Women Of Excellence: Penelope McPhee
President, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Terri Thornton
July 1, 2008
sponsored by:
P
enelope McPhee wanted to change the world, and becoming a journalist seemed to be the
best way to do it. With a master's degree from the prestigious Columbia School of Journalism, she
became an award-winning producer at WPBT, a Miami public television station. That opened her eyes
to an even clearer path, which led her into the world of philanthropy.
"That seemed like a more direct way to change the world," she recalls.
Philanthropy also let her use the organizational and people skills she'd developed as a producer. "It really is putting a team of people together behind an idea to make something happen."
Foundations, McPhee says, are the venture capitalists of the nonprofit world. "Foundations can do things government and other private institutions can't do, and that's innovate," she says. "They have an opportunity that most organizations don't have to experiment, to try new things – to take risks. And a foundation that doesn't take risks isn't living up to its mission."
McPhee left Miami's John S. and James L. Knight Foundation four years ago for the opportunity to lead one of the region's largest family foundations: The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. "In football vernacular, we scored an all time pro-bowler when we selected Penelope," says trustee Stephanie Blank. "We instantly thought this is a person who can handle any situation with grace, empathy and the right kind of strategic thinking. Penelope has the ability to command respect in the community and our organization and create a professional atmosphere, yet she is always approachable and down to earth."
Foundations, McPhee says, reflect the values of their founders, who want to do more than just donate money – they want to make a difference. "They want to focus on the outcomes and not just the gift," she explains. In the past 10 years, she's seen many foundations undergo a significant change. "They're thinking much more about leverage and how their investment is going to leverage other investments so that it's not just individual donors making nice and important gifts to people, but that one and one adds up to more than two."
In addition to her parents and her husband, McPhee has had more mentors than she can count. McPhee also found inspiration from the leaders of America's civil rights movement. In writing two award-winning books about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., she met the ministers and civil rights workers who changed history. "All of them were just so committed and generous and gentle people, and that was inspiring and life-changing."
While encouraged by the recent trend toward corporate social responsibility, McPhee wouldn't trade her position for one in the business world, where the goal remains the bottom line. "To feel like you're making a difference in education, in early childhood, in the environment, is really a compelling reason to get up and go to work every day."
Her advice to today's young women who want to change the world is simple, and to the point: "Be bold."
Return to the Women Of Excellence index page.
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