Happy Library Week!
This newsletter is NOT dedicated to Andrew Carnegie who gave the funds
for the construction of 2,500-plus across the English-speaking world. He has been sufficiently lauded by
others. The hero of this missive is
Carnegie's assistant John Bertram, and it is dedicated to all the personal
secretaries, family foundation staff, attorneys and bank officers known
collectively as "Gatekeepers." They play
an important and under-appreciated role in the philanthropic ecosystem. I learned the importance of honoring the
gatekeeper when I worked for The Wilderness Society. Every year an entity called Canyon Investments sent a check
for $5,000. The return address was a
post office box in Chicago. Every year,
the Wilderness Society's corporate sponsorship department would toss the
responsibility for Canyon Investments to the foundation team, or visa
versa. Once, when I was planning a trip
to Chicago, I sent a letter to "Dear sir or madam," expressing appreciation for
the past years' support and inquiring whether a visit would be welcome. I knew this was a longshot, so I was
surprised and delighted when I got a phone call from an attorney representing
Canyon, and inviting me to join him for coffee while I was in town. He explained to me that the donor preferred
anonymity, and that he would be happy to pass on any literature I cared to
leave with him. He also mentioned that
there was some extra money in the account, and that a request for $10,000 would
probably be granted. The gifts grew to $35,000 a year. Every time to flew to
Chicago, I visited the attorney. Every
time I saw him, I asked if I could arrange a visit between the donor and the
Wilderness Society's president. He
always smiled and shook his head, and offered to deliver any literature I
wanted to leave with him. When you are looking for a donor and, instead, find yourself
face to face with a gatekeeper, take a deep breath, introduce yourself, and
thank him or her for being an intermediary.
He or she may give you information about the donor (I always preface my
questions with "are you at liberty to discuss..."). In any case, if you want Andrew Carnegie to
build your town a libarary, you have to talk to John Bertram, so you might as
well make it a pleasant conversation.
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