Charity's new, focused breed of donor - Boston - MSNBC.com

Charity's new, focused breed of donor - Boston - MSNBC.com: "Charity's new, focused breed of donor

By Naomi R. Kooker
Boston Business Journal
Updated: 7:00 p.m. ET Jan. 15, 2006

It took a while for Corinne Grousbeck to commit to being a trustee on the board at the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown. The 177-year-old school desperately needed computers and a new strategic plan -- and money. The latter she had plenty of. But what she wanted to give most was her expertise in marketing and suggestions in how the school might pull itself into the 21st century. Would the board be receptive to her ideas?

Most importantly, she knew she needed patience and maturity: She didn't want her blind son, who was enrolled in the school, to interfere with her objectivity while serving on the board. On the other hand, if she did bring an agenda, she wanted to be prepared to fund it."