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Thank you for visiting! This campaign has concluded, but you can continue to support the Hesselbein Leadership Forum here.
A generous donor—Former CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes and The Ford Motor Company, Alan Mulally—has stepped up to MATCH all December donations, up to $50,000! Give now and your gift will go 2x as far!
With more than 70 years of public service—and still going strong—few individuals have had as profound and as far-reaching of an impact on educating future leaders in all sectors as University of Pittsburgh distinguished alumna Frances Hesselbein.
Through the Hesselbein Forum, Frances Hesselbein’s actions and example continue to shape the next generation of leaders by providing leadership development opportunities for Pitt students and leaders in all sectors.
The Hesselbein Forum is the namesake of Frances Hesselbein, who grew up in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and in 1932, enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh campus there. Although she did not complete her degree at Pitt, in her lifetime she has received 22 honorary doctoral degrees, including one from Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA). Frances is a distinguished alumna and a Pitt Legacy Laureate.
Frances began her career as a volunteer Girl Scout Troop leader and went on to become the CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, where she transformed and diversified the organization. For this work, she was awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Bill Clinton.
Just days after retiring from the Girl Scouts, she founded a nonprofit organization whose mission was to strengthen the leadership of the social sector through publications, events and programs. The New York Times once described Hesselbein’s organization as “a pool of management wisdom for all who choose to dip their cup.”
Today, that organization celebrates its 30th anniversary as The Hesselbein Forum, part of GSPIA’s Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership.
The Frances Hesselbein Leadership Forum is…
A Publications Hub, which includes:
A University-based Center for Teaching, Applied Research, and Public Service, which includes:
The Hesselbein Forum Leadership Program in International Affairs, an extracurricular leadership development program taught by former CIA leadership analyst and Forum Director Julia Santucci. This program empowers students with the skills they need to be effective leaders throughout their careers.The Hesselbein Lecture Series, which gather students, faculty, and the greater public to learn from seasoned leaders, such as former CENTCOM Commander GEN (Ret.) Llyod Austin and Global Health Corps CEO Heather Anderson.
Your contribution allows Frances’ example and leadership philosophy to continue to impact students and young leaders, working professionals and executives from University of Pittsburgh classrooms to military battlefields, from the social sector to corporate boardrooms. Not only does making a gift support Frances’ living legacy, it will also help generations of graduate students and professionals strengthen the leadership of the social sector, and their partners in business and government.
1. Make a personal contribution: Every size donation makes an impact!
2. Spread the word: share this campaign via email and encouraging others to make a contribution. Do you know someone whose leadership journey was enhanced by Frances?
3. Share your story: Frances Hesselbein has touched the lives of many thousands of people. We invite you to share your favorite Frances story on social media, using the hashtag #ToServeIsToLive
Our goal is to raise $30,000 over the course of this campaign, which will support the Forum’s student-centered leadership development activities for one year. Through a gift of any size, you can make a significant impact on the lives of future leaders and affirm the importance of integrity, civic engagement and public service.
Thousands of individuals testify that receiving inspiration and leadership resources from the Hesselbein Forum has allowed them to live more fully Frances’ To Serve Is To Live leadership philosophy, as well as share this values-based leadership model with others in their wider community. We have established this crowdsourcing tool so that leaders at every level who have been inspired by Frances might have the opportunity to give back.
We hope you will join us at a time when transformational, values-based leadership has never been more critical.
View our archive of Hesselbein Lectures
Subscribe for free to our Daily (or weekly) Tip of the Day
View our archive of complimentary Journal Articles
Subscribe to our quarterly print and/or online Leader to Leader Journal
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Contributions received for this project shall be used in accordance with the purpose described herein, the terms in the FAQs and applicable law. For questions that cannot be answered in the FAQs, please call 412-383-5001 or email engage@pitt.edu.
In 1998, President Bill Clinton awarded Frances the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the nation’s highest civilian honor—and recognized her as a “a pioneer for women, volunteerism, diversity and opportunity.” A gift at this level celebrates this achievement and honors Frances’ legacy as a champion of diversity and inclusion.
From 2009-2011, Frances held the 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. She was the first woman, and the first non-graduate to serve in this Chair. In this position, she inspired hundreds of cadets and seasoned military leaders with her commitment to ethical, values-based leadership.
Donate in honor of Frances’ “milestone” 2020 November 1 birthday! (105! Shhh! Frances believes that “Age is irrelevant, it is what you do with your life that counts.”)
Support one graduate student pursuing a career in international affairs—whether as a diplomat, intelligence and security official, development professional, or in the private sector—in working effectively with leaders from around the world through the Hesselbein Leadership Program in International Affairs, designed and directed by Julia Santucci.
Fund one leadership development workshop led by a featured Hesselbein Executive Coach, who will provide mentoring to GSPIA students and counsel to faculty and staff on programming and research in the Hesselbein Forum.
Celebrate the number of Leader to Leader Journal authors who have contributed to the Hesselbein Forum pool of intellectual capital, which serves as a resource for graduate students and leaders in all three sectors.
Fund one Hesselbein Lecture, featuring proven leaders and thoughtful scholars presenting state-of-the-art ideas on leadership theory and practice, with a focus on public and nonprofit organizations.
Honor 30 years of leadership inspiration! The Hesselbein Forum began in 1990 (founded as the Peter F. Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit Management) and through the years was renamed to honor the leadership legacy and ongoing contributions of Frances Hesselbein. 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of an organization strengthening leadership and inspiring leaders.
