Photo by Shelby Tauber.
The first time Anne Stodghill dabbled in volunteering, she was four. One of Dallas’ leading voices in philanthropy, Stodghill has over than 30 years of experience with charity work and Dallas society. Her main focus is dedicated to cancer research and the arts. Stodghill is part of the Dallas Arboretum’s annual Mad Hatter’s Tea and Garden Party, and the Cattle Baron’s Ball. The Stodghills are known for their holiday flair both at public events and in their own home. Each year they dress up their home with seven different themed Christmas trees, including a Batman and a University of Texas tree.
How did you get motivated to be part of Dallas’ philanthropy work?
It came from the way I was raised. It was very much a “if you’ve been given a lot, you give a lot” verbiage. My mom was a professional volunteer, and she ran the volunteer program when I was in high school, and she ran programs in New Mexico for all the monuments and museums. She was always in women’s organizations and garden clubs. It just was one of those things that we were always getting begrudgingly dragged to something, because she had little kids, and the kids came with her. So I come to this very naturally. Over the years, it’s something that when I didn’t have some type of volunteer work or non-profit work in my life, it was like something was missing.
September was a very charitable month, with North Texas Giving Day. How was that for you?
It was a very busy day from the email traffic and from the postcards. I love that we live in one of the best philanthropic communities and a lot of organizations from all over the country come to Dallas to raise money because this is what we do. It truly is one of the best non-profit communities in the country. People usually don’t think on a Friday or Saturday night to go to this gala and run into your friends. It’s the way we socialize. So, if you’re going to get with your friends, you might as well raise money for something, right?
What moment in your work so far have you been the most proud of?
It would be when I co-chaired the Cattle Baron’s Ball with Sonny Solomon. We netted $4 million, and that money was used for local cancer research. Both my parents passed away from cancer earlier this year, and my cousin is currently battling it. Cancer research is one of the most important things that we want to help fund, and the research that is going on here in Dallas is unbelievable. I am confident we are going to find a cure for so many cancers in my lifetime, and it will come from Dallas.
What has your year been like in terms of fundraising events, and what are you looking forward to during the holiday months?
The first big party of the year was the Symphony Gala. It’s always nice to go, and it’s the first time we all get dressed up. And then the Cattle Baron’s, Texas Ballet Theatre and fund-raising for the Women’s Council Authority of the Arboretum. They’ve brought in half-a-million pumpkins and got to see the construction process of a conveyor belt of pumpkins. We also do a Writer’s Garden event, where every year we have a different writer come
in and speak. This year, we have a lovely woman coming from the Hillwood estate in Washington, D.C.
On a personal note, what do you enjoy doing around the holidays?
I do enjoy decorating for Halloween and then for Christmas; we have themed trees. We have about seven trees we put up every year, give or take two or three. The holidays are always fun to change up the house. And then going for tea at the Restaurant DeGolyer is pretty fabulous during winter. They have the 12 Days of Christmas exhibit. There’s just something about having champagne with tea that makes you feel elegant and fancy.
What would you say to someone who wants to be involved?
You need to figure out your passions and what is important to you. It’s always the cause first and foremost. It has always been on a local level, because the people you help are your neighbors. Who wants to live in a community where people don’t reach out, and you don’t know the people around you? It makes life much more rich and enjoyable.
Why do you think it’s important for people to give especially around the holidays?
It comes down to focus on family and those who don’t have families or stable environments to celebrate. The holidays are a time period to step back from everyday life and celebrate the things that make our lives special. If you don’t have a stable supply of food, shelter and support, you don’t have that luxury. If you don’t have anything extra to give your children to celebrate it creates extra stress in a family that is already facing stress in some aspect of their lives. It is important to give during the holidays to give others a little piece of mind and security to be able to celebrate as well.
