National Philanthropy Day

Everyone has their special talents: some people are good at writing, some accelerated at arithmetic and others are science whizzes. Then there are the venerable few who are darn good at do-gooding. It’s important to acknowledge these people and thank them for their contributions to our society and this is precisely the purpose of the upcoming National Philanthropy Day.

National Philanthropy Day (NPD) events across the country are produced each year by local chapters of AFP, which honors individuals and organizations active in philanthropy and fundraising. The following individuals are the recipients of San Diego’s Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day awards and will be honored in an event on Nov. 3, 2009.

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Robert Silva: First-generation college student, Robert Silva, spends his free time inspiring the same in others throughout San Diego. This, among countless other selfless philanthropic ventures has earned Silva the honor of “San Diego’s Outstanding Youth/Student Volunteer.” In addition to the Reality Changers program described above, Silva has pioneered a large number of new altruistic ventures for San Diego, including his “Fresh Education for Freshmen” program at Lincoln High School and “Coins for Cancer,” through which he collected nickels and dimes throughout the city that, in total, amounted to a $4,000 donation to breast cancer.

James H. West: A CPA by vocation, James West is a veritable jack-of-all-trades in the San Diego non-profit world. He has taken leadership roles in more than a handful of local non-profit organizations, including the San Diego Chapter of the American World Cross, Sharp Healthcare, Meals on Wheels and a 19-year stint as a member of the Board of California Western School of Law. He was one of the founders of both the LEAD and COMBO organizations and has been instrumental in raising tens of millions of dollars for various local charities. All of this and more earned him the honor of being named the 2009 “San Diego’s Outstanding Organizational Volunteer.”

Ann Hill: Ann Hill has dedicated immeasurable levels of dedication to fundraising for some of San Diego’s most prized philanthropic outlets. Her benevolent efforts have benefitted countless organizations, too many to name, including the San Diego Crew Classic, Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS), the San Diego Education Fund Future Educators Program, UCSD’s Board of Overseers, the Ellen Browning Scripps Society, North Coast Hospice, Scripps Memorial Hospital, the San Diego Historical Society and the San Diego Rotary Club. Highlights, such as securing a $5 million grant for the dropout prevention program of the San Diego Unified School District, earned Hill the honor of “Outstanding Fundraising Volunteer.”

Conrad T. Prebys: When scouring the philanthropic resume of Conrad T. Prebys, one blatant question comes to mind: “How did he have time to get any work done?” Prebys has had his charitable hands in many industries in San Diego, helping local children, education systems, medical research programs, animals, arts organizations and more. The Elephant Odyssey, Polar Bear Plunge, The Old Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre and UCSD’s Conrad Prebys Music Endowment will forever leave a mark on San Diego’s residents and visitors.

Nice Guys of San Diego: Although the Nice Guys of San Diego have become accustomed to bestowing awards for philanthropy on others, it’s high time they received an award of their own. Being honored this year as “San Diego’s Outstanding Philanthropic Organization,” the Nice Guys have created an extensive list of good deeds in San Diego. They launched the Victory Fund, which aids local military personnel returning home with injuries; they assisted a group on wives of active duty Marines in establishing their own Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund and, earlier this year, the organization donated $400,000 to the UC San Diego Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit. In 2008 alone, they donated $2 million dollars to various organizations.

Jack In The Box: Through their foundation, the Jack in the Box Corporation has been feeding San Diego’ youth in more than just the literal sense for more than 20 years. Through Operationg Bigs, they assist Big Brothers and Big Sisters of San Diego County in activating support for school-based mentoring programs. Even more impressive is their program that gives 5^th graders a first glimpse at becoming business owners for a day, making financial decisions, paying taxes and exploring philanthropic endeavors they may one day support on their own. Jack in the Box is being honored as “San Diego’s Outstanding Philanthropic Coporation” for the improved quality of life they’ve bestowed on the city’s children and families.

Geni Cavitt: Geni Cavitt is one of the 10 coolest women in San Diego County - at least, according to the Girl Scouts, who are one of more than 20 local organizations that have benefitted from Cavitt’s generosity throughout the years. She has spent 20 years in the broadcast world in San Diego and has dedicated incalculable time and effort to exposing the efforts of many essential non-profit organizations in San Diego. The award of “San Diego’s Outstanding Celebrity Volunteer” is the community’s way of honoring her selfless work over the past two decades.

Charles E. Day, FAHP, CFRE: Raising more than $228 million is no small feat, but it’s all in a day’s work for Charles E. Day, FAHP, CFRE of Rady Children’s Hospital Foundation. He began his career as a speech pathologist and soon ventured behind the scenes, working with various organizations including the San Diego Scottish Rite Clinic for Childhood Language Disorders, Scripps Memorial and, eventually, landed at Rady’s. Day is honored this year as the “Outstanding Development Professional.”

If you’re interested in attending the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day celebration on November 3, visit their website for more information and registration.

Tags: Ann Hill, CFRE, Charles E. Day, Conrad T. Prebys, FAHP, Geni Cavitt, Jack In the Box, James H. West, National Philanthropy Day, Nice Guys of San Diego, Robert Silva, SDNN

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 27th, 2009 at 4:11 pm and is filed under Good Squad, Out & About . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.