Lasting Difference Award

The Lasting Difference Award honors individuals who, through his/her effectiveness over an extended tenure of service or as a change agent revitalized an organization’s philanthropy program, or philanthropy in general, resulting in a lasting difference for good for the organization and greater community.

In the words of Demont & Associates, Inc. President Robert Demont, “The awards honor those who are making a lasting difference in their communities. These awards are for the sake of our profession and our colleagues. We are honoring them simply because no one else is doing so. We are also honoring them partly because of our gratitude and what they have meant to us personally and to the profession.”

In the year following the Lasting Difference Award honor, the Demont Difference Fund will award a capacity-building grant in the name of each recipient to a not-for-profit organization in the northeast.

The recipients are honored at the Demont Difference Fund Annual Conference.

2006 Recipient:

Lewis M. Feldstein, Hancock, New Hampshire

2005 Recipient:

David R. Dunlop, Brooktondale, New York

2004 Inaugural Recipients:

Peter C. Barnard, Scarborough, Maine

Walter G. Bruska, Burlington, Vermont

Terry D. Mayo, Amherst, New Hampshire

Honorees' Bios

Lewis M. Feldstein-2006
Lewis M. Feldstein is President of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Mr. Feldstein worked with the civil rights movement in Mississippi and served for seven years in senior staff positions to New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay.

Prior to his role at the Charitable Foundation, Lewis Feldstein served as Provost of the Antioch/New England Graduate School. He is a graduate of Brown University and holds a Master's in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University.

Mr. Feldstein serves on several boards, including the Boards of Directors of the Independent Sector and the National Center for Family Philanthropy. He co-chaired with Robert Putnam the Harvard University three-year Executive Seminar Saguaro Seminar: Civic Engagement in America. With Putnam he is also a co-author of the book Better Together: Restoring the American Community published in the fall of 2003. He has received six Honorary Doctorates. Mr. Feldstein was selected as one of the 100 people Who Shaped New Hampshire in the 20th Century, published by the Concord Monitor, and as one of the ten most influential people in New Hampshire by Business NH Magazine in 2001.

David R. Dunlop-2005
Mr. Dunlop began his fund-raising career 43 years ago at his alma mater, Cornell University. There, he created and directed Cornell’s major and principle gifts programs. David served on the senior management team of the Cornell Campaign that set a record of more than $1.5 billion in gifts for college and university campaigns.

He has advised more than 180 colleges, universities, and non-profit organizations on training in fund raising for “ultimate gifts.” David has also worked with leading medical centers and educational institutions in the United States, Canada, England, Ireland, and Israel.

David has been honored for his professional achievement,
leadership, innovative management, and teaching excellence by numerous national organizations. In the past two decades he has contributed his concepts for major gift fund raising to several books and CASE Currents articles. Since his retirement in 1997, David continues to serve Cornell as a volunteer.

Peter C. Barnard-2004
Peter C. Barnard served as the Director of Development of the Maine Medical Center for 17 years. He was a past director, president, and chairman of the Awards Committee of the New England Association for Hospital Development, served as regional vice-president of the National Association for Hospital Development, was past president of the Rotary Club of Portland, and was an officer for the American Alumni Council. He was also secretary of the Trustees and an overseer of Bowdoin College, trustee of The Wayneflete School, advisory trustee of Greater Portland Landmarks, a corporator of The Peoples Bank, member of The Portland Committee on Foreign Relations, and member and past president of The Torch Club of Western Maine. He was a Trustee of the Welch Foundation.

Mr. Barnard saw active duty with the U.S. Navy during World War II. He attended Kent State University before entering Bowdoin College, where he received an A.B. in History in 1950. He received an M.A. degree in English Literature from Middlebury College in 1954 and did graduate work at Western Reserve, Yale, and Harvard Universities.

From 1957 to 1959, following six years as a teacher at the University School in Cleveland, he served as administrative assistant at Bowdoin College, and as alumni secretary from 1959 to 1966. Prior to his appointment as Director of Development at Maine Medical Center, he served as Development Director at Pine Manor Junior College in Massachusetts.

Walter G. Bruska-2004
Walter Bruska began his career at his alma mater, Cornell University, in his graduation year, 1950, as Assistant Varsity football coach. In the 10 years following, he worked as Assistant to the President rising to become Director of Development. Building on that experience, he served as Vice President of Public Affairs at Springfield College, Director of Development at The Festival of Classics in Ithaca, and became Vice President of University Development at the University of Vermont, serving UVM from 1967-1972. Departing for Ohio, Mr. Bruska became Vice President for Administration at Kent State University and then returned to Burlington to work as Executive Director at the Greater Burlington Industrial Corporation and Cynosure, Inc. Bitter Vermont winters not challenging enough, Bruska then traveled north to become the Vice President for Administration at Alaska Pacific University. Before becoming Vice President of the John E. Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo, Michigan, he operated a small apple orchard and farm for several years.

A life-long volunteer, his most recent commitments are to the Champlain Valley Exposition as Corporate Secretary and as a board member at Prevent Child Abuse Vermont and Meals on Wheels. Mr. Bruska has been very active in local churches, serving on multiple boards, most recently at the College Street Congregational Church in Burlington. Since 1959, he has been an active member of Rotary.

A dedicated Cornellian, Mr. Bruska is a life-time member of the Cornell University Council, Cornell Fund Chairman for Vermont, founding member of the Cornell Club of Vermont and Cornell Club of Alaska, Class President from 1975-1985 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1994.


Terry D. Mayo-2004
Terry Mayo currently serves as a Senior Philanthropic Advisor and Director of International Projects at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. As Chairman of the Aurean Group, he also consults and lectures to colleges and universities regarding the solicitation of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, planned giving and estate planning. He spear-headed a $200 million campaign at Middlebury College as Estate Planning Advisor, Acting Director of Major Gifts and Director of Trusts and Estates.

Over the course of 20 years, as president of a consulting group bearing his name, he conducted over 4,000 estate-planning seminars for clients and professional groups. Early in his career, he served as Vice President of Development for the Crotched Mountain Foundation and was both an assistant and associate director at Harvard Law School. As one of Bentley College’s first development professionals, he led a campaign to build the Waltham Campus and hired a full staff.

Mr. Mayo is a graduate of Colby College and received a Masters Degree in Education from Northeastern University.

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