Rocky Leadership Fellows Discuss Power of Philanthropy with Dartmouth Senior VP of Advancement Carrie Pelzel

Carrie Pelzel, Senior Vice President for Advancement at Dartmouth College, discussed the power of philanthropy and its connection to leadership on Thursday night in the first session of 2011.  Pelzel introduced the discussion by challenging Fellows with a quiz that tested their knowledge of the who, what, where, and why of philanthropy.  She shared with the group that according to current research and her own personal experience most charitable givers are motivated by a desire to give back rather than a desire for recognition.  

Pelzel discussed the roots of philanthropy in America dating back to the early settlers and continuing to the wealthy financiers of today such as Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.  The discussion provided a solid background for fellows to engage in a case study in which the ultimate goals were to develop a list of criteria for a charitable organization they would consider before donating, and to design a means to leverage their gift to create maximum impact for the organization.

-- Karen Doster '11