JAMES D. PARSONS 74 B.A., DENISON UNIVERSITY, 1974 J.D., UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO, 1977 President The Brinson Foundation Chicago, Ill. Citation awarded June, 2010 Jim had an outstanding 26 year career with Gardner Carton Douglas where his legal practice was focused in the areas of corporate finance and securities law. In 1984, less than seven years after joining the firm out of law school, he became a partner. By 1991, he was managing partner, functioning as the firm s COO. When his term as managing partner ended in 2004, he opted not to return to the full time practice of law, but rather to explore an entirely new professional opportunity. His new career has proven to be equally interesting and challenging. In November of 2004, he moved into the non profit world, assuming the presidency of The Brinson Foundation. Brinson s mission is to support educational, public health and scientific research programs. The foundation currently funds more than 100 grantees across
growth as well as contraction as the foundation has strived to sustain the work of its grantee partners through the recent economic downturn. In a serendipitous connection to Denison that reflects Jim s own interests, Brinson is a loyal supporter of the Chicago branch of the Posse Program a multi city organization that serves as facilitator and liaison to connect outstanding inner city high school students with outstanding colleges and universities. Each participating institution takes a group, or posse, of ten students with each incoming class. Denison enjoys a long and successful association with Posse Chicago, which began during Jim s tenure on Denison s Board of Trustees. Jim has been active in volunteer service since leaving Denison. Jim currently serves on the boards of the Donors Forum, an association of Illinois grantmakers and nonprofits based in Chicago, and King Bruwaert House, a continuous care retirement community located in suburban Chicago. He is a life trustee and former board chair of The Community House, a social service agency serving eight communities in west suburban Chicago. Jim also serves as the Chair of the Client Protection Program Review Panel of the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission. For Denison, Jim has been one of the college s most committed volunteers, actively involved since the day he graduated. He has served in virtually every capacity: career advisor, admissions volunteer, fundraising lieutenant for annual and capital efforts, reunion rabble rouser, national Annual Fund chair, and member of the Alumni Council, the President s Leadership Council and the Board of Trustees. In each post, Jim s boundless enthusiasm for Denison has proved inspirational. Boards, committees, even alumni parties, simply work better when he s around. His ever wise counsel is an effective blend of attention to detail and a confident grasp of big picture issues. We honor Jim Parsons 74 for his professional and personal integrity, and his unstinting loyalty to family, firm, friends, and alma mater.
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James D. Parsons Jim Parsons is the President of The Brinson Foundation, a private family foundation which supports educational and scientific research programs. Jim is the immediate past chair of the Board of Directors of the Donors Forum, where he continues to serve on the Resource Development and Strategy and Policy Committees. Jim is also a member the Board of Trustees of the Chicago Architecture Foundation; the Board of Directors of King-Bruwaert House, a continuous care retirement community; and a life trustee and former Board chair of The Community House, a social services agency located in west suburban Chicago. He is a member of the Leadership Council of the Chicago Public Education Fund; the Illinois Attorney General s Charitable Advisory Council; and the Board of Advisors of the Morton Arboretum. He previously served on the Board of Trustees of Denison University. Prior to his career in philanthropy, Jim practiced law for 26 years at the Chicago law firm of Gardner, Carton & Douglas (now Drinker, Biddle and Reath) where he also served as Managing Partner. Jim received his law degree from The University of Chicago and his undergraduate degree from Denison University.
October 6, 2015 40th Annual Philanthropy Awards Committee Attn: Gail A. Brooks, CMP AFP Chicago 1717 North Naper Blvd., Suite 102 Naperville, IL 60563 Dear Members of the Awards Committee: On behalf of the Advance Illinois team, it is our pleasure to submit a letter of support to nominate James D. Parsons for the Professional Grantor Award as part of the 40 th Annual Philanthropy Awards Luncheon on May 6, 2016. Advance Illinois has had the privilege of being one of the Brinson Foundation s grantees for the past few years. Advance Illinois partnership with the Brinson Foundation has been one of mutual and shared learning. Jim Parsons takes the time to understand the work, goals and unique interests of the Foundation s 100+ grantees, which makes him an exceptional grantor. What stands out about Jim is his dedication to understanding the sector in ways that help inform and drive the Foundation s grantmaking and the thinking of the sector more broadly. Jim is a thought partner to funders and fundraisers alike, and his efforts to facilitate collaboration and open dialogue within the sector help strengthen the work of all of our organizations. Through the Donors Forum s Education Funders subgroup, Jim helped launch an extremely cogent working group called CCAPS (College and Career Access, Persistence, and Success) which, in 2014-15, undertook a landscape analysis of Chicago s College and Career Access, Persistence, and Success field. CCAPS brought together a cross-section of nonprofit organizations, higher education institutions, and foundations to explore work underway and to align efforts in order to maximize reach and impact. It is this spirit of collaboration and commitment to learning and understanding our complex education system that exemplifies Jim s leadership at the Brinson Foundation and approach to partnerships. It is also what makes it such a pleasure to work with Jim. Jim Parsons embodies what the Brinson Foundation aspires to do for the community to bring clarity and wisdom to our grantmaking as we seek to motivate others to reach their full potential (words taken directly from Jim s President s Letter in The Brinson Foundation s 2014 Annual Report). As importantly, Jim is just plain a nice, humble and decent person! All of this makes Jim Parsons an exceptional leader and voice for the Chicago Philanthropic community, and most deserving of this distinction. We fully support his nomination for AFP s 2016 Professional Grantor Award. Sincerely, Robin M. Steans Executive Director Kristin Pollock Development Director For More Information: www.advanceillinois.org