Arthur A. Dugoni's Remarks at the 2009 Heritage Society and Scholarship Luncheon
Arthur A. Dugoni, dean emeritus of University of the Pacific's Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, gave a speech during the 2009 Heritage Society and Scholarship Luncheon. Titled "Challenge to Change," the speech explores the necessity of philanthropy.
The text of the entire speech is below and also can be downloaded from the Web as a PDF:
"Challenge to Change"
Heritage Society and Scholarship Luncheon
University of the Pacific, Stockton, California
October 15, 2009
Arthur A. Dugoni, D.D.S., M.S.D.
Dean Emeritus and Professor of Orthodontics
Senior Executive for Development 
Ladies and gentlemen. Thank you, Cathy, for the kind and thoughtful introduction. My mother would have been beaming and would have believed every word of it and my dad would have wondered whom you were talking about.
I have titled my presentation, "Challenge to Change" - to create a passion for philanthropy, and to create a passion for Pacific. Today, we honor donors, generosity, scholarships, and individuals who truly have demonstrated a passion for Pacific. Thank you for the opportunity to share some thoughts with you about the magic and the power of philanthropy. Also, thank you for your generosity and caring to make a difference in the future of the University of the Pacific. You have created endowments, scholarships, built new facilities, enhanced programs, but in fact, you are the chosen few. Many are asked, but few answer the call or find it impossible to be generous.
Philanthropy comes from the Greek words philo (love) + anthrops (mankind) = love of mankind - to promote the common good or improve the quality of life.
I was stunned recently when one of my more affluent colleagues asked me, "Art, how can I make a charitable contribution now, when my revenue is down?" I wondered if not him, then who is to help when the going gets rough.
We are all aware of the ripple effect from the financial tsunami of 2009, which has left few untouched, including charitable organizations that serve as safety nets for us and our neighbors when we are most in need of assistance.
So what do I say to my colleague when he turns a deaf ear to the outpouring of need? Perhaps I could say, "Living a life that matters does not happen by chance. It is not a matter of circumstance, but one of choice. Or, as educated professionals, you have chosen to live a life that matters, and because you have, many individuals have a better quality of life, walk a little taller, and you know in your heart that you have made a difference."
"Generosity is rooted in character - not bank accounts - and is limited only by our perspective. Writer James Agee illustrates this well in Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, in which he recounts one of his experiences during the Great Depression.
Agee found an impoverished elderly woman in the hollows of Appalachia. She was living in a tiny shack with dirt floors, no heat, and no plumbing. Agee asked the woman, 'What would you do if someone came along and gave you some money to help you out?'
The old lady rocked in her chair and shook her head. 'I guess I'd give it to the poor.'"
Lesson learned - it depends on your perspective.
During 2009, donations to charitable causes across the U.S. dropped to $303.65 billion, a 5.7 percent fall from 2007, adjusted for inflation. This was the first decline in current giving since 1987 and only the second decline since Giving USA began reporting on charitable giving in 1956. To add to the pain, investments held by universities nose-dived with the rest of the financial market - a one-two punch that left precious little reserves to support critical programs in 2009.
Our universities, which rely heavily on private contributions for scholarships, faculty salaries, operations, capital improvements, student loans, and a variety of other needs, simply are hard pressed to make ends meet. And little to no relief is expected from state appropriations. In fact, rising unemployment and decreasing sales revenue have caused state legislators to cut funds for schools to the bone.
I do not have to tell you, this audience, why a strong educational enterprise is important to our future as a nation. Doing nothing is not a choice. Our education has made us the people that we are today. Our compassion, concern, and support for education ensure the future of our communities and the integrity of its citizens.
Together, we make a huge difference. Remember, you only live twice - once in your mind, and once with your life. It is up to us, each one of us, to be models of philanthropy and to help achieve something bigger than ourselves, especially through others. Our connection to each other creates change and improves lives. It does not get any better than that. I have to admit that my "Achilles heels" are the individuals who choose to be non-donors.
I have always believed that we can move mountains one grain of sand at a time. Let me test your memory with an example. The March of Dimes is just one example of triumph over apathy and adversity.
The power to shape the future is earned through persistence. No other quality is as essential to success. Calvin Coolidge reminded us:
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common then unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."
Persistence is the sandpaper that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles. It is the ability to move mountains one grain of sand at a time.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, a polio victim himself, believed that years of polio epidemics and the toll it took on the nation's young was too overwhelming to ignore. Under his leadership, he helped to establish a nationwide appeal for charitable giving that would fund vaccine research development to once and for all find the cure for polio.
FDR believed that the power to make a "change" was rooted in the collective efforts of an entire nation - that any problem could be solved when people joined together and acted as one strong, united force.
The March of Dimes was unique and a lesson to us in so many ways. It is one of the only charitable organizations to have conquered its original goal, and it did so by enacting a large-scale, nationwide initiative - making charitable giving and volunteerism part of the fabric of American life. Prior to the vaccine, polio affected 50,000 people each year. With the help of the national media, there were pleas for the donation of dimes, and the accumulation of millions of dimes from millions of people was enough to fund the research that led to the polio vaccine.
