Philanthropy Roundtable’s Free to Give campaign elevates the voices of everyday Americans who have dedicated their careers to supporting those in need. Their work is made possible by the freedom of all Americans to give to the causes and communities they care about most.
The Roundtable spoke with Spencer Bone, the ambassador and strategic partnerships manager for the Stanley M. Herzog Foundation, about the importance of philanthropic freedom. Founded by Stanley Herzog, the foundation pinpoints growth opportunities and addresses gaps in the Christian education sector enabling the development of impactful and scalable programs nationwide. With an emphasis on education, Herzog envisioned an America where faith, family values and hard work foster prosperity.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity
Q: Tell us about the Herzog Foundation and its mission.
Bone: The Herzog Foundation’s mission is very straightforward—we exist to catalyze and accelerate K-12 Christian education.
We have a variety of different initiatives to help us accomplish our mission. We have a news publication called “The Lion” where we focus on education, families and students. A big part of our charitable giving goes to providing teacher and professional development trainings to folks who are school leaders, board of directors and everything in between. We do these trainings all over the country, and we’ve partnered with some great groups like the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. and the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California.
Q: Why is philanthropic freedom important to the Herzog Foundation?
Bone: Philanthropic freedom is important to fulfilling lives and enriching communities. It is important to the Herzog Foundation because it was important to our founder, Stan Herzog. Stan took a small asphalt paving business and turned it into one of the premier contracting companies in the country. He worked hard and tirelessly to put himself in a position to where he could donate to causes that he cared about, such as Christian education.
Individuals should be free to give to the causes that they care about because it’s rooted in our nation’s founding principles. There are plenty of opportunities to fill in gaps in our communities, and the only way to overcome that is by generous giving. When folks find something that they’re passionate about, if they’re wanting to stand in that gap, they should have the ability to do so.
Q: What would happen if there were restrictions placed on giving?
Bone: If there were restrictions placed on giving, it would negatively impact children across the United States. The one size fits all approach to education isn’t working, and the only way to break that gridlock is to create other opportunities for students and families to flourish. One way of doing that is through the generous contributions of individuals toward private Christian schools, and without those opportunities, education would be in decline, and we’ll never get out of the situation that we’re currently in.
Q: Why should people be able to give to charities anonymously if they want to?
Bone: Individuals should be able to donate to causes they care about without fear of retribution from folks who may disagree with the causes they believe in. I think it’s also important to note that individuals can donate anonymously, so they don’t distract from the work that’s being done by that specific organization. The focus should be on the work being done, rather than on who is behind the scenes.
Transparency is for government. Privacy should always be for the citizens, and that’s why anonymous giving is so important. People should have the freedom to contribute to causes they support without fear of backlash from those who disagree with their beliefs. be
Q: How has the Roundtable community been helpful to you? How has it been helpful to have that donor network to work with and learn from?
Bone: The Roundtable brings together so many different organizations doing a lot of great work. Some of the groups that are like ours face similar obstacles, and to be able to talk and figure out how to overcome said obstacles helps us not have to recreate the wheel. We can use each other as resources to advance our mission.
