights.

“We’ll have families come in here at 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and it’s already dark inside,” says Rodgers. “They can’t even see what they’re looking for. ”

Rodgers wants to apply for a grant. Like everyone else in Bastrop County, she’s heard about the almost $4 million raised to help wildfire victims.

AFTERMATHSome families have started to rebuild their

homes, but a full recovery for Bastrop

County will take years.

BY MONICA WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH WILSON

Winter 2012 19

Paul Phillips and his daughter Jess

are standing in the kitchen of their

home in the Circle D neighborhood

in Bastrop, Texas. Paul served 32

years with the Austin Fire Depart-

ment, and retired in 2007.

Rodgers says she would use the money to give Eskew and herself a small salary to keep the distribution center running and to pay for the utilities and, later, rent. “Otherwise, we’re going to have to close,” she says. “I don’t know how to write one of these grants,” she says, “but nobody’s telling me they can help. It just doesn’t make any sense.

“We go to these com-mittee meetings and some people tell us one thing, another person tells us something else. I’m just trying to get families the help they need. I’ve never done this before.”

In fact, not many of the Bastrop residents who have stepped up to help have done disaster recovery before. It’s a rare community that

takes every possible measure to prepare for disaster, and though it’s a testament to the county that the largest wildfire in state history had not more than two deaths, the number of those in need is still extraordinarily high. By its very nature, disaster recovery is a rare op-portunity for a commu-nity to find out what it’s really made of.

DISASTER RELIEF

Winter 2012 21

CRISIS TO RECOVERYWhile the fires were still burning, the help poured in. Church groups from across the country drove in by the busload to help distribute food and clean-up home sites. The American Red Cross set up shelters and handed out supplies. And nonprofits from United Way to the food bank were everywhere.

Donations poured in, too, and no organiza-tion collected more in donatios for wildfire recovery than the Austin Community Foundation. Right away, ACF and doz-ens of other nonprofits, agencies and faith-based groups began handing out gift cards for groceries and gas as well as assistance for hotels and rented hous-ing during the crisis.

Rodgers continued to serve as the make-shift center of basic-needs distribution in Bastrop. But with about 5,000 people displaced from their homes, it was clear that Bastrop had to create a more struc-tured plan for recovery. And that’s when things slowed down.

THE RULES OF CHARITYAn official disaster-re-covery center was set up at Bastrop High School, and while it became a one-stop shop for help, volunteers and officials struggled to spread the word about assistance to families that had fled the county.

Then came the commit-tee. Natasha Rosofsky of

United Way Capital Area acted as the chair and facilitator of the Bastrop long-term recovery com-mittee in the first few months after the fires. She says that the crisis-to-relief stage can be a scramble, with families coming to terms with their loss and thinking about their next move. This is where social workers from nonprofits step in to help a fam-ily navigate insurance, disaster benefits, rental payments and rebuilding contractors. ACF and oth-ers used donated funds to make grants to those nonprofits and keep those social workers working. “People want to see action, but a process has to be established to ensure accountabil-ity,” says Rosofsky. The process also ensures that each family recevies as many benefits as they are eligible for, and that none of them fall prey to shady contractors and vendors. Unfortuntaely, Rosofsky says, what the people of Bastrop County feel now is “a tremen-dous sense of urgency.”

It feels like “hurry up and wait.” News about families sleeping in their car clashes with committee planning meetings where it seems nothing is getting done. Spendng donations on social workers is crticized for not provid-ing direct help to the families. Combine that with news reports about millions raised in dona-tions, and people start asking tough questions.

Were all those fund-raisers deceiving donors and victims into thinking that the money would actually get to those who needed it? All across the

Relief Tweets

Central Texans showed that they had big hearts when it came to donating after the wildfires. They also proved once again the power of social media. Twitter, Facebook and oth-ers lit up with calls for help, and across the country people held concerts, food drives, and collection campaigns for Bastrop County.