I would compare the March of Dimes campaign with the power of annual giving! Repetitive giving of small amounts over the years can accumulate significantly and truly make a difference. In the case of the March of Dimes, it led to research that found the cure for polio.
Ladies and gentlemen - I am certain you see what a difference positive change can make when endorsed by those who believe and have a passion for making a difference. Let us strive to encourage our thousands of alumni to be generous.
Let me take you again on another brief history lesson. This time I am traveling back over 100 years to the times of our great industrialists who built their fortunes from the ground up.
Andrew Carnegie was the wealthiest man in the world at the turn of the century. He built his fortune over time and in 1900 at the age of 65 sold U.S. Steel Corporation for $480 million. In today's dollars, this equates to over $11 billion. Carnegie was a staunch advocate of active community philanthropy. He believed the rich have a moral obligation to give away their fortunes.
In his 1889 essay
The Gospel of Wealth
, Carnegie reaffirmed this by encouraging wealthy families to keep only what was necessary and returning the rest for the benefit of the community. He felt it was immoral and irresponsible to pass on large wealth to ill-equipped persons or organizations for fear that the money would be spent improperly, negating the positive impact it would have on the community. It is estimated that during
his lifetime Andrew Carnegie donated the 2007 equivalent of over $8 billion -approximately 72 percent of his personal wealth.
Carnegie convinced other wealthy industrialists like Mellon and Rockefeller to this philosophy and in this way of life. This philosophy continues in the work of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, Paul Allen, and our own Jeannette Powell here at Pacific. Through the establishment of endowments and foundations, these philanthropists built a system where their personal charitable giving could continue in perpetuity. And it has! The awesome power of endowments. You are witness to some of that power today because it has resulted in scholarships for many of our students here at Pacific.
Philanthropic endeavors in this country, large and small have the ability to reach and change the lives of tens of millions. Mahatma Gandhi wrote,"No matter how insignificant what you do may seem, it is important that you do it." In terms of philanthropy, Gandhi had the right idea - no matter how small the contribution we make may seem, it is crucial that everyone does their part. So many of you have given of your time, talent, and treasury.
In my view, every dollar counts. I believe charitable foundations would rather have a million people donate $25 each than have a handful of people write big checks, because that means millions of us are getting involved. If you give $25 and talk to your neighbor about giving $25, that becomes a big deal. If you continue that conversation person by person and it goes across the country, we will really start moving mountains. Although small donations often go unnoticed, when accumulated, the results become outstanding.
When I came to Pacific as dean of the School of Dentistry, donations were about $60,000 a year, with less than 5 percent of the graduates donating consistently to the dental school. In 2006, the School of Dentistry completed a $65 million campaign. 49 percent of its alumni donated to that campaign.
Let me illustrate with a personal example. Each year, Dr. Howard Landesman, dean emeritus at USC, and I would discuss our fundraising efforts. Howard asked me, "How much did you raise this year, Art?" I would tell him that I thought we raised about $4 million. He would respond back, "from how many donors?" I would tell him about 1,200. He would say, "Art, you are working too hard. I raised $4 million from four donors."
Well, I firmly believe I would rather raise $4 million from 1,200 donors than $4 million from four individuals. The reason is that those 1,200 donors become ambassadors for philanthropy and help create a passion for Pacific. I have 60 years of dental education experience, 28 of those years are as a dean of a dental school. I have seen first-hand the positive and tremendous results of charitable giving. Unfortunately, I also know the repercussions of doing nothing.
Doing nothing is not a choice. Mediocrity is just not good enough. I believe in securing the education system for a long future and I believe in securing the excellence, as you do, of the University of the Pacific.
There are three top reasons why people decide to make a donation:
Returning something to society,
Believe in a particular cause, and
To make a difference or change.
These reasons are closely aligned to those espoused by Andrew Carnegie.
Tolstoy reminds us:
"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
Over time, we have all changed our attitudes, as the needs of education and its future have unfolded. As we continue to move positively forward our passion - our excitement - our commitment - can move mountains of doubt and apathy, and we can light a fire for philanthropy in the hearts and souls of our colleagues for the needs of education. Remember, persistence is the sandpaper that breaks down all resistance and sweeps away all obstacles. It is the ability to move mountains one grain of sand at a time.
Recently, I gave a presentation in Marin County on the future of dental education and our ADA Foundation campaigns. In the "Q &A," a young dentist stated that he did not understand how we could ever solve the problems of recruiting faculty with the disparity in income of the dental practitioner and dental educator (especially specialists). This provided me with the opportunity to describe how creating endowed chairs and professorships solved this problem for Dartmouth, Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Pacific, etc., and would also solve the problem for all of education. This resulted in an excellent discussion and dialogue on how and why endowments work. Endowments build great universities and I would add "great dental schools."
