INDIANAPOLIS—The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University will present Spirit of Philanthropy awards to national philanthropic sector leaders for their contributions to the field of philanthropy and their continuing support of Center activities at a Thursday luncheon ceremony in Indianapolis.
André R. Donikian, JD, founder and president of Pentera Inc. of Indianapolis, and Charles and Virginia Johnson, longtime Indianapolis residents now living in Arizona, are this year’s honorees. Charles Johnson is the former vice president for development for Lilly Endowment Inc. Virginia Johnson is an active community volunteer.
The Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) Spirit of Philanthropy awards annually recognize individuals, corporations and foundations that have provided support for university programs through their gifts and their voluntary service. The Center is a part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
Charles Johnson was an important catalyst for the creation of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. During the late 1980s, he acted as a consensus builder to aid in developing a partnership between The Fund Raising School, Indiana University and Lilly Endowment Inc. that led to the Center’s founding and development. Through his role with the Endowment, Johnson was well acquainted with the struggles of nonprofit organizations to develop knowledge and resources and maintain financial viability. Along with other Center founders, he saw the possibility for assistance at the intersection of practical expertise and scholarly research. Johnson helped to shape the vision for an academic center that would apply research to the worlds of philanthropy and nonprofit management. He later served on the Center’s Board of Governors from 1995 to 2005 and as its chair from 1999 to 2001. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson are longtime supporters of the Center, giving generously of their financial resources and wise counsel.
During his tenure at the Endowment from 1976 to 1994, Johnson acted as liaison to many nonprofit organizations and provided leadership that resulted in the creation of dozens of additional community foundations across the state of Indiana. As a key architect of the Giving Indiana Funds for Tomorrow (GIFT) initiative, he helped launch a program that ultimately resulted in a community foundation or affiliate serving each of the state’s 92 counties, with combined assets of approximately $1 billion.
In addition to his role on the Center’s board, Johnson has served as a volunteer with the Association of Fundraising Professionals Foundation Board of Directors, the Legacy Fund Board of Governors, the Indiana Historical Society Board of Directors, the Michigan Community Foundation’s Youth Project Board of Trustees, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis and the Community Foundation of Southern Arizona. He is currently a trustee of the Carondelet Foundation, which supports three hospitals in Tucson, and serves on the Advisory Council of the Center on Planned Giving for Southern Arizona. Virginia Johnson is a retired educator and teaches small groups of elementary students twice a week in the Tucson Unified School District. While in Indiana, she served for nine years on the Board of Directors of Friends Fellowship Community, a retirement center in Richmond, and also served on the Quaker denominational executive board, Friends United Meeting.
“Charles and Virginia have truly embodied a deep commitment to the understanding and practice of philanthropy,” Center executive director Eugene R. Tempel said. “Their leadership has been unparalleled and we are honored to recognize their lasting contributions and profound service to the university and to the Indiana community.”
In honor of his commitment to the field of philanthropy, Charles received the Center on Philanthropy’s Henry A. Rosso Medal in 1995. This award is given annually to recognize individuals for lifetime achievement in ethical fundraising.
André R. Donikian, an attorney and member of the New York Bar, is a nationally recognized expert in the field of planned giving with 35 years of service and is a recipient of numerous awards, including the prestigious David M. Donaldson Distinguished Service Award, given in recognition of outstanding service and leadership in the field of charitable gift planning by the Planned Giving Group of New England. As founder, president and editor in chief of Pentera Inc., a full-service planned-giving firm based in Indianapolis, he has advised thousands of nonprofits on all aspects of connecting organizations and donors. He has published and lectured extensively on philanthropic tax planning and has developed continuing education programs for state bar associations and accountancy boards.
Donikian has gained a reputation as a sought-after speaker who helps nonprofits further their missions and provides individual donors with vital information that might affect their ability to achieve their philanthropic goals. From 1989 to 1997, the organization now known as the Independent Colleges of Indiana Foundation retained Donikian, under Lilly Endowment and Ball Brothers Foundation grants, to act as gift-planning counsel to all of the independent colleges of Indiana, to train and educate their development staff, board members and key volunteers and to conduct numerous seminars for prospects and donors.
Donikian has served on the board of the National Committee on Planned Giving and the Board of Advisors of Union College, where he has set up scholarships, and is a founder of the Planned Giving Group of Indiana. He and his wife, Molly Stark, created The Donikian Family Lectureship at the Center to increase knowledge about ethical issues in giving and development.
“André’s creativity and expertise have provided innumerable benefits to the sector and to our organization,” Tempel said. “We are proud to honor him and appreciate his support. It will provide future generations with the opportunity to grapple with important issues that affect us all.”
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising, and management of nonprofit organizations. A part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), the Center operates programs on the IUPUI and IU Bloomington campuses.
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