New Generations Carry on Giving Legacy in Generous W. Michigan

The grandchildren of West Michigan business titans who have made the region one of the country’s most charitable are beginning to make their own mark in philanthropy but may have a less local outlook, writes The Grand Rapids Press.

Superstore magnate Fred Meijer, who died last month, set up funds for his seven grandchildren at the Grand Rapids Community Foundation. The foundation works with many wealthy donors in a region that is rich with successful family firms such as Amway.

Area moguls “are providing an opportunity for the next generation to give but not dictating what they do. They are letting them make their own mark,” said Marilyn Zack, the foundation’s vice president for development.

The wealth transfer is giving rise to talk in local philanthropy circles about whether a new generation with a more international and technological outlook will focus its giving on institutions in the community, as did their parents and grandparents. “Something that doesn’t look like traditional philanthropy is what appeals to them,” said Michael Moody of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.