¶ Celebrating Philanthropic Impact and Legacy
Welcome to Philanthropy Today . Our goal is to inspire giving by educating listeners on ways to give and how to connect with charitable causes . My name is Dave Lewis . I'm your host of Philanthropy Today . Thank you for joining the show . Welcome to Philanthropy Today , where our interview today with Vern Hendricks is going to be recapping the Cornerstone Awards .
And , vern , you've had a wonderful opportunity over the last few months to visit with Cornerstone awardees and we got a lot of things to talk about with this recap , and what a great experience for you .
Indeed , as you well know , from the Community Foundation Awards event that we've had for several years , and you've been a part of that selection and production and the whole process where we recognize the time , talent and treasure of individuals . In this case , we wanted to celebrate 25 years of the Community Foundation's history , so how ?
do we do that and we had a semiannual meeting event in November of the last year and we took the opportunity there to ask the question who has been the 25 most influential , impactful individuals in the Community Foundation's history ? And that was pretty unique . The numbers started settling in and obviously you know 25 , 26, .
It was pretty much settling in but it was pretty obvious who the 25 were .
And the other thing , it was kind of settling into five categories visionary , influencer , catalyst , impact , legacy are categories that we kind of chose , and so we thought what a nice way to kind of tell the Community Foundation's story over 25 years without having to necessarily give 25 different awards .
We could give five awards to five individuals each in each category and try to keep it a condensed evening but yet respectful of those that made a difference and certainly respectful of telling the story . So that's where it came down to .
Well , we had a lot of stories to tell , a lot of great stories and a lot of history . And let's start at the beginning of the history of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation , and the first one you talked about was visionary , and these are five individuals that got it started and made it happen .
Indeed , and I , as we're summarizing and kind of recapping the cornerstone , it's nice to talk about these individuals and the five visionary awards went to Bob and Tracy DeBrian , jim Gordon , mark Kondakadoffel , jim Morrison and Ed Seaton , and all for different reasons and what they provided .
Certainly , bob and Tracy and Ed Eaton , the yes Fund campaign , the visionary of the whole yes Fund and the impact that that's had on the community . And the other three , mark and Jim and Jim .
I mean obviously they were at the table when the Community Foundation actually got started and so the impact that those two efforts the Community Foundation Establishment and the yes Fund campaign and the years that it's had to support after-school program were really the kind of the decision points for there .
The next category is influence , and these are people that played an integral role in basically launching GMCF to what it is today , in basically launching GMCF to what it is today .
Oh yeah , the influence awardees Terry Arthur , tom and Angie Fryer , c Clyde Jones , sue Mays , teresa Miller you know those individuals at different points in time in the 25 years were there .
I mean you look at Terry Arthur , I mean he's probably been writing bylaws for several nonprofits over his time and C Clyde was , you know he was the first kind of development person of the Community Foundation but certainly involved in so many things but his influence helped provide the success and the endorsement to the Community Foundation .
And you know Tom and Angie . Tom served as a treasurer here forever and Angie with the Fairy Godmothers , her influence there to get that started .
And of course Sue was one of our first board members and Therese has been involved in several ways as a board member and treasurer and Fairy Godmothers and just a great group of individuals to recognize the next category is catalysts , and I think that this is fascinating because these are the people that really made a lot of things behind the scenes happen , Indeed ,
and those awardees were Dirk Davelein , joe Lyle , lee Meggs , cheryl Grice and Polly Stecklein , and you may look at that and all of them were like , well , why me ? what was this reason for ? And well , obviously you know Dirk was one of those .
There's the argument , the fun story , whether Dirk or Jim Gordon made the first gift to the Community Foundation , and so that's always fun .
And of course Polly was there at the inception of the Fairy Godmothers when that story really kind of took hold , and Lee and Cher were involved in that , and Joe Lyle certainly in several facets of the Community Foundation in general as a board member , and certainly the fairy godmothers .
But just again , great stories for individuals that were very catalytic in their times .
So one of the key categories is impact , and to be in that impact category that comes from several different perspectives .
It does . The awardees and the impact Neil Horton , bill Richter , ward Morgan , dennis Mullen and Mary Veneer and you know the names themselves certainly emphasize the impact that they've had . Their philanthropic demonstration in the community .