@imagesbyp: #Austin #photog? Need help Dec 3 &/or 4 at a Bastrop Wildfire Benefit in Smithville. Need 3-4 more people

@ut_ddce: UT community—come help clean up Bastrop wild-fire area on Nov. 17! More information http://t.co/ksnqpK06

@freeleilawhi: Bastrop wildfire animals now up for adop-tion http://t.co/ANixDt61

@lookn4ayardsale: Yard Sale in Austin: Bastrop Wildfire Ben-efit Sale Today (Manor/Webberville) http://t.co/L1FlzQYc

@rcgrote: RT @gdinges: The folks at @MyFoxAustin are collecting toys for victims of the Bastrop wildfires: http://t.co/4pTDj5G5 #FOX7

@anitakc: Beyond excited! We raised over $2200 and a table full of donations for the Central Texas Fires

@sheilahippert: $10 for $20 Donation to Victims of the Aus-tin/Bastrop Wildfires! So awesome. DONATE NOW: http://t.co/cwMeoDW #txwildfires

@alhannaford: @statesman Ok, they need more food and more tables for #wildfires evacuation effort. Trinity zion church, 151 shiloh rd., Bastrop, TX

@craftyiscool: You can help 2 victims of the Bastrop #wild-fires by chipping in here: http://t.co/xuIxKPN or buying a pattern here: http://t.co/s6pI0Ln

@nibblermcgee: If you would like to help any family af-fected by the Bastrop Wildfires that happened a few months ago, hit up @AdoptAFamilyUS !! Pls RT!

@jdavisfd: Friends, please text “fire” to 84465 to donate $10 to families effected by Bastrop Wildfires THANK YOU #wildfirebenefit

@thespunkydiva: Tweeting I #blogged Pillow Case donation info for Bastrop Wildfires http://t.co/Zs6fVTj

@parkwayprimary: Info on how to help with the Steiner Ranch and Bastrop wildfires http://t.co/NB8aBkM

@jarradrwalter: Bastrop State Park: How the public can help - http://t.co/YEnXDHBn via @TPWDnews #Bastrop #wildfires

@adelitagreen: Austin Bar Association to hold legal clinics starting tomorrow for persons affected by Bastrop wildfires http://t.co/9dKF5LL

DISASTER RELIEF

Jim Esquivel of the Mendocino

National Forrest Fire Service was

among the hundreds of firefighters

from around the country, working

around the clock to contain the fires.

Winter 2012 23

state, intrepid individu-als held fundraisers for wildfire victims, from concerts to collections at conferences to bake sales. In October, Bob Schneider headlined one of the many concerts that raised almost $20,000 to the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund for volunteer firefighters, many of whom lost their homes and had to pay out of their own pockets travel and hotel stays to fight the Bastrop wildfire. “It’s obvious Austin musicians like Bob Schneider and oth-ers have a gift and want to use that gift to help the community,” says Chris Barron of the Texas Wildfire Relief Fund.

But is that what’s hap-pening?

Yes, but it’s not that simple. For example, the Austin Community Foun-dation, which has raised more than $1.2 million so far, is set up to fund non-profits through grants, not to provide direct services to individuals. As such, ACF created a grant application process that invites official, 501(c)(3) nonprofits to apply for funding. In December, ACF made its first round of recovery grants (see the Austin Community Foundation website for details). More than $500,000 was distributed to nine organizations.

“One of our responsi-bilities,” says MariBen Ramsey, who is in charge of grant operations at ACF, “is to the people that donated to this fund. Our job is to be good stewards of this money and make sure it’s going to the organizations that

Highway 71, looking east on

September 7, 2011.

DISASTER RELIEF


are best able to serve wildfire survivors.”

Rodgers believes her disaster recov-ery center, which has provided donated goods to hundreds of wildfire survivors, should receive some of that grant money. But right now, her resource center is not a 501(c)(3) and is ineligible for a grant.

Even among the other organizations collect-ing donations, none of them are going to write a blank check. In fact, handing out checks to nonprofits and disaster victims is not consid-ered a best practice for disaster recovery.

The Austin Disaster Relief Network is assist-ing about 340 families in Bastrop County by paying

for goods and services they need, not by handing them checks. ADRN has handed out gift cards for groceries and gas, and has helped victims pay for housing rent, car rentals, rebuilding ven-dors, says Daniel Geraci, executive director. “But we have been cutting checks to the vendors for this, not to the families.” He explains that as a nonprofit ADRN can get more “bang for the buck” because it can save on sales tax and negotiate discounts. “We’re lever-aging our status with these vendors.”

