An Accidental Philanthropist: How A Small Family Foundation Made A Big Difference

This is the story of how a chance encounter led to romance, marriage, and a partnership covering a half century of creative philanthropy by Michael and Winsome Dunn McIntosh. In the 1970s, they began using an unexpected inheritance to expand the protection of America’s natural resources through life-giving early support to the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Sierra Club’s legal arm.

On numerous occasions they demonstrated how a small foundation can have an outsized impact in the United States and abroad where a dynamic non-profit they founded, London-based ClientEarth, carries forward legal protections for the environment around the world. At 80 years of age, Winsome continues to promote the role of women in philanthropy and their place in the management of non-profit organizations.