Group’s Founding Poorly Described

To the Editor:

The article “Where Small Foundations Can Learn the Ropes” (May 18) accurately describes the need for the Association of Small Foundations.

But as founding chair of the organization, I would like to point out that attribution of the founding to Joe Pierpont and Charles Scott is far from correct and that the writer failed to appropriately describe the association as an affinity group of the Council on Foundations.

The first meeting of the fledgling group was convened at the annual meeting of the Council on Foundations in April 1995 with 75 persons present. A steering committee was formed by those at the meeting.

At that time, Winsome McIntosh volunteered to serve as unpaid administrator. Winsome’s early involvement was key to the immediate success of the association.

At the 1996 Council on Foundations annual meeting, Ms. McIntosh introduced Joe Pierpont and Charles Scott as her partners in a consulting firm and proposed a contract through which the firm would start the association. Pierpont and Scott were named co-directors in 1998.

Alan L. Egly
Executive Director
Doris & Victor Day Foundation
Rock Island, Ill.