Another reason not to give out checks, says Geraci, is accountability. “Sometimes when you give raw cash to folks, the money can be misdi-rected in terms of where they spend it,” says Geraci. “Our goal is to get these people back in a house where they can be self-sufficient again,” he adds. “If we give them

the funds and they don’t spend them wisely, we can’t accomplish that.”

ADRN was one of the nonprofits awarded a $130,000 grant from ACF in December to purchase items for affected fami-lies. ADRN continues to seek funding to create new volunteer coordina-tor positions to manage the thousands of vol-unteers from more than 100 churches that have joined the network—up from the original 60 or so before the wild-fires—to help care for families affected.

Most of ADRN’s efforts have focsued on assist-ing those families that didn’t have insurance, a point of contention for some in Bastrop County who feel those “responsible enough” to have insurance should also receive some of these funds.

But evenly distributing the amount raised among all those affected would

not help the county recover in the long-term, not with estimates of around $300 million in damages. “If we added it all up and gave it out, it would hardly be anything at all,” says Geraci. “What we’re seeing is that those families that have enough are getting help from their own network, their family and friends.”

It doesn’t make sense, he says, to give the same amount to a family with dual incomes and insur-ance as they do to an elderly woman on a fixed income and no insurance.

Nonprofits must also protect donated funds from serving the greedy with the needy. “There are a lot of good-hearted people in Central Texas,” says Geraci, “but you’ll also find people who are trying to take advantage of the situation.”

ONLY SO MUCH“Unfortunately, charity isn’t about getting people

Rafael and Victoria Trevino and

their parents returned home a week

after the fire. Their dogs survived

for an entire week on their own;

The water tower stands among

charred loblolly pines.

Winter 2012 25

Bastrop’s Wildfire

•5,000 people displaced by the flames

•2 people killed•1,673 homes destroyed•33,000 acres burned — an

area more than twice the size of Manhattan — in and around Bastrop

•Bastrop County home to 80,000 people

•About 7% of residents lost homes

•Insured losses from the fire should reach $325 mil-lion, according to the In-surance Council of Texas, making it the costliest blaze in Texas history

•About 3,080 residents have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance

•1.5 million trees burned in the fires.

Source: Austin-American StatesmanSee the Statesman’s story, “Wildfire donations to Austin-area nonprofits: $3.8 million and counting,” from Nov. 14, 2011, for details of how nonprofits are distributing their donations.

to where they were before the wildfires,” says Ramsey of Austin Community Foundation. “It’s about making sure that this disaster doesn’t create a whole new class of people who are homeless or economi-cally damaged. It’s about public benefit. How does assistance to this family help the overall community get back on its feet? And how can we help fund services for the greater good?”

The task is huge. Early on, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) played an important role by helping survivors find food and shelter. It also created a registry that serves as a database for other agencies who are working directly with the families affected. Families were urged to register with FEMA through Jan. 6. As of this writing, there are more than 3,000 registrants.

“There are so many critical pieces to recov-ery, like this registry,” says Eliza May, FEMA’s volunteer agency liaison, “but those pieces all have their own timing.”

After a while, the large agencies like FEMA start to pull out. When FEMA closed the disas-ter recovery center in November, community volunteers formed one of their own. And when a team of Americorps vol-unteers left the Bastrop Volunteer Reception Center in mid-Decem-ber, more locals stepped up to help.

Eventually, how well Bastrop County recovers is Bastrop County’s re-sponsibility. People like Rodgers and Eskew and the volunteers on the long-term planning com-mittee are doing their part, but without access to funding and support for the years it will take to recover, there’s only so much they can do.

Today Rodgers is looking for an existing nonprofit to partner with and ap-ply for grant money that will keep her donation center running.

As Bastrop County forges ahead, it will face the realities of rebuild-ing a community from the ashes, says May. “You have to ask, ‘Do they have the resources as a community? And is that what the commu-nity wants?’

“The answers have to come from them. It’s their response. It’s their goals. All anyone else can do is provide some tools, resources and guidance.”

By all accounts, the need is great and recovery will take years. Unfortunately, as those in the nonprofit commu-nity know all too well, donations can’t fund everything. Note: The author is also communications director for the Austin Community Foundation. All at-tempts to be transparent and fair have been made in this article. If you have any questions, please contact the author at [email protected].

