In March 1998, The American's Committee on Foundations held its sixth annual weekend workshop on foundations, in Detroit, Michigan. The American has long recognized the Michigan Psychoanalytic Foundation (MPF) as the most advanced and integrated of the APsaA constituent psychoanalytic foundations, and the time had come for the Committee to examine its program.
The workshop was a tour de force of organizational skill. Thirty-two people, representing 22 psychoanalytic foundations and societies from around the country, gathered on Friday to begin an intense interactive learning experience. The attendees included representatives from the William Alanson White Institute, the New York Freudian Society, and a Division 39 Institute in Boca Raton, Florida. The 32 guests were joined by 20 officers and presenters from the MPF.
MPF President Gary Eisenberg was the host for the weekend. Audrey Bornstein and Kathleen Kunkel made all the arrangements including housing, welcoming, feeding, transporting, and preparing printed materials for the group. They were assisted by several other volunteers, including Barbara Eisenberg and Harold and Nancy Kulish, who hosted an excellent dinner in their home.
If one thing captures the essence of the Michigan experience, it is an amazing integration of foundation, institute, society, friends, and other component activities and mutual interests. The community members serve on committees of the institute and society; all see themselves as part of the Michigan Psychoanalytic Center.
Marvin Margolis, Mel Bornstein, Gerry Schreier, and Gary Eisenberg gave the first session on the history and thinking that went into the development of the organizational structure of the MPF. Then the group was treated to an open Board of Directors meeting of the foundation. Participants were given a chance to interrupt and ask questions of each committee chair.
Ouida Cash, the director of a youth living center in Michigan, gave a rousing presentation on the significance of psychoanalytic support in her work with inner-city youth. Nancy Kulish, Purnima Mehta, Carrie Patterson, Keke Pyrros, Tina Hertel, and Julie Nagel presented a panel on the wide variety of the MPF's community outreach efforts.
The weekend was capped by a detailed discussion by Barbara Gordon, Bernadette Kovach, and Barbara Hillman of how to plan and organize a money-making annual benefit and further discussion by Mel Bornstein and Ouida Cash of fundraising amongst members and the community. This last discussion was quite lively. There stood Mel Bornstein, who looks and acts like the rest of us who are trained in clinical psychoanalysis. There evolved before our eyes another Mel Bornstein. He was passionate, provocative, and persuasive in describing his approach to his colleagues and non-analytic friends. He told how he gave a large contribution, which he could afford no more easily than his colleagues, in order to set an example of what was needed. Beyond money, he gave the many reasons that we must do this. He also pointed out that we must finance our own marketing efforts and also perform the marketing work.
The proof of this approach is in the fact that the MPF raises more money annually than any other foundation. Michigan has a higher case load amongst all its analysts, from candidate to supervising and training analyst, than does any other society and institute. More minorities attend Michigan functions and belong to its institute than is the case in other regions. Clearly, there is much to be learned from the “Michigan experience.”
Harvey L. Rich, M.D., is president and chair of the Board of Directors of the American Psychoanalytic Foundation.