SPOTLIGHT
Philanthropy Is Not a Scary Word Most of us would quickly answer “no” if asked if we were a philanthropist. We think of the Madame C.J. Walkers, Melinda Gates, and MacKenzie Scotts of the world — super affluent women who have made extraordinary charitable gifts — as philanthropists, but ourselves? No way. Yet philanthropy encompasses all voluntary gifts of time, talent, and treasure on behalf of the common good. “It’s not a million-dollar word,” said Allegheny Trustee Jennifer Daurora ’99 as she described what philanthropy means to her. “You don’t have to be a millionaire to make a great impact.” She knows of what she speaks.
“ You don’t have to be a millionaire to make a great impact.”
After graduation, Jennifer worked for an information management company for several years, and then joined McGinnis Sisters Special Food Stores, where she represented the third generation
of her family’s business, ultimately serving as COO. Jennifer quickly established herself as a rising professional in her hometown and has received the Pittsburgh Business Times’ “Business Women First” and “Fast Tracker” awards; Pittsburgh Magazine’s “40 Under 40” award; and was named one of “Pittsburgh’s Finest.” She is a 2003 member of the Entrepreneurial Fellows Class at the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business. Jennifer joined PNC Bank as a vice president in business banking in 2019 after making the difficult decision to close the family business in 2018 in the face of competition from larger grocers, home-meal delivery kits, and food sourced online. Finding blessings even in challenges, Jennifer is delighted to be at PNC, where she is able to fulfill her long-held commitment to empowering women. She is involved with the bank’s Women’s Business Development Program, which helps provide women with the necessary tools to lead their companies and serve their communities, and she co-chairs a committee of “Women Connect” whose mission is to support the personal growth and development of PNC employees. Jennifer has also served on the board of visitors
Jennifer has been putting her leadership skills to work for Allegheny since her student days, where she notably presided over the Panhellenic Council, worked in admissions and as a freshman seminar assistant, and participated in a variety of student organizations. She has been a Volunteer in Service to Allegheny (VISA) assisting with student recruitment efforts and has helped to organize each of
trustee of the College in 2013 and currently serves on its executive board. Jennifer is also a member of the Board of Visitors at the Bruce R. Thompson Center for Business and Economics at Allegheny. With a degree in economics and a career in business, Jennifer describes her charitable endeavors as investments. She began investing in the College as a senior and has provided annual financial
for The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University since 2015. Beyond her work in Pittsburgh, Jennifer holds space for two organizations that are inextricably part of her life: her sorority, Alpha Chi Omega, and Allegheny. Jennifer volunteered as a regional province officer for Alpha Chi after graduation and served as a vice president of its national governing board (2012–2020). She believes that sisterhood truly is powerful, noting that “the transformative power of that experience for women can be really fantastic, particularly the educational and leadership opportunities.”
her class reunions. Jennifer served on the Alumni Council for six years, including a one-year term as president, and was a member of the Timothy Alden Council Executive Committee, helping to raise funds for the College’s Annual Fund. She was named a
contributions ever since. Her early gifts came in $10 payments and increased in frequency and value as her income grew. “Sometimes it’s easier for you to invest your time, which is great, but I think that as you’re able to invest monetarily, it’s also important to make that switch, if you can,” she said. After
reflecting on the kind of impact that she hoped to make, Jennifer asked herself, “Can I make a couple of small sacrifices to help a student in need? To help change their life?” Jennifer found that contributing to Allegheny on a monthly basis works best for her family and she treats the payments as budget expenses. In fact, she has contributed to the college every month since July 2001 through an electronic fund transfer from her bank. She found that gifts that might otherwise seem impossible may be feasible when given incrementally. As a case in point, Jennifer and her husband, Lenny Chan, funded their first Annual Fund Grant at Allegheny this year with a monthly contribution of $417. These $5,000 grants are applied directly to students’ tuition bills and serve the dual purpose of providing financial aid and helping to teach recipients about the role that philanthropy plays at Allegheny. Benefactors’ names appear on students’ tuition bills showing a $5,000 deduction from the balance due. This helps students to understand that there are living donors who are, at that very moment, vested in their success. (Donors retain full control over what information is shared with students.) Read more about the program here:
https://sites.allegheny.edu/ annualgiving/annual/alleghenyannual-fund-grant-program/ Allegheny is a primary focus of Jennifer’s philanthropy because she believes in giving back and leaving things a little better than before. She said that she is still gaining
from her Allegheny experience and added that “there is a lifting of spirit that happens” when she returns to speak with students or to attend trustee meetings because of her many relationships and the opportunities that she has had, and continues to have, through the College. Jennifer wishes this
experience for everyone and said in closing, “I would say to those people who haven’t been engaged with the College, ‘It’s not too late to rekindle those connections and to make new ones.’ I’ve never met an Alleghenian who didn’t want to help someone else.” You see, you, too, may be a philanthropist.
Planning Tip
To see the annual impact of monthly giving at different levels and to set up a recurring donation to Allegheny, visit https://sites.allegheny.edu/alumni/payment-options/
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