The Whiteman family has been deeply involved with charitable giving for four generations, and there are two Whiteman family foundations worth getting to know if you’re looking to find funding for a local nonprofit in the state of Arizona.
Here’s an overview of both the Whiteman Foundation and the Whiteman 4G Foundation, to give nonprofits a better sense of how they operate alongside each other in Arizona.
The Whiteman Foundation
The history of the Whiteman Foundation dates back to 1961, when Jack Whiteman created the Edna Rider Whiteman Foundation, which he named after his mother. Jack Whiteman founded Empire Southwest, an Arizona Caterpillar dealership, and wanted to give back to his community after achieving business success.
The Whiteman Foundation has given to a variety of causes over the years, including arts, higher education, child welfare and early childhood development. When John Whiteman took over the leadership for this foundation in 2003, he began focusing its giving on early childhood education. John passed away in 2019, and his children serve on the board of directors of this foundation.
Today, the Whiteman Foundation focuses on health, welfare and education for Arizona children. Recent grantees include Circle the City in Phoenix, the Florence Immigration Project in Tucson and I.D.E.A. Museum in Mesa.
The Whiteman 4G Foundation
After taking over the Whiteman Foundation in 2003, John Whiteman also created a brand-new foundation for his grandchildren to work through. He established the Whiteman 4G Foundation in 2006 so that his 11 grandchildren, then between the ages of 10 and 16, could experience philanthropy for themselves. The name “4G” refers to these grandchildren being the fourth generation of the family to be involved in philanthropy. As they’ve grown older, the grandchildren have engaged in everything from strategic planning to conducting board meetings and investing money.
These days, this foundation has two major focuses: providing for basic needs and fighting sex trafficking. It often awards grants to provide food, water, shelter and clothing to Arizona families in need. Addressing sex trafficking was important to John Whiteman, and his grandchildren have continued on in that vein after his death. Recent grantees include Arizona Brainfood in Mesa, Singleton Moms in Phoenix and Operation Underground Railroad.
Approaching the Whiteman family for support
Both Whiteman foundations work throughout the state to address needs in underserved communities. Although both foundations award grants by invitation only, they’re open to receiving unsolicited introductions and information from local nonprofits. There is an online contact page on the foundations’ website, which is the best place to reach out to the Whiteman family to make a connection. Both foundations request that applications be submitted by September, and then they make funding decisions in December.
IP offers a full profile of the Whiteman Foundation and Whiteman 4G Foundation in our Arizona Funding Guide.