A conversation with Bill Ahmanson

Philanthropy Roundtable To give freely campaign gives voice to the voices of ordinary Americans who have dedicated their careers to helping those in need. Their work is made possible by the freedom Americans have to give to the causes and communities that matter most to them.

Philanthropy Roundtable spoke with Bill Ahmanson, president of the Ahmanson Foundation, about the foundation's support of organizations and institutions based in and serving the greater Los Angeles community and the critical role philanthropic freedom plays in making this work possible. The foundation was founded in 1952 by Howard F. Ahmanson Sr. It focuses on capital projects supporting the arts, education, medical and health care, programs to alleviate low-income and homeless populations, and various humanitarian services..

The following interview has been edited for length and clarity. 

Q: Before we get into how you and the Ahmanson Foundation are addressing the key challenges in your field, how does philanthropic freedom enable you to fulfill your mission?

Ahmanson: The Ahmanson Foundation believes it is important to be able to give how, where and when because it allows us to remain flexible and better address areas of need. If individual giving is restricted, needs will go unmet and the community as a whole will not benefit. Individual giving is the largest source of charitable support.

One of America's great advantages is freedom of association. This includes donor privacy as a constitutional right. Many people donate anonymously because they want to maintain their privacy. When we see laws that say, “You must disclose who your donors are,” the first question we should ask is, “Why? What is the goal?” Well, it's actually a form of “fishing” to find out who might have different, opposing opinions. America is about the freedom to have different opinions and to interact peacefully with one another.

Q: What does the freedom to give enable the Ahmanson Foundation to do to fulfill its mission?

Ahmanson: The Foundation takes a unique approach, defined first and foremost as a capital provider: “If you can touch it, we'll fund it.” This strategy ensures organizations have the tools and environment necessary to positively impact their missions. Our grants support projects ranging from HVAC and wastewater systems to MRI machines and fine art, in addition to traditional building and mortar grants.

Q: Why is supporting 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 is that Los Angeles is a mecca for emerging artists and is home to some of the finest museums in the world. Los Angeles has excellent schools that train commercial artists who contribute to Los Angeles' thriving cultural economy. Another is because the arts can change the lives of those who create them and those who consume them. One of my favorite stories comes from an LAPD commander who said, “We've never arrested a kid with a violin case.” The significance of this story is that kids who are involved in the arts are less likely to choose alternative paths.

Another story comes from CalArts. A young man held up a pair of drumsticks in a speech to the board of trustees and said, “These drumsticks saved my life.” The young man continued, “I grew up in a gang neighborhood. Whenever someone asked me who I was hanging out with, I held them up and said, 'I play drums.'” And amazingly, the gangs left him alone. Kehinde Wiley was so inspired by the Huntington Museum's Portrait Gallery as a young man that he became a portrait painter himself and painted the official Obama portraits.

I love these stories. These stories are why we support the arts.

Q: Homelessness is a major problem in your area and across the country. How does the foundation address this issue?

Ahmanson: Homelessness is a major problem in every major city and the Ahmanson Foundation, like many others, is doing what it can. In Los Angeles, we are not particularly strong advocates of the Housing First model because we do not see underlying issues like mental health and drug addiction being addressed. More people become homeless under this model than exit homelessness, which has raised doubts about its effectiveness. We support organizations that have an abstinence model. We find that when people take responsibility for their actions and begin a new life of recovery and abstinence, there is more incentive to exit the program and maintain their new lifestyle.

Q: What role can philanthropy play in fighting crime in our communities?

Ahmanson: Crime affects everyone and intimidates people in their own city. We want to be part of the solution. I take on a personal role with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), and we have provided grants to the LAPD to improve its crime-fighting technology.

I think that philanthropy can play an important role in reducing crime. Philanthropists can be more active in addressing the root causes of crime, especially education. There are many studies that show that nothing beats a good education that can lead to a good job. When people have those two things, they avoid crime, prison, drugs, and many other bad outcomes. So many of the problems in our society are due to a failing education system.

This is where philanthropy can play an important role, because every societal ill, including crime, homelessness and drug addiction, can be reduced through better education that leads to better opportunities. When it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion, nothing helps more than quality education. Philanthropists can step in to promote an education system that children enjoy participating in and an environment that they want to go to every day.