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 Americans to give to the causes and communities they care about most.
Philanthropy Roundtable spoke with Bill Ahmanson, president of The Ahmanson Foundation, about the Foundation’s support for organizations and institutions based in and serving the greater Los Angeles community and the vital role philanthropic freedom plays in making this work possible. The Foundation was founded by Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. in 1952. It focuses on capital projects supporting the arts, education, medical and health care services, low-income population and homelessness alleviation programs and various human services.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Q: Before we get into how you and The Ahmanson Foundation address key challenges in your area, how does philanthropic freedom make it possible to meet your mission?
Ahmanson: Being able to give, how, where and when is important to The Ahmanson Foundation because it gives us the ability to stay nimble and to better address areas of need. If individual giving is restricted, then needs are going to go unmet and that would not serve the community at large. Individual giving is the largest source of nonprofit support.
One of the great aspects of America is freedom of association. Donor privacy is included in that as a constitutional right. Many people make donations anonymously because they want to be private. When we see legislation that says, “You must disclose who your donors are,” the first question we should ask is, “Why? What’s the goal?” Well, it’s really a fishing expedition to know who may have differing, contrary opinions. America is about the freedom to have differences of opinion and moving along peacefully.
Q: Thanks to the freedom to give, what is The Ahmanson Foundation doing to meet its mission?
Ahmanson: The foundation takes a unique approach primarily as a capital funder defined as “If you can touch it, we will fund it.” This strategy ensures organizations have the tools and environment necessary to make positive impacts on their missions. Our grants support projects ranging from HVAC and sewer systems to MRI machines and fine art in addition to traditional bricks and mortar grant making.
Q: Why is funding the arts so important to the Foundation?
Ahmanson: The Ahmanson Foundation is a major supporter of the arts in Los Angeles for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons is Los Angeles is a mecca of emerging artists, and home to some of the finest museums in the world. Los Angeles has excellent schools that teach commercial artists who contribute the robust culture economy in Los Angeles. Another reason is how the arts can change the lives of those who create it and those who consume it. One of my favorite stories comes from an LAPD commander, who said “We’ve never arrested a child with a violin case.” The meaning of that story is when kids are involved in the arts, they’re less likely to choose alternative paths.
Another story comes from CalArts. A young man, while addressing the board of trustees, held up a pair of drumsticks and said, “These drumsticks saved my life.” The young man continued, “I grew up in a gang area. Whenever somebody asked who I ran with, I’d hold these up and say, ‘I play drums.’” And amazingly the gangs would leave him alone. Kehinde Wiley was so inspired by the Huntington Museum’s Portrait Gallery as a young man he became a portrait artist himself, painting the official Obama portraits.
I love these stories. These stories are why we support the arts.
Q: Homelessness is a major issue in your area and around the country. What is the Foundation’s approach to this issue?
Ahmanson: Homelessness is a big issue in every major city and The Ahmanson Foundation, like many others, is doing what we can. In Los Angeles, we are not particularly strong proponents of the housing first model, because we don’t see the underlying issues like mental health and drug addiction being addressed. More people are becoming homeless than there are getting out of homelessness under this model, which has caused concern about its efficacy. We support organizations that have a sobriety model. We find that when people become accountable for their actions, start new lives with recovery and sobriety, there are more incentives to finish the program and maintain their new lifestyle.
Q: What role can philanthropy play in addressing crime in our communities?
Ahmanson: Crime affects everybody and intimidates people in their own city, and we want to be part of the solution. I take a personal role with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and we’ve made grants to the LAPD to increase their technology that helps to combat crime.
I think philanthropy can be a major player in crime reduction. Philanthropists can take a more active voice in the drivers of crime in the first place, specifically education. There are many studies that indicate nothing is better than a good education which can lead to a good job. If people have those two things they avoid crime, jail, drugs and a lot of other bad outcomes. So many of the problems in our society stem from a failing education system.
That’s where philanthropy can become a major player because every societal ill, (including) crime, homelessness and the reliance on drugs, can be reduced with better education which leads to better opportunity. If you want to talk about equity, diversity and inclusion, nothing helps more than a good quality education. Philanthropists can step in to encourage an education system kids want to participate in and an environment they want to go to every single day.
