“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.”
-Maya Angelou

As I make my exit as the president of The Center for Trauma & Resilience Board of Director’s, this quote from Maya Angelou could not ring more true for me. The past seven years on the board have been nothing short of fulfilling. When I joined the board in 2009, I was not clear to what my impacts would be on the organization other than financial. I had no previous board experience and the nexus between governing an organization and directly affecting change in the community was not crystal clear. I went in with the intention to not only “make a difference” but to become a better community member by giving in any and every way I could, all while further advancing the mission of a wonderful organization. Through guidance and others’ experiences and leadership, I was able to understand that for a nonprofit to be truly successful, all parts of the organization are mutually valuable and must all work together in a balanced and intentional way to accomplish longevity.

As I self-reflect on the past seven years, what has become tremendously clear is that the spirit and practice of philanthropy is something that I believe collectively improves the human condition. It is not merely the giving of financial resources, but giving of one’s expertise, passion, talent, and experience. So, in other words, anyone can be a philanthropist. We all come from varying walks of life, which contributes to the uniqueness of how we view the world and how and why we choose to make an impact. I firmly believe that deep down, we all want to make the world a little better than the condition it was in when we entered it. This has been my motivation these past seven years.

As I move forward, serving on the board of directors at CTR has ignited my desire to do more, be more, and serve more. As I continue to navigate the world with a young child, I can proudly instill in him the value of philanthropy and provide him the firsthand accounts of the ever-important and socially responsible duty of giving what you can, how you can, when you can. Serving on the board of directors of CTR has been one of the most valuable experiences I have had. Thank you, CTR, for allowing me to fulfill my promise of leaving my mark!

Vanessa Vargas