3 Questions for Gene D'Adamo

Gene D’Adamo, president and CEO of the Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, joined the Trust in January. The Trust seeks to help people in need, especially women, children and families; to protect animals and nature; and to enrich community life primarily in metropolitan Phoenix and Indianapolis.

Q: You have a strong background in philanthropy as Vice President of Community Relations for Republic Media in Phoenix. What most surprised you in your transition to "full time" grant maker?

A: Republic Media had a fairly robust philanthropic presence in Arizona ($65 million over the past 20 years), so the process of grant making is not new. At the Trust, I am discovering that a lot more goes into grant making when it is your full-time job, instead of one of many things on your menu. The degree of due diligence, follow up and evaluation is much deeper than in corporate philanthropy.

It has been a comfortable and extremely positive transition, partly because I have had a relationship with the Trust since its inception. In addition, the staff have really gone out of their way to help me acclimate to Indy and this new role. I worked on many community initiatives with the Phoenix office and have known some of the staff and trustees for many years.

Q: The Trust has a unique perspective of a dual focus on Indiana and Arizona. Do you see differences in how grant making can best serve each state’s communities?

A: As a general observation, Indiana has a much deeper and older philanthropic community than Arizona. Phoenix does not have as many charitable foundations, so by necessity, the philanthropic community worked very closely together. As a result, I am used to collaborating with many stakeholders – philanthropic, business, government and civic – to make systemic changes. One foundation might have enough money to put a Band-Aid on a problem, but together we can have long-lasting impact.

The overall Trust focus areas are the same regardless of the state: Helping People in Need, Protecting Animals and Nature, and Enriching Community Life. However, the specific community needs and areas for the Trust to make an impact are different in Phoenix and Indianapolis. In Arizona, for example, the Trust recently launched a foster care initiative to help young adults who are "aging out" of foster care. That may or may not be an initiative that makes sense for Indiana.

Both cities support the Nina Scholars program for nontraditional college students, plus animal welfare coalition campaigns. Those will continue. Running similar programs in two cities allows us to share information about what works and does not work. Phoenix and Indianapolis are not cookie-cutter communities so we cannot do cookie-cutter philanthropy.

A top priority for me is to learn as much about Indy as I can. To that end, I am talking to nonprofit and community leaders, and other grant makers to educate myself and develop relationships. I call it my Magical Listening Tour (with a nod to The Beatles). However, it takes years to build a true understanding of a community. I have no illusion that I will be up-to-speed overnight, so I am leaning on the Trust’s veteran grant makers, Lee Ann Hoy and David Hillman, both of whom recently were promoted to program directors in Indiana. They know the community and its issues and are my guides.

Clearly, a big part of understanding a community comes by living in it and becoming part of the fabric of every day life. I am splitting my time between the two states and have a home in both Phoenix and Indianapolis. My wife and I are really enjoying the urban lifestyle that comes with living in downtown Indy … Mass Ave is becoming our favorite hangout.

Q: In April of last year, the Trust noted that the economy appeared to be improving, so it was "again time to think bigger about assisting our fellow Indiana residents." What do you envision for the Trust in 2014 and beyond?

A: We will be spending the rest of this year doing a deep dive in a community needs assessment and making recommendations to our three trustees on a more targeted focus for the Trust, within our three areas.

Historically, "Helping People in Need" comprises of the bulk of our grant making and, was by design, very broad based. The Trust has done amazing grants through this giving area, but we will be looking to narrow our giving under that category and focus on fewer areas where we can have more impact. We have to determine the best mix of strategic philanthropy and more traditional charitable giving. We are in year 16 of a planned 50-year life. This is the perfect time to make sure we are being as strategic as possible so we can be part of the solutions to community problems.

The Nina Scholars program, as an example, was a strategic initiative started in 2001. In its first 15 years, we have invested considerable financial and human resources. Because we have tracked the participants since the beginning, we are seeing impacts of that program in the community. Our Scholars and their entire families are becoming more self-sufficient and successful.

Regardless of any adjustments to our focus areas or new initiatives, we will stay true to Mrs. Pulliam’s wishes. Anything we do will reflect her passion points and her actions. We are fortunate that Trust Chair Carol Peden Schilling, Nina’s niece, had a close relationship with Nina so we have the advantage of having a personal connection to our benefactor.

Learn more about the Trust. http://www.ninapulliamtrust.org