Philanthropist Jane Butcher was prepared to donate $1 million to a new endowment for the Conference on World Affairs, reports the Daily Camera, if her gift could be tied to the "founding principles" of the event.
But Butcher said that "lack of acceptance" about those principles, including free admission and inviting only out-of-state panelists, means her donation is now off the table.
Some think that CWA Director John Griffin is responsible for alienating donors like Butcher, and have questioned his vision for the conference:
"The conference the Boulder community knows and loves is on the verge of collapse," said Bryan New, a former CWA staffer who quit in December.
A group of 39 conference supporters signed a letter sent to Chancellor Phil DiStefano on Thursday to express their concerns about the conference's leadership.
