February 20, 2014
Media Contact:
Su Byron § [email protected] § 941-922-7274
Giving Matters Presents Its Annual
Gems of Philanthropy Luncheon
With Jaimie Mayer Phinney:
“All in the Family: The Art of Multigenerational Giving”
April 8 § 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. § Michael’s on East
Jaimie Mayer Phinney, 30, is a millennial activist who is enthusiastically engaged in continuing her family’s philanthropic legacy as she redefines it with her vision for the world and issues of today and the future. At this event, she will share lessons she learned from her family about giving generously, creatively, boldly—and taking risks.
(Sarasota, FL) Giving Matters, an initiative of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Southwest Florida Chapter, announced today that the keynote speaker for the organization’s annual “Gems of Philanthropy Luncheon” is Jaimie Mayer Phinney, a trustee of the Nathan Cummings Foundation, program director of Slingshot and founder of Don’t Eat the Pictures Productions. In her keynote speech, “All in the Family: The Art of Multigenerational Giving,” Mayer Phinney will share the lessons she learned around the proverbial dinner table about giving generously, creatively and boldly. The event, which is sponsored by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, is Tuesday, April 8, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., at Michael’s on East, 1212 East Ave., in Sarasota. Tickets, which include lunch, are $50 for individuals. For more information about the event, sponsorship opportunities, or to reserve seats, please call Kim Noyes at 941-921-5410.
Jaimie Mayer Phinney, 30, grew up around philanthropy. Her great-grandfather, Nathan Cummings, was an entrepreneur who rose from humble beginnings to become the founder and guiding force of the Sara Lee Corporation. According to Mayer Phinney, her great-grandfather “was a pioneer in every way. The quote he was known for saying that inspires us as a foundation is, ‘Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.’ As a family, we celebrate our patriarch by contributing our time and energy to honoring his legacy of risk-taking and giving back. Throughout his success, Nate never forgot where he came from and the importance of community. As a family we honor that.”
As trustee of The Nathan Cummings Foundation, Mayer Phinney and her colleagues hold fast to the foundation’s mission, rooted in theJewishtradition and committed to democratic values and social justice, including fairness, diversity, and community. The Foundation seeks to build a socially and economically just society that values nature and protects the ecological balance for future generations; promotes humanehealth care; and fosters arts and culture that enriches communities.
Mayer Phinney is also the program director of Slingshot, an organization dedicated to Jewish innovation and creating a next generation of strategic leaders in the philanthropic field. She is also director of special projects for the America-Israel Cultural Foundation. In 2007, Mayer Phinney founded Don’t Eat The Pictures Productions, a theater, film, and event production company dedicated to developing and seeding new work. As executive producer, Mayer Phinney has produced Tony-nominated Broadway shows, Sundance Film Festival premieres, and events ranging from a splashy Times Square hotel opening to a gala for Chicago’s Mayor Daley. She holds a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in producing and theater management from Columbia University’s School of The Arts.
“AFP of Southwest Florida is excited to bring Jaimie Mayer Phinney to Sarasota. We think she will inspire lively conversation among generations about philanthropy and the joy of giving together as a family,” says Suzanne L. Seiter, CFRE, chair of the Giving Matters committee that organized this event. Seiter adds that the group is pleased to partner again with the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, “which shares AFP’s commitment to educating our community about the contributions of our non-profits and the power of multi-generational giving decisions in families. We hope our guests will invite their mothers and grandmothers, and their daughters and granddaughters to join them at this event.”
For more information about Jaimie Mayer Phinney and The Nathan Cummings Foundation, visit www.nathancummings.org. For more information about Giving Matters, call 941-921-5410.
About Giving Matters
Giving Matters, an initiative of The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Southwest Florida Chapter, is committed to inspiring and educating women of all ages to transform their community and world through volunteerism and philanthropy. The organization’s purpose is to provide professional information and resources that will enable women to become informed, strategic philanthropists. Giving Matters helps women align their personal values with non-profit organizations for which they can become passionate. The members of the Gems of Philanthropy committee are: Chair: Suzanne Seiter CFRE, Doris Berkey, Aundria Castleberry, Audrey Coleman, Linda M. de Mello, Donna Dunio, Dottie Baer Garner, Jane Hundner, Aida Matic CFRE, Susan Olson PhD., Joan Kemeny Paru CFRE, Faith Pridmore CFRE, Mary Lee Richey, Betty Schoenbaum, Gail Sullivan and Charlie Ann Syprett.
About The Association of Fundraising Professionals
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is an international organization that works in the non-profit sector to promote philanthropy and educate in all matters related to giving. AFP is an individual membership association advancing philanthropy through education, training and advocacy based on research, a code of ethical principles and standards of professional practice. The Southwest Florida Chapter is committed to growing professionalism and diversity among its membership, increasing the opportunities and resources provided to its members, and celebrating the philanthropic heritage of the Sarasota/Manatee community. For more information, visit www.afpswfl.org.
About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
The Community Foundation is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of over $239 million in more than 1,100 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $15.8 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org.
