news-record.com

The president of the Greensboro United Way at the time was skeptical, even cautious, of Bonnie McElveen-Hunter’s suggestion of a women’s version of the Alexis de Tocqueville Society for big donors.

Neil Belenky years earlier had suggested something similar, but women’s initiatives hadn’t been successful across the country. McElveen-Hunter, the CEO of Pace Communications, even had a goal of 40 Tocqueville Society Women, who would donate $10,000 or more to the United Way — causing Belenky to gasp.

“Of course that’s the worse thing you can say to me — 'Oh, you can’t do it,’” recalled McElveen-Hunter, who would go on serve as U.S. ambassador to Finland and the first female chairman of the board of the American Red Cross. “Of course I couldn’t have done it without Neil’s support — or the whole group of women.”

Her exploration of the power of women’s giving in Greensboro caught on across the country, and a decade later, more than half-billion dollars has been raised for local communities through United Way Worldwide, the new name for the United Way of America. Last year in Greensboro, 72 women contributed $805,000 through Tocqueville Women, which helps the nonprofit affect the lives of one in three people locally.

“Greensboro is very important to the movement of the women’s philanthropy movement,” said Linda Paulson, national United Way director for strategic markets.

Despite the recession, while giving to the United Way was down 5 percent nationally, Paulson said, the women’s leadership giving nationally increased from $105 million in 2007 to $117 million in 2008.

“I’ve seen very few things that have taken off like that,” Belenky said. “It didn’t take a generation. It just connected with women and the changing role of women. What Bonnie proved is that you can acknowledge differences and all work together for the same goal. That was an important breakthrough.”

McElveen-Hunter spent five months approaching businesswomen, community activists and husbands who might want to honor their wives by making contribution in their names. It also was an acknowledgement that women were making philanthropic decisions in the community as well, even though their husbands might have gotten the credit. If couples were already giving to the Tocqueville Society, it would be an additional $10,000 gift for the women’s group.

“There are some amazing women in this area and they do a lot of things,” said Dudley Products co-owner and chief financial officer Eunice Dudley, one of the women McElveen-Hunter approached. “This gave us an opportunity to be seen and heard and appreciated.’’

McElveen-Hunter also approached Joseph Mullin, the former minister of First Presbyterian Church, who was also a friend, for feedback.

“Joe said, 'This is the most expensive lunch I’ve ever had,’” McElveen-Hunter said of his immediately wanting to honor his wife, Betty.

It was a success: 41 in 1999, the first year; 80 the second; and 100 the third year.

McElveen-Hunter later took Betty Beene, the national president of the United Way, to the office of the president of Merrill Lynch, who agreed to underwrite a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal for the women’s effort, which McElveen-Hunter hoped would influence other women.

Dudley, Betty Mullin and Greensboro attorney Kathy Manning were among those whose faces were featured.

“Although our community is small, we are mighty when we work together,” Manning said. “Our women have set a standard of community support for the rest of the country, and we can take great pride in being trendsetters ... in doing good work for those in need.”

Tocqueville Women, for example, brought a more pronounced interest to parental involvement issues in the school and issues related to “No Child Left Behind” before there was such a federal mandate, Belenky said.

“The United Way is such a vehicle with all its programs,” said Pam Sessoms, chairwoman of Tocqueville Women’s Leadership in Greensboro. “They can see their dollars at work, and that’s why they are so generous.”

While McElveen-Hunter applauds the initiative’s success, she doesn’t want to lose focus on the reasons for the fundraising in the first place.

“It sounds like a lot of money,” said McElveen-Hunter, who was later awarded the highest award given by the national United Way for her initiative leadership, “but there’s still such a tremendous need.”

Contact Nancy McLaughlin at 373-7049 or nancy.mclaughlin@news-record.com