Pushing forward with John White, Jr.

John White, Jr. recently joined the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta as vice president, advancement and philanthropic services. We sat down to get to know John and to learn more about what motivates him. 

Why this role?

I want to be part of someone’s push forward. I’m from a small town in North Carolina. My grandfather, Pershing Wall, was a postal worker and pressed me to focus on education to gain access. Although he was highly educated and a war veteran, he was never promoted beyond third shift — and that always bothered me. He and my grandmother never complained about what we lacked and were so present in our lives. They were there for every tennis match, every event and every life-long success. They were also present for my many failures, which is when I grew the most.

One of my own “pushes” happened when I moved to Atlanta. This city has been my home since 2008. I have two daughters and one was a top-ranked junior player. She got a grant from the United States Tennis Association to come here to Atlanta to be developed. I had a great tenure around real estate development and fundraising. This led me to start my own nonprofit to fight childhood obesity tied to a real estate project, called Odyssey Sports. Well, the market crashed, causing the project to fail and we almost lost everything, but every time it almost happened, something (or someone) extraordinary would help us. That is when I began to understand how important philanthropy was. I also realized how special this community was. It takes care of its own.

What draws you to the philanthropic sector?

Personally, I am very driven by what I give, in terms of my time and my talent. My wife and I had a second chance. I’d like to think that I pay it forward.

Now that I am entrenched in the business of philanthropy, I realize we have a plethora of foundations in Atlanta that do different things. The Community Foundation is part of the philanthropic sector, but we are a little bit different. We have a framework for partnering with the donor for giving rather than just receiving. We’re accessible to both an experienced donor and an inexperienced donor and have products that appeal to a wide base of philanthropists. These are regular people who want to make an impact through our co-investment models. The community’s needs are constantly evolving. Here, we are constantly pushing to tell a story, do the research, frame the need, deploy a strategy and build the relationships. And, then it’s on to the next need. But it’s all about the difference it makes for our community.

How do you think we can work together to make a difference in Atlanta?

The model for the Community Foundation allows you to take care of your neighbor, and allows them to maintain and sustain that success.

It’s all about relatability. We do have competitors but no one is doing philanthropy the way we do it. The difference is that you can call me directly. You can call Frank Fernandez, our CEO, directly. We are your neighbors. We eat in the community. We live in the community. Our kids go to school here. This is our community, we are constantly in it doing research on the need and building deep relationships. We know what “pushes” it needs. Atlanta is our home and we are all invested in it together.

Why are services and relationship-building an important part of what the Foundation does?

We have had a consistently strong track record. There is no risk in this scenario for our donors. When we partner with their financial advisor or directly with a donor, they get an immediate tax benefit, we manage their fund, they get the benefit of our management and their money is protected. We grow their resources in partnership with their financial advisor and the donor – and the community – get the full benefit of that impact. The more people who are involved, the more economy of scale it creates. Our track record is our real differentiator and I am proud to be part of it.

With us, it’s not a philanthropic product, it’s a different level of stewardship. We can pick up the phone and call you to tell you how much we appreciate you. 

I am, obviously from what I shared, a big risk-taker. So I’m going to push one forward now. Donors, I’m coming for you. I want to meet you, break bread with you, know you, respect you. I want us to be in relationship. We’ve got new mountains to scale here at the Community Foundation and I want to do it, side-by-side, with you. We’re TogetherATL, and my team and I are going to show you how that mission comes to life with and for you. Let’s make a difference together for our wonderful region!