At the School of Dentistry, we have been able to create more than 140 endowments, with 75 more being funded. I would urge each of you, if you have not done it, to consider created an endowment to honor your family and its heritage. I can assure you that if you do, you will live a longer life and a happier one. Let me illustrate. More than 30 years ago, I met with one of our donors who I knew had the ability to create an endowment. After many discussions and meetings, he finally created a $5 million endowment. He went on to live a wonderful life into his late nineties. Another individual who helped create an endowment early in his sixties just died last week at the age of 102.
You never know when that individual will surface who will create that very special endowment because of your encouragement. Let me tell you about a phone call I received at the dental school several years ago from an individual who wanted to
donate an old dental cabinet to the dental school. I told her we would be happy to accept the cabinet and would like to come over, pick it up, and meet with her. She was a "salty" lady. Sitting on a sofa with a cigarette on her lips, she looked at me and said, "Tell me about your dental school. My husband graduated from it some 50 years ago and has passed on." This resulted in three endowments: one endowed chair and two endowed professorships. You never know where your enthusiasm and passion for Pacific will lead you.
I express heartfelt gratitude to every person who had a role in making me the person I am today. Even the hardest working and dedicated student relies on his or her teacher to assist them, guide them, and show them the way. They also rely on their peers and other students to generate discussion, receive feedback, and discover new ideas. An education allows an individual to be well rounded, respectful, and expands their horizons allowing them to think beyond their capabilities and explore the land of possibilities. I have to admit that my heroes and heroines are individuals who have chosen to be teachers - to be educators.
Education thrives on the dedication and support of an entire network of people, but it needs funding to survive. Proper funding is imperative and it is the responsibility of every alumnus who has been positively affected by education to give back. I am proud to say I am one of many who are compelled to give back, and I know you are too. Kaye and I have created two endowments at Pacific: one for student scholarships, and one for an endowed professorship. Over the years, I have given over 1,000 presentations and I have never accepted an honorarium. However, instead, I have always encouraged organizations to make a contribution to the endowment for student scholarship or the endowed professorship in orthodontics that were created at the School of Dentistry.
I personally like the concept of monthly giving because it develops a pattern of generosity. Just as you write a check for rent or your mortgage, write a check to those educational institutions that made you who you are today. At the end of the year, it amounts to a great deal. If you send a check for $100 a month to the university, it usually is fairly easy, but if you wait until the end of the year, it may become difficult to write a check for $1,200. Several years ago, I accepted the responsibility to work with the American Dental Association Foundation to create a $1 billion endowment to support dental education. The theme was to create a passion for philanthropy in the hearts of dentists of this nation. I am proud to report that since 2004, more than $500 million has been donated to dental education. Although people believed I lost my mind when I set a goal for $1 billion, they now know that it is possible. As former Senator Everett M. Dirksen said,
"A billion here, a billion there, and soon you are talking about real money."
A billion is a difficult number to comprehend, but think of it this way:
· A billion seconds ago, it was 1971
· A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive
· A billion hours ago, our ancestors were living in the Stone Age
· But a billion dollars ago was -- only 10 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate Washington spends it.
My goal today was to encourage, enlighten, and motivate you to join me in a movement to excite in our colleagues, our alumni, a passion for philanthropy. I hope you will reflect on your own great capacity to revolutionize this world and make a decision in a major way to continue and enhance your support of education.
By creating a culture of philanthropy and a passion for philanthropy, we supply ourselves with the tools to create positive change through thousands of individuals for years to come. To be successful, we must join together in this journey. As W. Edward Deming, the great industrialist who guided Japan's recovery with General McArthur after World War II wrote:
"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
However, do not underestimate the power of "one," or how effective you can be.
A woman named Rosa Parks changed segregation laws because she dared to sit in the front of the bus.
Al Gore started a worldwide movement promoting cultural change in order to safeguard the earth from the effects of global warming.
Ralph Nader started the consumer protection movement when he was in his twenties. The movement has saved thousands of lives and prevented millions of injuries.
Michael Jordan, the great basketball player for the Chicago Bulls, could turn a game around single handed
We, individually, can make a difference, and we can challenge our friends and colleagues to join us in the wonderful world of philanthropy.
Let me conclude with, "What Will Matter," by Michael Josephson, founder, Josephson Institute:
"Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours, or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame, and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone.
What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you.
What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice."
Thank you for choosing to make a difference in the future of the University of the Pacific. If we want our educational program to be the best in the world, we need to continue to ask ourselves and our colleagues, "if not you, than who?"
Remember: "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
References
"Declining by Degrees: Higher Education at Risk," Foreword by Tom Wolfe, Edited By Richard H. Hersh and John Merrow.
W. Edward Deming quote, "It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory."
Leo Tolstoy quote, "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
"A Nation at Risk: The Imperative For Educational Reform," National Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, "The March of Dimes," circa 1936.
Andrew Carnegie, "The Gospel of Wealth," 1899 essay.
"Let Us Now Praise Famous Men," James Agee
pres/Heritage Society and Scholarship Luncheon.doc