Carolina Ángel

Founder of Philanthropic Boutique
Bogotá, Colombia

 

Carolina Ángel recently retired as directora de Filantropía at Universidad de los Andes, in Bogotá, Colombia, where she worked for 23 years leading fundraising campaigns that placed her institution as the largest higher education fundraiser in Colombia.

Credit: Carolina Ángel

Tell us about your journey in advancement and where it’s led you.
In Latin America, not many universities have a philanthropy program like you see at universities in North America. We were considered pioneers at Universidad de los Andes because we grew the program through a strategic plan to raise money. I started the office with a staff of three, and we had 20 when I retired last year. We did prospect research and took care of our donors. I attended CASE Summits every year and always brought back a bag of books and read them all. 

Colleagues throughout the region would call me and ask how we were doing it. I would help whenever I could. I knew that’s how I wanted to spend my retirement, so I founded Philanthropic Boutique, a consulting business.

What is your hope for advancement and philanthropy in Colombia?
It’s simple. I want to see people ask for donations. The reason donors don’t give is that no one is asking them. We are a generous country, but we have to create a culture of philanthropy. There is a word in Latin America—limosna. It translates to “alms” or giving to the poor. That is part of our culture. When you look at the 2022 World Giving Index (published by the Charities Aid Foundation), five of the top 10 countries where the most people would help a stranger in need were located in South and Central America. But no Latin American countries made the list of the top 10 countries whose populations give money to charities or nonprofits. That’s cultural, and we can change that. I want to teach and share best practices. The time is right. People are interested.

This issue of Currents features several stories about food. How does food play a role in your work?
I think most of us in advancement have found that if you want to have a relaxed, profound conversation, do it over a meal. The pleasant experience of sharing a meal crosses cultures. I like to meet donors for breakfast. The traffic is just terrible in Colombia, especially in Bogotá. It makes meeting for dinner very difficult. With early breakfast, you can escape the morning rush. 

A restaurant offers a neutral place for a conversation, and I always like to choose a place that will surprise my guest—not too fancy, but special, with amazing food. Gala dinners work very well [for donor engagement,] but we should be careful in choosing the menu. If we are inviting donors to a fundraiser for scholarships, it would not send the right message to serve lobster. We offer good wine, but not top end. This lets them know we are responsible with the funds we raise.

What foods do you suggest visitors try in Colombia?
Two dishes come to mind that I always encourage visitors to experience. One is a soup called Ajiaco, which typically includes chicken, potatoes, corn, rice, and avocado. The other one that everyone must try is bandeja paisa, a beautiful dish that uses rice, beans, a variety of meats, plantains, a cornmeal cake (arepa), and avocado. And, of course, the fruits and vegetables are amazing. Because of our tropical climate, they are what you might consider exotic. The papaya and mango are so much more luscious than anything you would find outside of Latin America. You can’t imagine the flavors!