Their influence and affluence to not only the Community Foundation but so many nonprofits that we have in our community have been great . I can remember going to Neal when I first joined here and said , neal , there's a Fairy , Godmothers , but we don't have a Guardians or we don't have something for men , and that's when the Guardians program started .
And Bill Richter has just been influential in so many areas in this community and provided advice as a board member often . And of course Ward and Brenda their gift was the gift that took us over the $100 million mark their donor advice fund they established really brought the donor advice fund world to notice and how that is utilized .
And Dennis Mullen obviously was stealing pipe in their involvement in the process His board leadership , his philanthropic mind and generosity . And of course Mary Veneer the Veneer family has been very influential in so many things , both at K-State , the Discovery Center , the Community Foundation . There's not much more you can say .
Legacy is also an important category because this is making a commitment to the Community Foundation to make sure that it had what was necessary to move forward .
Yeah , the Legacy Awards were the obvious reasons , those individuals that have passed at this point in time but certainly made a significant part of the history possible . Bernie and Sherry Butler you know they've created the Butler Family Community Foundation .
Dean and Verla Kokenauer you know they left an estate gift here that's to the community foundation for their greatest needs and it's been very impactful for us to support entrepreneurial efforts .
Lincoln and Dorothy Deal probably the biggest one outside of the Jack Goldstein endowment that was started to help the arts and humanities programs , the basic human needs and the youth programs here , and the big impact on arts and humanities programs , the basic human needs and the youth programs here and the big impact on arts and humanities has been great .
Jack and Joanne Goldstein Of course Joanne's still with us but Jack , the gift that he made was the big gift . That was that $20 million gift in the 10th year , that really kind of catapulted things . And Phil and Margaret Howe gift in the 10th year , that really kind of catapulted things .
And Phil and Margaret Howe Phil has had the Howe Family Foundation and unfortunately he passed this year but just a great philanthropist that was there for the Grow Green Match Day as our matching donor and you know , what more can you say to that legacy ?
You had a lot of people to interview .
What are some of the takeaways that you have from the Cornerstone awardees ? Doing something for themselves or drawing attention to themselves , the heart and soul of their generosity was probably the one thing for every one of them that really came out .
They wanted to make a difference and that , to me , was probably one of the strongholds of the conversations that we had .
A lot of consistencies between the 25 awardees aren't there .
It was . They really care about Manhattan and , more importantly , they care about others and they want to see others have the ability to lead a good life and , whether it be to support a youth program or homeless or sheltered or aged individuals , they want to help people and that was pretty cool .
In your conversations with all of these Cornerstone awardees , did you have some indication , or was there some consistency on what drove their decision to get involved with the community foundation ?
I think probably as much as anything . What I saw is they had experienced a need that had been there for a few years or certainly had kind of surfaced as an important area in the community that needed to be addressed , and they were willing to address it .
They knew that there were needs that weren't being attended to and they stepped up in their role to make it happen . And every one of them was influential and affluential in a certain part of the history of the Community Foundation , but more important in the history of philanthropy and in the community of Manhattan
¶ Building a Strong Philanthropic Community
.
You know we talk a lot about time , talent and treasure for a very good reason , but inspiration is another word that we probably don't use enough . Do you have some things that you know gave you inspiration in the stories that they told ?
Oh yeah , you know , I've always tried to be somebody that was a philanthropist in general , but just to hear them talk about their interest in helping others is just inspiring in itself . You know , I think for our staff , for our listeners , to hear their stories .
And these are individuals that are busy , they got plenty of things to do , they're running businesses or they're running companies , or certainly you know small business leaders but they're taking their personal time and they're giving back to others and that's just very inspiring to me and , I think , to others as well .
What is it that you feel ? You've spent a lot of time in Manhattan . You know we both grew up in Dickinson County , but you know Manhattan is home for us . Now . What is it about Manhattan that inspires people , that makes them want to continue to support people in need here ?
Well , it's a community where you can live life forever . You can raise your kids here and you know , I always tell people when they ask me about Manhattan . I said , well , it's a great community . I said the good thing is your kids can get involved in everything . I said the bad thing is your kids can get involved in everything .
