Na scénu přichází nová generace filantropů

Even as foundations and corporations struggling to adjust to the financial crisis and slowing economy scale back their giving, a new generation of energetic and creative donors is emerging, Barron's reports.

As the oldest of the baby boomers begin to retire, many of them are handing over the reins of philanthropic leadership to their Generation X children (ages 28 to 42). These younger donors are intent on leaving a mark today rather than waiting until they are in their fifties and sixties. In many cases, they also look at philanthropy differently than their parents and grandparents. "They aren't jaded, and they don't accept the status quo readily," said Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors CEO Melissa Berman. "They have new perspectives and new ideas."

For starters, whether they are entrepreneurs, high-powered executives, or latter-day members of old-money families, many of these donors are inclined to be more generous than their parents and grandparents. A recent Northern Trust survey found that Gen X millionaires gave an average of $20,000 to charitable causes in 2006, double the amount of giving by their parents and grandparents. And the causes funded by these younger donors also are different than those funded by previous generations, which tended to direct their giving to local churches, hospitals, and schools. In contrast, the younger generation more readily funds projects overseas. "It's global; it's what is going on in Africa as well as next door, because that is their life," said Berman.

Justin Rockefeller, the 29-year-old great-great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, is typical of this new generation. No stranger to philanthropic activities or public service, the young Rockefeller was an early investor in Uhuru Capital Management, which is about to launch a fund that will turn over up to 5 percent of its profits to entrepreneurial ventures in developing markets, where it also will invest. Indeed, for many younger philanthropists, "distinctions between for-profit and nonprofit enterprises are getting blurred," said Rockefeller, who also runs the nonprofit Generation Engage with Adrian and Devon Talbott, the twenty-something children of Brookings Institution president Strobe Talbott.

While some of the new philanthropists remain firmly indebted to the examples set by their parents and grandparents, others, such as Rockefeller, say they intend to find new ways to be effective with their families' resources. "What kind of world would we have," said Rockefeller, "without idealistic and ambitious young people who want to transform the world?"

McGee, Suzanne. “Next-Gen Givers.” Barron's 12/01/08.