DISASTER RELIEF


In December, more than 850 1st Cavalry Division troops returned to Central Texas, fresh from deploy-ment in Iraq. Their return marked an end to a war that cost the lives of more than 4,400 U.S. soldiers and left another 32,000 wounded. The good news is, for many of them, this time they’re home for good. But sadly many of the returning soldiers will struggle to transition back to civilian life, particularly in a bad economy. Many struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, de-pression, addiction and even homelessness.

In 2009 and 2010, the U.S. military lost more ac-tive duty service members to suicide than it did to combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan combined.

As community leaders struggle with the unparal-leled task of reintegrating soldiers who have known nothing but the war for the past decade, find out ways you can help.

COMING BACK HOME

Veterans In Need

76,329 homeless veterans nationwide 144, 842 homeless veterans spent at least one night in shelter in 2010 16 percent of homeless adults are veterans 8 percent of homeless veterans in shelters are women 8.8 percent of homeless veterans are ages 18 to 30

15 percent of homeless people in Texas are veterans 6.7 percent of all U.S. homeless veterans live in Texas. Source: ‘Veteran Homelessness: A Supplement to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress’ by the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs.

her husband was killed in Iraq by multiple roadside bombs. americanwidowproject.org

DIVINE CANINES provides free animal assisted therapy services to the wounded war-rior rehabilitation center. It assists in relieving symptoms of stress and other diagnoses such as depression, brain injury and PTSD in veterans. divinecanines.org

The AMERICAN RED CROSS OF CENTRAL TEXAS is ac-tively reaching out to veterans through a program called Operation Outreach designed to assist women veterans. centex.redcross.org.

AMERICAN WIDOW PROJECT provides support for others who are coping with the loss of a spouse. It was founded in 2007 by Taryn Davis after

R.O.C.K (RIDE ON CENTER FOR KIDS) offers a Horses for Heroes program to active duty service members and veter-ans who have PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, burns and/or neurological impairment. rockride.org

THE VET CENTER helps veter-ans and their families adjust to civilian life after combat. vetcenter.va.gov

VSA TEXAS gives veterans the chance to explore art and express themselves while potentially earning some money. vsatx.org

SAMARITAN CENTER offers Hope for Heroes programs that are open to Central Texas service mem-bers and their families of any military branch. hopeforhe-roestexas.org

BY SUN CONNORPHOTOGRAPH BY ERIN TRIEB

Winter 2012 27

The Homecoming Project

Photographer Erin Trieb’s work chronicling U.S. soldiers has led her deep into the trenches of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But what affected the 28-year-old photographer more was seeing returning soldiers strug-gling with PTSD, addiction and depression. She told PhotoBlog on MSNBC.com, “I hadn’t planned to do a story on PTSD, but when the soldiers got back and started showing symptoms, I felt I had to document it.”

As a committed journalist, she found herself becoming immersed in her subjects’ lives. That’s why she launched The Homecoming Project, a grassroots campaign that uses photography and design to help create awareness around the issues faced by soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Trieb says she hopes the project will help encourage others to reach out for help. “If we are lucky,” she told PhotoBlog, “someone’s life might change for the better. It is my greatest hope.”

Learn more at TheHomecomingProject.org

Veterans In Need

76,329 homeless veterans nationwide 144, 842 homeless veterans spent at least one night in shelter in 2010 16 percent of homeless adults are veterans 8 percent of homeless veterans in shelters are women 8.8 percent of homeless veterans are ages 18 to 30

15 percent of homeless people in Texas are veterans 6.7 percent of all U.S. homeless veterans live in Texas. Source: ‘Veteran Homelessness: A Supplement to the 2010 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress’ by the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs.

COMMUNITY SERVICES

I SUPPORT VETS works collaboratively with other non-profits in the commu-nity to promote education to those who directly serve our veterans. isupportvets.org

GREEN DOORS created a Transitional Veterans Re-Entry Housing Program, which currently provides transitional housing, case management, support

created this foundation to help raise awareness of “The Hidden Wound.” cplchado.org

MILITARY MOMS OF TEXAS is a group that provides support for its members and soldiers. militarymomsoftexas.com

PTSD COACH: MOBILE APP- The PTSD Coach app can help you learn about and manage

services and referrals to 60 veterans. greendoors.org

TEXVET serves as the hub for the statewide peer to peer counseling network and volunteers. texvet.org

CPL. CHAD ERIC OLIGSCH-LAEGER FOUNDATION FOR PTSD Chad Oligschlaeger passed away on May 17th, 2008. His family and friends

symptoms that commonly occur after trauma. ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/PTSD-Coach.asp or cplchado.org/resources

THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS (DAV) provides free transportation to men and women unable to travel to VA medical facilities on their own. dav.org/volunteers

While serving a 12-month deployment

in Afghanistan, U.S. soldier Adam

Ramsey was diagnosed with PTSD

(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).


