The Community Foundation for San Benito County hosted National Philanthropy Day, Nov. 16, at San Juan Oaks Golf Club and honored approximately 45 local community volunteers. Among those recipients of a National Philanthropy Day certificate was Susan Modic, who was recognized for her contributions to BenitoLink.
“As an advisor, Susan Schwabacher Modic championed BenitoLink with energy and wisdom,” announced Larry Barr, one of the masters of ceremonies. “For this, the board of directors (of BenitoLink) wish to recognize and honor this woman who has quietly coached us at every stage. From the early days when BenitoLink was only a dream to its birth under the wing of the Community Foundation, to its independence as a nonprofit, Susan has guided BenitoLink volunteers with timely advice, and at critical junctures, spurred us to make bold moves. Susan clarified the challenges and yet helped with solutions. We seek to confirm her confidence in us as BenitoLink becomes San Benito County’s home page.”
Modic has been on the Community Foundation board for five years. She said a number of years ago through some “listening sessions” it was decided some type of public forum was needed because the local news options were lacking. A $150,000 grant was secured from the Knight Foundation and BenitoLink was born as a project of the Community Foundation to serve the county.
“Sandy Rose, who’s a former president of our foundation board, had been working with this idea of BenitoLink and she asked me to go to the Knight Foundation media seminar in Miami,” Modic said. “I didn’t know anything about the media other than what my sister-in-law (Leslie David, a BenitoLink founding board member) told me over the years. It was a real eye-opener about citizen journalism. That’s how I became part of the advisory group to BenitoLink.”
Modic said that at the time, the foundation was handling the bookkeeping for BenitoLink. Modic said her primary role was helping with bookkeeping, financial reports, and budgeting. She said she advised BenitoLink about where it stood financially and where it needed to be in order to remain viable and sustainable.
Modic said her financial acumen comes from acting as comptroller for a family business.
“That’s what I’ve done and delivered some of the hard news,” she said. “I’d be sitting in meetings and showing the spreadsheets and telling them they had to do certain things in order to remain in the black. I helped with fundraising ideas by reaching out to people in the community who I believed enjoyed BenitoLink to raise awareness and raise funds for BenitoLink.”
David said BenitoLink “started from nothing” and there was an important, gradual transition from an idea to being a full-fledged community website with thousands of users.
“In that process, BenitoLink went through a lot of changes,” she said. “Part of it was learning how to be a business and support itself. Susan was very important in terms of helping us put together a projected budget and figure out how to run it as a business.”
You must be logged in to post a comment.