In honor of Charlotte’s Retirement

Charlotte Rhodes, ACFRE

Charlotte’s Retirement

With much regret but the warmest of wishes we announced Charlotte’s decision to retire a few weeks ago. Given the breadth of the work Charlotte has done for the Foundation and the enormous void that will be present in her absence, we would like to take this time to highlight Charlotte’s greatest accomplishments as Vice President of Resource Development and Sustainability.

In her 11-year tenure at the Foundation, Charlotte cultivated an annual average of $10 million per year, and over $100 million total. She established countless programs and committees, the most notable of which being the Foundation’s External Relations Committee which focuses on the engagement of the Foundation with local and area leaders; the Women’s Philanthropy Program, a donor driven fund designed to meet the needs of children and women in the Texas Panhandle; a Professional Advisor Council, a group of lawyers, accountants and other professionals who provide recommendations and review the Foundation’s fundraising and legal strategies; and the Texas Convening Conferences for Postsecondary Education which gather key educators and legislators from across the state to discuss issues faced by high school and collegiate students across the state.

Charlotte has also lead or donated her expertise to make many programs and initiatives successful. Most notably she led the $5 million ACE Scholarship Expansion Campaign and oversaw the development of a $3.5 million grant from the Belinda and Melinda Gates Foundation to begin the No Limits No Excuses program. She also expanded the Nonprofit Service Center’s consulting program and fundraising classes and facilitated the development of the Citadelle Art Foundation and its conversion as a supporting organization of the Amarillo Area Foundation.

In addition to raising over $100 million for the Foundation, Charlotte has raised over $1 billion in her 40-year career as a fundraiser. An assortment of her most notable campaigns being the Don and Sybil Harrington Cancer Center Capital Campaign, Baylor College of Medicine $500 million Capital Campaign, National Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Amarillo Globe News Center for the Performing Arts, Oklahoma City Symphony Orchestra, Charles Goodnight Historical Home, Hereford Sports Plex, and most recently the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Education Center.

Charlotte is truly a big city fundraiser with West Texas roots. In 1999, Big Spring Texas High School awarded her with the Outstanding Alumni Award. She received the Outstanding Fundraising Executive Award for Houston, Texas in 2002 before she even received the Outstanding Fundraising Executive Award for Amarillo, Texas in 2005 and Amarillo Junior League Outstanding Sustaining Member. Charlotte was honored by the Amarillo Soroptimists as a “Woman Making and Difference” and by the Business and Professional Women as “Texas Women to Watch.” She currently serves as the Committee Chairman for the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Coalition and was co-chairman for the 2016 Texas Women for the Arts State Meeting.

In addition to her impressive contributions to healthcare, the arts, education and public affairs Charlotte is a published writer and has served as a regional and national consultant for over 50 institutions, organizations, and corporations. We adore Charlotte and know she is equally adored by our community. Please help us in the coming months by celebrating her and thanking her for her service to our community.

We will miss you Charlotte!