Alaska's Largest Private Conservation Gift

Protecting Alaska’s wildlands is a cause for which I had tried to raise money for years. One of the happiest moments of my life occurred in 1999. I was presenting land acquisition options to my friend Richard Goldman in his downtown San Francisco office at which point he decided to make a large gift. In retrospect, it’s turned out to be a seminal gift in the history of Alaska conservation. He lent tremendous credibility to the movement, and since then, many other substantial gifts have followed. I don’t know whether I’ll personally ever be in a financial position to make that kind of gift. But if I am, I could only hope to do the kind of good Richard Goldman has done with his wealth. I wish more of America’s wealthy were like him, using their money to help others rather than build monuments to themselves.