Name: Mollie Trivers
Title: Executive Director
Organization: Whiteman Foundation

Vital Stats:
58; born in Atlanta, GA.

First and/or Most Interesting Job:
My first job: When I arrived in Arizona in 1974 to go to graduate school in music theory, I was a waitress in a bowling alley for three weeks.

My most interesting job: Raising the money to get KBAQ the classical NPR radio station on the air in 1992.

Hobbies/Favorite Pastime:
I enjoy carriage riding!

Your Path to Philanthropy:
I was fortunate to get granting experience early in my career at the Arizona Commission on the Arts. This experience was very valuable. I became the Executive Director of the Whiteman Foundation in 1995. I have now worked for four generations of that family. It has been a fantastic journey.

Current Position
I wear a few hats. I have been the Major Gifts Director at ASU Gammage since 2000. I am the Executive Director of the Whiteman and the Whiteman 4G Foundations. I am the founder of a consulting service Generation Next, with the goal to teach teenagers about philanthropy and working with families to relish their community giving. Please visit http://generationnextaz.com/

Favorite Quote or Motto:
I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. John Cage - July 16, 2006

Organization Spotlight:

Name: Whiteman Foundation

Mission Statement:
To promote the health, education and welfare of children.

History of the Whiteman Foundation
Jack Whiteman, founder of Empire Southwest, the region’s Caterpillar dealership, established the Edna Rider Whiteman Foundation in 1961 with the belief that business has a fundamental responsibility to the community. Thirty-five years later, the organization became known as the Whiteman Foundation.

Since the foundation’s first major community investment, the Whiteman Foundation has invested more than $5 million primarily in Maricopa County. Beneficiaries have included community groups like the East Valley Child Crisis Center, the Arizona Museum for Youth and the Phoenix Art Museum

From the 1970s to the 1990s, the foundation invested primarily in the arts and higher education. But at the turn of the century, the foundation’s emphasis shifted to early childhood development — creating awareness of the issues surrounding early childhood development and contributing to child welfare.

The foundation’s main funding source, Empire Southwest, commits more than 2 percent of its pretax profits to charity — 1 percent to the Whiteman Foundation and 1 percent to a sister foundation. Empire Southwest currently has more than 1,600 employees, 15 full-service locations and six planned future sites.

To learn more about the Whiteman Foundation, click here.