It's just you don't have to make choices like you do in a lot of places . It's a small enough community but there are enough activities going on that your kids , your family , can be involved in so many things . I think my daughter-in-law , who's from Monterey , california , you know , kind of mentioned it the best to me .
She goes you know , vern , you can get involved in your church , you can get involved in your community and you can get involved in the school with the same people . In larger communities those are three different environments or three different sets of individuals .
And in Manhattan you can go to the grocery store and you can see people that you know and have those conversations . But you also can see the needs in the community and know what needs to be addressed . And so I think that's what people want to make their community a better place .
And they've made Manhattan their community , and regardless of their part in life , they want this place to be special , and I think that's where philanthropy takes part .
You had 25 interviews . Were there some interesting reasons why these individuals decided to get involved ? Oh , gosh .
Probably the very most interesting was when Mark addressed the starting of the Community Foundation . You know , the trust company had just sent a couple million dollars to New York and they had talked about a community foundation for a while but nothing had happened .
And it really came down to the point like this is crazy , we've got to do something in Manhattan If our local individual can't find something to give to . You know , we do address that need .
And so that's when he and Jim Gordon and Jim Morrison got together and you know , and the interesting conversations is that came up or yeah , let's , let's think about this and let's get another meeting scheduled . And I remember Jim telling the story like the heck with that , let's do it right now and move to start a community foundation .
And they didn't even have any procedures or bylaws set up and they were making motions to go forward . And I guess that's the kind of people they all are . They're action-oriented , difference-making , certainly involved members of our community and they made things happen .
And thus the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation has been the result of that and the benefits that the community foundation has been able to share with the community is there 25 stories , 25 years .
Was there something that kind of stands out how some of those first learned about the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation ?
Yeah , and I think you know , in the early days , when this was a zero dollar just getting started organization , you know , in the early days , when this was a zero dollar just getting started organization , you know , I remember one story when they were talking about trying to raise funds for the community foundation , somebody threw them out of their office , you know
. And so it wasn't always a positive experience . And the community foundation , like any other nonprofit , was seen in the early days as maybe a competitor to the nonprofit community , as maybe a competitor to the nonprofit community . And even when I arrived here in 2013 , you know , the thought would be is that we were going to be competing in fundraising .
And you know , no , the Community Foundation is about supporting all the nonprofits and making those organizations and individuals happy in what they choose to do . And you know , I think the biggest thing is really the understanding the community foundation in those early years and those were tough conversations . I mean , you were trying to raise a buck .
You know , just like everybody else , that you could help people and that was the significance of the Goldstein gift . They were a $10 million organization and just received a $21 million gift of stock . I remember being at the country club when they made the announcement and that received a $21 million gift of stock .
I remember being at the country club when they made the announcement and that was a big deal and it was $200,000 in year one , $10 million in year 10 , $100 million in year 20 . And now in 25 , five years later , we went from 100 to 375 .
So it has been an incremental phase where people have believed in what the community foundation as a whole can do and the service that our staff provide , but certainly the meaningful differences that our nonprofits are doing with the dollars that are given to them , not to mention some wise investment strategies , oh yeah absolutely . You know investments .
We have an investment committee that does a great job and we have 20 advisors now that we're working with . I mean that was a big part of the community foundation's growth too is just getting more advisors involved . So when you get a lot of people involved that care , a lot of things can happen .
So you had the opportunity to call these individuals and say hey , I have something to tell you . We're doing these Cornerstone Awards and you're getting one . What kind of responses did you get ?
Probably not everyone , but almost everyone would say well , surely there's somebody more important than me ? And that's the humble nature of all of them , and I think all of them saw themselves as one of many and not of one of 25 , certainly . But yeah , it was like , oh gosh , isn't there somebody else more deserving than me for this ? But there wasn't .
These 25 individuals were very important to the history and have done an awful lot , and it's just so nice to see that humbleness in them . I guess and the reason that they did it was not for personal accolades . You know , these individuals don't need personal accolades . They're very successful and accomplished and acclaimed in their careers themselves .
So this was just something they wanted to do and we were excited to work with them and it's really exciting to recognize them as well .
