Rex Foundation Executive Director Cameron Sears Looks Ahead

:: Interview :: Rex Foundation Executive Director Cameron Sears ::

Nearly $10 million in donations. More than 1,300 organizations served. More than 30 years of a unique social and philanthropic legacy that casts a wide net over the intertwined worlds of music and charity.

We’re of course talking about the Rex Foundation, which has been active since 1983, and now, in this 50th anniversary year of the Grateful Dead, is going stronger than ever.

“It’s very gratifying that we’ve been able to do this well for so long,” said Cameron Sears, former Grateful Dead tour manager and now Rex Foundation executive director, in a recent interview with JamBase. “We do not have an overly complicated process which gives us the ability to come up with innovative ways to raise awareness. We’re not encumbered with methodology – our mission statement is and remains to be as far-reaching as we can possibly be. I say that, but it really is quite intentional and by design that we didn’t want to be limited in what we undertake.”

The Rex Foundation has been part of a series of top-flight events in 2015, and has one more to go: its annual end-of-year benefit, which takes place December 5th at the Fillmore in San Francisco and will feature Steve Kimock & Friends playing “Reflections: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia.” Earlier this month JamBase reported that David Bromberg is among the evening’s special guests. More are certainly expected to be there, Sears said.

Rex thrives because of its simple, no frills approach. It looks for relatively smaller organizations – usually with budgets under $1 million – that larger foundations are likely to overlook, with a focus primarily, though not exclusively, on work being done for the environment, human rights, education, the arts and social services.

“Time and time again we’ve seen the approach come back to us with rewards,” Sears said. “I’ve seen a number of organizations, some of which we gave their first grant, and their operating budget was like $3,000 back then and now it’s a million and a half or even $3 million.”

The “right” organizations find their way in – often through relationships built with one or more board members.

“We don’t really solicit grant proposals over the transom, so to speak,” Sears explained. “It doesn’t mean we don’t get them and won’t approve them if we do, but everything comes in by and large from the board.”

Both Bob Weir and Mickey Hart maintain active presences on the Rex board, which also includes musicians Roger McNamee and Matt Butler, Jerry Garcia’s wife Carolyn and daughter Trixie, and a mix of industry and business personalities, including entrepreneur and JamBase founder Andy Gadiel.

Sears himself is wrapping up his second year as executive chairman at Rex Foundation. He looks back at his many years in the Dead orbit – including attendance at all five Fare Thee Well shows – with an appropriately philosophical point-of-view.

“I think it’s a unique phenomenon that the music has thrived and continues to morph and be explored again in different ways – look now what’s happening with Dead & Company,” he said. “There’s something about the Dead community, the way Rex operates and the way the fans and the band intersect with all these things. I don’t think it was by a grand design that this all took place – it’s just been a positive result of a philosophy that was born out over time. People can disparage the Dead and what they perceive it to be all about. But if you were at Soldier Field in July you saw and felt it.”