HOW LAWYERS CONNECTSusan Salch is what they call a cat socializer. In fact,

she’s such a good cat socializer that she trains oth-

ers to become cat socializers at the Austin Humane

Society. ¶ Of course, that’s just her volunteer work.

During the day she is a partner at the law firm of Can-

tilo & Bennet, which is currently on the hunt for more

volunteer and sponsorship opportunities with Austin

nonprofits. ¶ That’s right. Cantilo & Bennet are just

putting it out there. In fact, in November 2011, the

firm invited dozens of nonprofit representatives to

their offices to learn more about what they do—that

is, what the nonprofits do. ¶ “How can we grow our

business and become part of the fabric in this com-

munity?” asks Salch. “We thought a great way to do

this would be to try to identify nonprofits that excite

us and form personal relationships so that they trust

us.” It was an idea Salch said grew out of her own rich

experiences as a volunteer. ¶ Salch has been a volun-

teer for years with Austin Humane Society, the Ameri-

can Heart Association and more. She knows the value

of those connections, personally and professionally.

¶ “We’ve had discussions about whether we’re being

inauthentic,” says Salch, “but it’s part of our firm’s

overall plan to build trust and tell more people about

what we do. Plus, it’s fun!”

Learn more at cb-firm.com

Young Talent Inspires Seriff

Marc Seriff, one of the founders of AOL now living in the Marble Falls area, is often asked to give. But the long-time philanthropist isn’t easily moved.

When the Austin Sympho-ny Orchestra held a concert featuring the work of young composers last year, Seriff and his wife Carolyn agreed to help underwrite the costs for the evening.

“That night, the symphony performed 12 pieces, each of which was stunning,” says Seriff. “Each of the student composers, as young as 14, received a standing ovation from the crowd.

“At the end of the concert, Carolyn and I turned to each other and knew that that was ‘the moment’ that caused us to give. Knowing that we had helped be a part of such a stunning evening—a wonderful orchestra in a beautiful hall, hearing the inspiring music of these young composers—was worth every penny we had given.”

Seriff says that moment helps guide him in choosing other opportunities to give.

“Whether you’re able to give $1 or $1 million or an hour of your time, I encourage you to find your moment. You’ll see it’s worth whatever you can give.”

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Winter 2012 29

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JANUARY 28

Dell Children’s GalaThe Dell Children’s Medical Center Gala grosses more than $1 million each every year. Foundation director, Armando Zambrano, tells us what makes this event work.

THE PLANAn 80-person committee led by this year’s chairs Kay and Eric Moreland started planning almost a year in advance. Meetings with Dell Children’s leadership help them set goals and identify the year’s message, “The Art of Healing.”

REVENUE SOURCES About 60% comes from un-derwriting and sponsorships, about 25% from the live and silent auctions and the “raise the paddle” donations, and the rest from pre-event raffle ticket sales and sales from “The Miracle Book.”

Most of the vendors pro-vide some kind of discount. “There’s a blanket commit-ment from all our vendors to come in at least 20 to 30% off their regular price,” says Zambrano.

TELLING THE STORY“There’s been more than 143,000 patients at Dell Children’s, but we’ll bring it down to one family sharing their story with you. We want to create that kind of connection with people.”

“On the day of the event, I feel very proud of the volunteers who’ve created and visualized an evening like this. I am in awe and total appreciation of what they do.”

SETTING THE SCENETo achieve some level of intimacy in the 43,000-sq-ft ballroom of the convention center, Dell Children’s brings in artists who can transform a room, like projectionist Bart Kresa, lighting artists Ilios Lighting and floral artist David Kurio.

But it’s not all solely for dramatic flair. “For example, it makes financial sense to use a projectionist,” says Zambrano. “It’s different, it’s memo-rable. And if you’re a major donor and you see your name projected on a wall throughout the night, there’s your value.”

