ARLINGTON, Va., March 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Legendary oil and gas entrepreneur and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens has been chosen as the winner of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' top philanthropy award, the Paschal Murray Award for Outstanding Philanthropist.
The award, sponsored by Paschal Murray, a national executive search firm specializing in the nonprofit sector, will be presented to Mr. Pickens on April 1, 2008, at the Awards for Philanthropy Banquet at the San Diego Marriott Hotel & Marina during AFP's International Conference on Fundraising.
Nominated by the AFP Dallas Chapter, Mr. Pickens has given away more than $500 million over the past several years both personally and through his foundation, the T. Boone Pickens Foundation. He has been recognized as one of America's 10 most generous philanthropists three years in a row by The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
"It's an honor to receive this recognition and I'm privileged to be in a position where I can be a contributor to a wide range of charitable activities," said Mr. Pickens. "I have found the more I give, the more I make, so continuing to give is an easy call."
Mr. Pickens founded Mesa Petroleum, and grew it into one of America's largest independent oil and gas producers before leaving the company in 1996. He quickly formed BP Capital which today ranks as one of the most successful energy-focused hedge funds in the U.S. with more than $4 billion under management.
Mr. Pickens gives to a wide variety of causes, including health and medical research, treatment and services; entrepreneurship; kids at risk; education and athletics, with a particular focus on his alma mater, Oklahoma State University (OSU); corporate health and fitness; and conservation and wildlife management.
"Part of being an outstanding philanthropist is being generous, and T. Boone Pickens is second to none in that regard," said Colette Murray, CEO of Paschal?Murray. "But his passion and innovation set him apart from others. He is willing to get deeply involved in issues and use his resources to inspire others to action. Paschal?Murray is humbled to work with AFP in presenting the award to a most deserving individual."
Pickens has shown his philanthropic passion in numerous ways. His $165 million contribution to OSU in 2005 is the single largest gift for athletics in college history. When Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, he was the second caller to the American Red Cross, and his $7 million gift is the largest individual contribution in the 150-year history of that organization. He has been known to personally deliver meals through the Meals on Wheels program of the Visiting Nurses Association.
"Mr. Pickens' generosity not just to his local communities, but to communities around the world, knows no bounds," said Paulette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE, president and CEO of AFP. "AFP is honored to recognize him as our 2008 Outstanding Philanthropist."
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents over 29,000 fundraisers in more than 195 chapters throughout the world, working to advance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. For more information, go to http://www.afpnet.org/.
Paschal Murray, Inc. is a specialized executive search firm with corporate offices in Indio, California and regional offices in San Diego, Washington, D.C., North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. The firm assists management in identifying and hiring professionals in fundraising, non-profit management and other organizational advancement titles. Visit them on the web at http://www.paschalmurray.com/.
Association of Fundraising Professionals
