Lewis earns Henry A. Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fund Raising
The ASU Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management is pleased to announce that Senior Professional-in-Residence, Patricia Lewis, has been honored with the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University’s Henry A. Rosso Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Ethical Fund Raising, the Center’s most prestigious award, at a ceremony Nov. 4th in Indianapolis. Robert Pierpont, an independent fund raising consultant and Ed Schumacher, founder and president of Third Sector Consulting, were also named honorees.
Since 1990, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University has presented this annual award to exceptional individuals. The Rosso Medal was created to honor Henry A. “Hank” Rosso (1917-1999), a founder of the Center on Philanthropy and founding director of its public service program, The Fund Raising School. Past honorees include Indiana University Chancellor Herman B Wells, University of Notre Dame President Theodore M. Hesburgh, and national fund raising firm executives George A. Brakeley and Donald A. Campbell, Jr.
“This year’s recipients epitomize the essence of the Rosso Medal, given to those with a long tradition of philanthropic leadership,” said Eugene R. Tempel, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy. “It honors dedication to emphasizing philanthropy’s ethics and values, acting as a mentor to perpetuate and invigorate philanthropic traditions, and long, productive careers of distinction.”
A nationally and internationally renowned practitioner and scholar, Patricia Lewis has served the fund raising sector for over thirty years. She is Senior Professional-in-Residence at the ASU Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management, where she leads the Center’s “first-responder” program, providing assistance to those with questions on starting, managing and operating a nonprofit. Additionally, Lewis provides guidance and leadership for the Center’s numerous capacity building programs, including Effective, Motivated Board Governance, Principles of Effectiveness for Nonprofit Organizations the Center’s strategic planning program, Evolving Nonprofits Through Strategic Evaluation and Planning (ENSTEP). Lewis is past president and chief executive officer of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, now known as the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and has served as the chief operating officer of the National Center for Nonprofit Enterprise.
"Our stakeholders are the beneficiaries of Pat's extraordinary expertise in nonprofit capacity building," said Dr. Robert F. Ashcraft, professor of nonprofit studies and director of ASU's Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. "Earning the Rosso Medal is an accomplishment achieved by few in the philanthropic field and is such a well deserved honor for Pat because she truly is a national and international treasure in the field of ethical fund raising." Lewis travels the globe as a lecturer on nonprofit governance, fund raising, strategic planning, association management, and strengthening of the nongovernmental sector, and she was Secretariat to the World Fundraising Council. Her civic engagement includes service as treasurer on the AARP Foundation board, and as a member or officer on the boards of the Alexandria, Va. Symphony Orchestra, the Women’s Philanthropy Institute, and the Sun Health Medical System Foundation. Lewis earned a degree in marketing from the University of Washington. Additionally, she is an Advanced Certified Fund Raising Executive (ACFRE).
“With her extensive and diverse experiences, Pat Lewis is a unique asset for the nonprofit sector,” said Timothy L. Seiler, director of public service and The Fund Raising School at the Center on Philanthropy. “Through her expertise and service, she consistently strives to increase the understanding of philanthropy throughout the world.”
The mission of the Arizona State University Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management (CNLM) is to help build the capacity of the social sector by enhancing the effectiveness of those who lead, manage, and support nonprofit organizations. As part of the College of Public Programs and in partnership with the School of Community Resources and Development, CNLM provides knowledge and tools to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations, professionals, board members, and volunteers by offering research, technical assistance, workshops, conferences, classes, and capacity building programs. For more information, visit: http://nonprofit.asu.edu.