GREAT EVENTS


COLLABORATIONS


Winter 2012 31

Since 1986, People’s Community Clinic has offered prenatal medical services to low-income teens, and today that program sees between 200-250 pregnant teens a year.

In 1988, recogniz-ing that these young mothers needed addi-tional support, People’s launched a collaborative program called Tandem to support the youngest and neediest teen moms and their children. The Tandem project now sees about 60 young families a year.

WHO DOES WHATFundingIn its history of funders, St. David’s Foundation has provided the major-ity of support, says Robin Rosell, LCSW, Tandem program director. Past funders include the Hogg Foundation, Dell Foun-dation, RGK Foundation, Topfer Foundation, Aus-tin Community Founda-tion, MFI Foundation, United Way Capital Area, Girls Giving Grants, as well as city, county, state and federal agencies.

Medical Care People’s Community Clinic is the lead agency for the program, and provides medical care for the mother and child as well as health

“Most of our

clients are good

mothers who

just need some

support and

opportunities.”ROBIN ROSELL, LCSW, Tandem program director

and two English-speak-ing only.

“A lot of our clients come from families that are pretty overwhelmed with other circumstanc-es, or they have a history of abuse, come from single parent homes or are undocumented,” says Rosell.

Tandem recently added a fifth case manager, a People’s Community Clinic employee, to serve the Dove Spring area, which has the single highest rate of teen pregnancy in the city.

Gauging SuccessIn 2010, about 25% of teen mothers in Texas would become preg-nant again within two years. That rate for girls in the Tandem project has been about 6% in the past few years.

The girls recognize that being pregnant and becoming a mother can be a barrier to finishing their education. “But there’s less of a stigma of being pregnant,” says Rosell. “If you look back, having children at a young age has been part of every immigrant group’s history. It’s a way of establishing family and community. Most of our clients are good little mothers who just need some support and opportunities.”

education and family planning services. It works with school nurses who refer them to the program.

Mental Health ServicesThe Austin Child Guid-ance Center provides therapists who meet with the teens at the clinic or at their school. “It’s important to offer these services at the schools,” says Rosell. “Just getting them the referral doesn’t neces-sarily mean the girl will get here.”

Case ManagementLifeWorks provides case management and fatherhood services, school-based services, support groups and ac-cess to GED, Workforce Investment Act and housing services.

LifeWorks case man-agers also advocate for clients in school and help them navigate Medicaid. At least two of the case managers have doula training and are often with the client at the hospital when they give birth.

Any Baby Can case managers focus on in-home, intensive case management with the enrolled families. Rosell says there are two bilin-gual program managers

TEAMWORK FOR TEEN MOMSFor the Tandem project, each funder and nonprofit plays a role.

A 13-year-old collaboration in

Austin has led to a decrease in

second pregnancies in Central

Texas teen moms.

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The largest municipal animal shelter in Cen-tral Texas, providing shelter to over 22,000 lost or homeless pets annually while providing Animal Protection & Control services to Aus-tin and Travis County.

Though it’s a tax-sup-ported organization, it accepts donations to provide services above and beyond what is possible with their allotted budget.

Working on a “no-kill” implementation plan that focuses on programs, services and partnerships to reduce intake and increase live animal outcomes.

austintexas.gov/department/animal-services

Volunteers required to work at least six hours a month, with shifts open throughout the week. Donations of money and pet-care items accepted.

Austin’s largest no-kill, nonprofit animal shel-ter. Accepts overflow animals from the Austin Pet Center as well from the public.

Sheltering, adoption, spay/neuter.

Designated to provide emergency shelters in cases of disaster, hoarding or cruelty cases. Sheltered 175 dogs and cats during Bastrop fires.

austinhumanesociety.org

Help trap, neuter and return feral cats by attending a volunteer training, using one of AHS’s traps and bringing them in for sterilizing. Other vol-unteer opportunities available.

Led by Emancipet founder Ellen Jef-ferson, who took over APA! in 2008 with the specific purpose of making Austin a no-kill city. Accepts overflow animals from the Austin Pet Center.

Takes animals directly from local shelters’ euthanasia list and puts them in foster homes until they can be adopted. Now runs Town Lake Animal Center (a former city-operated facility) to relieve overcrowding at city’s new Austin Animal Center.

