Philanthropists young and old — no matter how you like to communicate — take heart! Advocates of philanthropy are embracing electronic communications, but they haven’t forgotten the joy of sitting down for a face-to-face conversation over a slice of pizza.
On an 8/22 TPT segment on “Minnesota’s Philanthropic Tradition,” Almanac’s Mary Lahammer interviewed philanthropist and former RBC Dain Rauscher CEO Dick McFarland. In his retirement, McFarland eschews golf. Instead he is active in the philanthropic community, serving on The McKnight Foundation’s board, and being a strong advocate for investing in our community’s kids.
When Sean Kershaw of the Citizens League asked McFarland to participate in an internet chat with high school students in the Students Speak Out project, McFarland wasn’t afraid to engage in a little online conversation. The electronic exchange started with McFarland asking “What makes a great teacher?”, and according to him, the students’ responses were “spectacular.” The kids must have thought it went well, too, because they wanted to talk some more … in a face-to-face get-together over pizza. Said McFarland, “This was the highlight of my summer. These kids were fascinating.” They discussed values and skills, and the importance of becoming effective communicators. It sounds to me like these students are already honing some razor-sharp communications skills.
Join the conversation: What inter-generational conversations have you had lately? What was your most recent communications success — either online or in-person?
- Wendy Wehr, MCF V.P. of Communications and Information Services
