THE COMMONWEALTH CLUB
ANNUAL REPORT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009 - 2010
Dear Friends, Last year we looked to our past and asked our long time members – those who have been part of the Club for 30 years or more – to share their favorite Club memories. We’ve been delighted by the response. Our “Golden Gavel” group, some of whom have been with us for as long as 73 years (!), remain steadfast in their belief that the Club serves a vital function for our community, after many decades of membership. One of these members grew up on a farm, where he and his parents listened to the Club’s radio broadcasts. He wrote us, “For me, the Club has always given a voice to some of the most intelligent and ethical people from here and around the world . . .” We took the responses to this survey as a good sign – that the Club remains relevant and important, now well into our second century. This Annual Report indicates some of the ways we’ve served our members and the community during the last fiscal year. We remain committed to our mission of uncovering the truth and we welcome your thoughts on how we can continue to better serve our community. Thank you for your support for The Commonwealth Club. When you visit our web site at commonwealthclub.org, you will learn about all of our events and activities; additionally, you will find links to audio and video broadcasts of programs. You can participate in our online discussion at commonwealthclub.blogspot.com; we welcome your thoughts about today’s issues. Together, we will continue to offer important and timely discussions – for another hundred years! Warm regards,
Dr. Gloria C. Duffy President and CEO
Dr. Mary G. F. Bitterman Chair, Board of Governors
OUR ANNUAL ACHIEVEMENTS • Organized and broadcast a panel discussion via the Internet from the Copenhagen Climate Summit, the first worldwide live event for the Club • Continued to offer outstanding programming for live audiences throughout the Bay Area • Launched a CEO breakfast series • Tackled current economic issues like jobs and pension reform • Hosted a Social Entrepreneurship series exploring the application of private sector innovation principles to social issues; the series is the basis of a 58
THE COMMO N WE AL TH
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book to be published by Stanford University Press • Began looking for a permanent home for the Club • Celebrated outstanding honorees and the Club at our Annual Dinner, our biggest fundraising event of the year – breaking all previous revenue records! • Hosted then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi just days after health-care reform was passed, allowing Club members the opportunity to ask questions about this important topic in a very timely manner