Evaluates the demo-graphics of pets being euthanized and cre-ates programs to save those groups of pets, like dogs with parvo, underage kittens and puppies, and dogs and cats with certain medi-cal needs.

austinpetsalive.org Volunteers needed for a few hours a month to 40 hours a week, at the shelter and from your own home.

Advocates for and provides spay-neuter services as a way to reduce the homeless pet population.

Specializes in low-cost and free spay/neuter services, surgeries and basic preventive wellness care.

Offers spay/neuter clinic at facility next to Austin Pet Center as well as a mobile clinic that travels across Central Texas.

emancipet.org Donors invited to host a table at the May 14 luncheon or by partici-pating in Sit.Stay.Day 2012 on February 10.

Committed to ending overpopulation by making spay/neuter surgery for dogs and cats affordable and ac-cessible to the general public, and wellness care an option for all pet owners.

Offers special veterinary services including affordable surgical procedures, heartworm treatment and dental cleanings for canines.

Provides free vet-erinary care for the animals of homeless people.

animaltrustees.org Volunteer opportuni-ties in the clinic and at special events.

Austin Animal Center2011

AustinHumane Society1952

Austin Pets Alive!1998

Emancipetlate-1990s

AnimalTrustees of Austin1993

AUSTIN PET CHARITIESThere are dozens of pet charities in Austin, so figuring out where your donation dollar should go sometimes boils down to which has the cutest puppy photo on their website. Our pet-charity chart can help you make a better decision about where to give.

“Yes, we are all in competition for donor dollars,” says Lisa Starr of Austin Humane Society. “But I see the value in what everyone’s doing. During the wildfires we really worked together, with us taking in animals, Austin Pets Alive! trying to find foster homes and Austin Animal Center out there with search and rescue. The community needs all of us—and we need the community!”

ABOUT FOCUSNOTABLE PROGRAMS LEARN MORE GET INVOLVED

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APPTIVISTSGiveAsYouGet.com The site has aligned with the most popular online shopping sites to offer users a way to give a portion of the sales to the charities of their choice.

HelpAttack Help Attack offers you a chance to pledge a certain amount to your chosen charity every time you tweet. HelpAttack.com

Hotels for Hope Every time you book a room with Hotels for Hope, $2 is given to local chari-ties. HotelsforHope.org

KIIMBY Register your credit card with KIIMBY, and part of every purchase you make at participating busi-nesses will go towards your favorite charities. Kiimby.com

SPONSORS/VENUESCenter 61 A new co-working community for social entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Cen-ter61.com

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf brings its diverse selection of specialty coffees and whole leaf teas to Austin, giving back to a local charity every month. CoffeeBeanAustin.com

Four Seasons Hotel One of Austin’s few premiere

venues for grand events and galas. FourSeasons.com/Austin

Hat Creek Burgers This Austin business make feeding the homeless its business, too. Watch for their Mobile Loaves & Fishes truck around town. HatCreekBurgers.com

Molotov Located con-veniently on West 6th, Molotov welcomes your fundraising event. Molo-tovLounge.com

NONPROFIT SERVICESApex Auctions Victoria Gutierrez offers invalu-able input on running an auction, and hiring her will do wonders for your nonprofit event. Apex-Auction.com

Affinity Interactive Group A boutique interactive marketing agency based out of Austin, Texas specialized in online ad-vocacy, content strategy and cause-related mar-keting. AffinityIG.com

Cultural Strategies Cultural Strategies is a marketing and advertis-ing consulting firm that will give your business or organization an advan-tage in an increasingly multicultural America. Cultural-Strategies.com

Greenlights for Nonprof-it Success Greenlights strengthens nonprofits

for extraordinary per-formance and impact. Greenlights.org

Knox-Woollard Profes-sional Management KWPM employs their ex-pertise in the manage-ment field and team of skilled professionals to provide a cost-effective and efficient opportu-nity for organizations to meet their goals. KWProfessionalMan-agement.com

Purple Dot Events Event planning for nonprofits that creates memorable, impactful expressions of your mission. Pur-pleDotEvents.com

Qtego Helping nonprofit silent auctions raise more money—and keep raising money—via cell-phone texting. Qtego.com

Ridgewood Ingenious Communication Strategies Working with community-minded clients, Ridgewood is a public relations firm that enables organiza-tions to reach out to the public in effective. RidgewoodPR.com

