Growing Through Giving

The WHH Foundation, a California based ASF member, has taken a particularly thoughtful approach to engaging its third generation family members, ages 8 to 27. The foundation is managed by a volunteer board led by its founder, and is staffed by part-time executive director and family member, Bernadette Glenn. Recently, ASF spoke with Bernadette and Molly Purnell, age 25, who chairs the foundation’s next generation group.

ASF: Tell me how the WHH Foundation has engaged its younger family members.

Bernadette: The WHH Foundation is a family foundation with 16 board members, 12 of whom are family members. It was founded in 1961 by my husband’s stepfather, William H. Hurt, and it’s always been run as a very informal group—folks mostly give in their hometowns (CA, OR, and CO) through discretionary grants.

About three years ago, some of the older members of the next generation (TNG) were sitting in on board meetings, and it became apparent that we needed a plan to engage and educate them. We developed an associate board member job description but realized that soon we would have a lot of associate board members—making for an unwieldy board! That’s when we began thinking about the next generation as its own entity and as a stepping-stone to the board.

We took our ideas to the kids to find out what they wanted, and we set about finding a consultant to help—a non-family member who could encourage the kids to explore all of their options. After meeting with the consultant, we decided that a two-day retreat for the next generation would provide a great learning opportunity and a chance for the kids to get to know each other as co-workers.

It was a very successful launch of TNG—a group of generous and smart kids who love having something to bring them together. As they get older, they are learning to see the world through the prism of philanthropy—which is absolutely invaluable.

ASF: How is TNG structured?

Bernadette: At their planning retreat, TNG chose a name, rules, and format. Interestingly, they created a different format than the “real” board—the younger generation immediately decided on all-board grants (rather than discretionary funds). Our foundation gives broadly, but TNG felt that the environment was missing from that line-up and decided to focus on that. They created a format to find projects they were interested in and bring them forward—really, they created the whole process. They also crafted job descriptions—communicator, history-keeper, photographer.

It’s still evolving, but strictly speaking, TNG members are eligible to join upon entry to high school. We wanted keep it flexible, though, and one member was 11 when he joined—he couldn’t stand the idea that his cousins were doing something interesting and fun without him. At the moment, the oldest member is 25. Those in their 20s are also board associates, and we’re working to transition them to the foundation board; one prerequisite is to have been an officer on the TNG board. We also make sure to do site visits that might be of interest to TNG at our summer board meeting.

ASF: How did you relay your founder’s vision to the younger generation?

Bernadette: We had a “fireside chat” with Bill, our founder and grandfather to the members of TNG. Over the months prior to the chat, TNG worked with our consultant to create interview questions for Bill (which he received in advance). We then had a gathering with just him and the grandkids, where they asked him questions. It was videotaped for the future, and we used an outside moderator.

Bill is 81 years old, but you’d never know it. He acts and thinks like a much younger man. He’s curious about how the world works and he loves to gather the opinions of young people as an avenue into the future. He continues to work full-time, travel the world, and work out regularly, and we hope that he’ll be with us a lot longer.

ASF: What is the best part of being involved with the foundation?

Molly: The best part is coming together twice a year with all of the family. Without the foundation, we wouldn’t know each other quite as well, and it’s really been great to grow up with such wonderful, motivated, and loving mentors that I get to see so often. We all have a lot of ideas and a lot of energy and that creates a fun atmosphere.

Bernadette: It seems that everyone in our family, either instinctively or as a result of their involvement with the foundation, has a desire to work with and help their communities. One of the requirements of making a grant in our foundation is that you must become personally involved in the grantee organization, which many of us were already. Having foundation funds to bolster our volunteer efforts adds a whole other level of possibility and is a great privilege.

ASF: What’s the biggest challenge of your foundation work?

Molly: At my age, the major challenge has been talking about (or choosing not to talk about) the foundation with my peers. I feel like a lot of struggling twenty-somethings pass judgment on me. They ask ‘What are these meetings that you go to?’ and I have to think hard about whether to discuss the foundation’s work or just tell them that I’m going to another family reunion. I know that all TNG members will have to deal with this eventually, and I hope that I can be a good mentor for them.

I’m also assuming that the issue will never really go away, and as I get older, I hope to garner a little more finesse in my responses.

ASF: What are you excited about when you look 5–10 years down the road?

Bernadette: I hope that we are still close as a family, sharing common interests, becoming more daring in our grants, and making a real difference. I also hope that we have nurtured TNG to the point that they continue to be interested and to grow in their philanthropy.

Molly: I look forward to being more fully involved in the foundation. I have learned a lot over the years, and I’m excited to make more substantial grants and monitor the outcomes. I’m also excited to see my younger family members make their own TNG grants.

The foundation has given me the perspective that doing good can really be a lifestyle and not just a one- or two-time event. I think that once you catch the bug of doing good for the world it doesn’t just stop with philanthropy. It molds the way you set out to do business or the school you choose to attend or even the people you let into your life.

Calling the next generation!

Let us keep your next generation informed of ASF resources and events just for them. Send contact information for your next generation board members (current or future) to Janice Simsohn Shaw, (202) 580-6560 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Name, address, e-mail, date of birth, and role in the foundation are especially helpful.

Thinking about starting a junior board? ASF members have kindly shared their policies in Samples. See how other foundations answer questions on eligibility, grant amounts, and other issues, such as: Is the child’s school eligible for a grant?