There are some great examples there of why people draw themselves to the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation , the work that's done here and the nonprofit agencies that you work with . But are there some thoughts , some advice that you might have to individuals that say , hey , I want to be able to help . How can I do that ?
Well , you know , ironically , that happens on a regular basis when people move to town . You know , somebody will say you know , hey , we'd like to get involved in the community . How do we do that ? Well , the first answer many give is we'll call Vern and the Community Foundation and he'll help you . And what we try to do is make those connections .
We try to know where the needs are , whether it be for volunteers or whether it be for finances , and we try to know the important causes , because you never know , One person may come up and they may want to know how to spend $100 , you know to give back or to get involved , whereas somebody else might be thinking about a million dollars or more , and so it's
nice to know the differences and the needs that those nonprofits have out there . But this is a community that makes things happen , and not just through the Community Foundation , just in general . And that's a pride point for all . And when things happen , just like winning in sports , people follow winners .
When you make things happen , more people want to get involved and they want to be a part of that winning attitude 25 years .
There's a lot to brag about , a lot of things that we celebrate in the accomplishments of the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation . But , vern , let's take a look at the next 25 years , and maybe even beyond , and how you see GMCF's role in advancing some of these causes in the future of Manhattan .
Yeah , indeed , this is probably the point that our board is discussing more than ever right now , probably the point that our board is discussing more than ever right now . If people ask me , you know what are your goals , vern ? I'll say my goal is to satisfy and support the needs of the community when they arise .
As a staff , we don't necessarily pick things in the community that we want to make a difference , but if something bubbles up , like the most recent child care initiative , that's kind of developed .
You know the chamber came to us as being the nonprofit that would be most probably natural fit for that to be a hub for , and so we said , sure , we'll step up , we'll help out and make this happen . I mean , you hear about child care locally , statewide and nationally as being an issue and it needs to be addressed , and you know that's what we're here for .
There are other things , whether it be an aquatic center , a park and rec program , you know whatever the community need is to make it better . If the community sees us as that important element , you know we're willing to step forth .
It was mentioned recently is for us to even help create a vision for the community and if we're the ones that are the most appropriate for that to help facilitate that . We're not going to create the vision , but to get everybody together to create that and give input to that . We're happy to do with whatever it is . But we're that and give input to that .
We're happy to do with whatever it is . But as we speak today , we're $375 million in our assets . It's not our goal to really acquire assets , but probably the fun part . About a month ago the Community Foundation Research and Training Institute recognized our foundation as the ninth fastest growing community foundation in the nation .
Recognized our foundation as the ninth fastest growing community foundation in the nation , the 87th largest in the nation . Of course , it's always hard when you get closer to number one . It's always hard to close the gap , but I don't see us closing that gap .
That's a $10 billion effort and but you know who knows and it won't be long and we'll be a billion dollar foundation and whether it's in my time or somebody else's , but it will be in the future for sure .
Well , there are certainly a lot of great opportunities in Manhattan and you know the business perspective . We're a growing community . There are a lot of communities in Kansas that can't say that We've got a synergy here . That is there's great vision , great leadership . That is there's great vision , great leadership .
And I think that the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation has been significant in helping to not only help create that synergy but continue to feed it .
And I think that's something you should be proud of . We are and I'm proud of our staff . We have a great group of individuals that enjoy working , but , more importantly , they enjoy being a part of making a difference and from that standpoint , I'm very proud of our staff , proud of our partners . Our partner program is great . It's great to see these .
You know , small communities develop and have success themselves , and so the future is bright for us and it's just a matter of keep stirring the pot and let things
¶ Connecting With Greater Manhattan Community Foundation
happen .
Congratulations and thank you for joining us on Philanthropy Today . It's been a pleasure . Thank you for joining us for Philanthropy Today , an inside look at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation . You can always learn more about the GMCF at our website , mcfksorg . About the GMCF at our website , mcfksorg .
We also invite you to subscribe to Philanthropy Today on Apple , spotify , amazon or wherever you get your podcasts . I'm Dave Lewis . I'm proud to host Philanthropy Today . It's hosted and produced in the Ad Astra Cast Studios in downtown Manhattan , kansas , and the chances