Seeds for Change Whether you’re plan-ning a gala, stirring up donors, or establish-ing a budget, Seeds of Change will work with you to boost your nonprofit with their

impressive staff of pro-fessionals. Seedsfor-ChangeConsulting.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICESAlt Creative Alt Cre-ative donates 10% of the profits from all custom web design projects to charity. Alt-Creative.com

INNU Salon Innu is a community-minded salon offering the full-range of services. Innu.net

GiveRealty By donating 25% of their commis-sion to the nonprofit of your choice, Give Reality makes a huge impact on the community while still providing you with exceptional service. GiveRealtyAustin.com

RETAILERSTouch of Sass An acces-sory store specializing in jewelry, bags, and giving back. Touchof-Sass.net

GenerousArt.com When you purchase art from GenerousArt.com, you select a nonprofit orga-nization to support from a list of beneficiaries or supply an alternate nonprofit.

If you’d like to be considered for the

GivingCity Austin Directory, please contact

Monica Williams at [email protected]

or 512-472-4483

LISTINGS

A short directory of businesses that give back. Below is our growing list of community-

minded, for-profit and nonprofit businesses that support GivingCity.

DIRECTORY

Winter 2012 33


There is a reason why Mary Margaret Farabee was nominated for a 2012 Philanthropy Day award. Actually, there are several. Farabee has been a longtime sup-porter and tireless vol-unteer for several Austin nonprofit organizations, and embodies a philoso-phy of giving that could be used as a model.

Volunteerism has been a cornerstone of her life, and Farabee has focused her philanthro-py on the arts, literature and health care. She helped create the Texas Book Festival in 1996 with Laura Bush, and was active in spear-heading the restoration

of the Paramount The-ater. She also serves on the President’s Council of Peoples Community Clinic.

“I took acting lessons when I was a teenager and grew up as a huge reader,” Farabee says. “In junior high I would take the bus down to the Dallas Public Library. The reason I got involved with the book festival and the Paramount is because of my proclivity for the performing arts and books.

“It’s a very personal approach to giving. I think a lot of people give to things they have an affinity for, or that they’ve grown up with

and feel strongly about.” Universities, as well, create a lifelong tie for many people, Farabee adds. “It’s a loyalty that sticks with you through-out life,” says the 1968 graduate in Master of Arts from the University of Texas.

Farabee has done fundraising for a number of Austin organiza-tions, and calls herself a “professional volunteer.” Being able to see, under-stand and relate to, on a very personal level, the mission of an organiza-tion is what propels her—and connecting with others who share the same feelings is what keeps her going.

“Working with like-minded people for a cause can form lasting friendships,” she says. “It doesn’t even matter if you’re not in step po-litically or socially; when you share a passion for a cause, it’s a lot more fun to work together when you’re friends. And you can accomplish much more toward your goal.”

Serving at Peoples Community Clinic has been especially reward-ing for Farabee. “It’s a council that is very dedi-cated to going out into the community, reaching

out to bring more people into the giving circle. We also work on the annual luncheon, getting speakers and organiz-ing the event.” Her philosophy of gathering like-minded people seems successful; the 15th annual luncheon in April 2011 raised more than $350,000 for the clinic, and brought together over 700 com-munity leaders.

When talking about special events such as the luncheon or galas and silent auctions that many nonprofits hold to raise money, Farabee advises that planners should always make sure the event will re-flect the organization’s mission. “There are a lot of social things you can do, but it should always be in tune with and feature the mission.”

Accountability and stewardship of the nonprofit is also very important to her. “You have to keep in mind the efficiency of the organi-zation, its staff, and how the money is spent. The bottom line is transpar-ency, and the quality of the board can go a long way toward making sure each penny goes as far as it can.”

MARY MARGARET FARABEEOne of Austin’s most beloved philanthropists reveals what motivates her giving.

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Join us on Saturday, March 4 for It’s My Park Day, an annual community service day focused on improving Austin’s parks, greenbelts and trail systems. Individuals and community groups can lead or support projects ranging from simple cleaning to trail building, tree planting and playground installation. Sign up at www.AustinParks.org.

Austin Parks Foundation has been protecting and preserving Austin’s parks by connecting people and resources to park improvements since 1992.

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