highest fundraising honor, the Campbell & Company Award for Excellence
in Fundraising, Small Category (five or fewer individuals in the
fundraising department) to the Arts & Science Council (ASC) of
Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
The award, which honors an organization that has developed campaigns,
initiatives, projects or techniques that have grown and increased its
fundraising infrastructure, program and results, will be presented at
AFP's Awards for Philanthropy Banquet during the International
Conference on Fundraising on Monday, March 21, 2011, in Chicago
ASC is being honored for its tremendously successful Campaign for
Cultural Facilities, which raised more than $82.5 million to support
the operating endowments for the Levine Center for the Arts in
Charlotte that include the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American
Arts + Culture, John S. and James L. Knight Theater, Mint Museum-
Uptown and Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The campaign also endowed
financial support for significant structural and programmatic
renovations of Discovery Place (a science museum), and important
operating support and an endowment for the Charlotte Symphony, as well
as funding for a new facility for North Carolina Dance Theatre.
"We are honored to receive this prestigious award from AFP based on
our work for this important community vision," said ASC President
Scott Provancher. "This campaign faced many highs and lows, but
through the hard work and dedication of many individuals and the
generosity of our community it was successfully completed, and now
thousands of residents and visitors can experience new arts and
cultural exhibits and programs."
The cultural organizations involved in the ground-breaking campaign
all worked under ASC, requiring an immense amount of coordination and
leadership, especially as the different organizations continued to
raise funds on their own for other projects. In addition, the
financial crisis of 2008 significantly affected the campaign's
fundraising, as the personal wealth of many of Charlotte's leading
philanthropists were tied to banks and other financial institutions.
Several of the campaign's corporate chairs left their positions during
the campaign, and ASC's former president retired before the
fundraising efforts were complete.
Peter Fissinger, president of Campbell & Company, stated, "On behalf
of the entire Campbell & Company team, I want to congratulate the Arts
& Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg for receiving this
prestigious award. It is inspiring to see one organization unite an
entire community to strengthen its broad array of cultural
institutions. The campaign represents a compelling vision, a
commitment toward collaboration, outstanding leadership and remarkable
philanthropic spirit."
The campaign saw tremendous results from individual philanthropists,
which is especially noteworthy in a community known more for corporate
philanthropy. One third of all of the campaign's major gift prospects
responded with gifts and pledges. While lead gifts from Bank of
America, Duke Energy and Wachovia/Wells Fargo Foundation totaling $35
million gave the campaign a strong start, the campaign reached its
goal through a $15 million naming gift from Leon and Sandra Levine of
The Leon Levine Foundation, with an additional $5 million gift by Duke
Energy made in honor of the Levine's.
The effort has also laid the groundwork for future cultural
fundraising campaigns and raised the bar on personal philanthropy in
the Charlotte community.
"The challenges that faced ASC in Charlotte were about as significant
and far-ranging as I've ever seen in a campaign, and they came through
it all with flying colors," said Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE,
president and CEO of AFP. "The success of the campaign is a testament
to the leadership of ASC and their ability not only to organize the
different organizations and fundraising events, but keep them all
energized and inspired. It truly was an outstanding effort."
