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  • Ethan Morgan

    Ethan Morgan

  • Emily Horowitz

    Emily Horowitz

  • Bill H. Lyon

    Bill H. Lyon

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OC Community Foundation ::
Find a charity that matches
your interests through the OC
Community Foundation. They
provide the valuable service of
vetting worthy charities in your
particular area of interest,
collecting and distributing
donations and so much more.

:: oc-cf.org

Pretend City :: A nonprofit,
interactive children’s museum
that represents a miniature city,
Pretend City’s goal is to build
better brains through whole-
body learning experiences,
educational programs and
creative exhibits. The museum
is located at 29 Hubble in Irvine.
949.428.3900 ::
pretendcity.org

There’s no doubt that rubber chicken dinners and gala affairs involving cover bands, ball gowns (and sometimes the odd beach ball) raise a significant amount of money for many of Orange County’s charities. The auctions are spectacular, offering prizes that range from African safaris to round-the-world trips to diamond necklaces, and garner hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations from the community’s financial heavyweights. Today, however, the children of these gala-goers are coming of age as the next generation of philanthropists, and they’ve got a few ideas of their own.

“[Young philanthropists] may not be able to write a big check, but they can help in other ways, like identifying cost savings on a project, securing in-kind gifts or using their industry influence to negotiate on behalf of the organization,” says Steve Muzzy, 41, vice president of Wells Fargo commercial banking and a board member of the nonprofit Pretend City Children’s Museum. “The new generation philanthropist realizes that philanthropy is so much more than making a financial commitment to a cause.”

Today’s young philanthropists are also on the cutting edge of new technologies, using the Internet and networking to strategize and create complex yet efficient systems to integrate the expertise of other young philanthropists into a specific cause.

But the best advice on giving is nothing new: “Everyone has something to offer,” says Muzzy. “Whether it is offering your time, talent or treasure, you have the ability to make a difference.”

Coast caught up with three influential “new generation” philanthropists from Orange County. Here’s what they had to say about giving, the importance of family and how to choose the right foundation to match your interests.

Ethan Morgan
Senior Wealth Advisor, SVP, Wells Fargo Wealth Management Group

C: How did you get involved in philanthropy? What or who was your inspiration?
Ethan Morgan: Ultimately, my inspiration was family showing the way and friends inviting me in. My parents were active in the community as far back as I remember and my wife’s family is active as well. They were all phenomenal role models. Also, within Wells Fargo, we have a strong culture of giving to the community, both with team member time and as one of the five largest corporate givers nationally.
 
C: What are some of the ways that the “new generation” of philanthropists is different from their parents?  
EM: I feel like our generation is aware of their general surroundings and community’s needs earlier in life. Naturally, your stage of life and daily interests influence where you focus your energy and resources. My friends and I appear to differ from prior generations by being involved more in areas that relate to our current life experience, such as children’s charities, family services and education, to name a few. Also, living in the information age, I think we do more research and really dig into information, and having an immediate impact and maximizing results is important to us.

C: Recent philanthropic event you were involved in that exemplifies the idea of the modern philanthropist…
EM: This summer, after many people’s work over 13 years, we opened the doors of Pretend City in Irvine. Having worked toward that goal for seven of those years, it was an incredibly satisfying experience to see all the children flood into the facility… and have it work perfectly. [Pretend City] is teaching every child tools they will have for life. It’s exemplary in that the board is very young, the museum is youth-focused, we did something new and different, we overcame challenges, and the model itself is very forward-thinking.

C: What is one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring philanthropists?
EM: Just do it, whether you know your philanthropic passion today or not. Initially, I didn’t know about the Orange County Community Foundation, which has great people to help get you started identifying strong and well-aligned charities. So, it was a honing process where I got to positively impact some charities that I didn’t ultimately stay with, but who helped me get to a place today that I can easily identify and where I will be most passionate and personally invested. When you are in that space, you will always have the most impact and fun.  

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Emily Horowitz
Vice President, Horowitz Group

C: How did you get involved in philanthropy? What or who was your inspiration?
Emily Horowitz: My family has always valued philanthropy and volunteerism. At an early age, I recall serving meals to seniors, hosting game night with the developmentally disabled and logging countless hours at the Ticktocker Thrift Shop. After college, I pursued my interest in nonprofit work as executive assistant for Discovery Science Center (DSC) in Santa Ana. Now, as a philanthropist, my experience working at DSC provides unique insight into the daily operation and administration of a successful nonprofit. I’ve seen what it takes to run an organization and truly appreciate the hard work and perseverance of a good leader.
 
C: What are some of the ways that the “new generation” of philanthropists is different from their parents?
EH: Charitable giving has come a long way from tossing spare change in a jar. Modern philanthropists are efficient and entrepreneurial; they want to maximize the social and economic impact of every dollar. For example, individuals can leverage their investment by securing loans, sponsoring matching grant programs and directly financing new technology systems that allow charities to reach more people.
 
C: What are your main interests involving philanthropy? Are there certain organizations or causes that interest you more than others?  
EH: I am privileged to serve on the board of Directors for Discovery Science Center. I worked for DSC several years ago and was honored when they asked me to join the board last year. I have always been passionate about education, and no one makes a larger impact on science education and outreach in Orange County than Discovery Science Center. My family is also very involved with MIND Research Institute and Pacific Symphony youth education, among many others.

C: Most memorable or rewarding experiences regarding your philanthropic efforts…
EH: My father served as Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for a neglected child in Garden Grove. Growing up with this CASA child and spending time with him was hard for me to understand at first. We naturally grew to be friends and I feel privileged to know the wonderful man he is today. He will always remain a part of our family. My father stepped outside his comfort zone to contribute more of himself, and I feel great pride in his continuous effort to better the life of a special CASA child.  

C:
What is one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring philanthropists?
EH: Don’t underestimate your power to give back. You can make the biggest impact by donating your time, expertise and ability.

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Bill H. Lyon
President and COO of William Lyon Homes, Board Chair of Pretend City

C: How did you get involved in philanthropy? What or who was your inspiration?
Bill H. Lyon:
My parents were philanthropic throughout my childhood. My father served as chairman of Orangewood Children’s Foundation as well as the Orange County Performing Arts Center. I envisioned myself getting involved later in life when my career and family were stabilized. However, I was approached by Anne Marie Leonard (Moiso) to become involved with Pretend City, and she was a big proponent of people in our generation getting involved in philanthropy now, not later. Luckily, I listened to her because my involvement with Pretend City has been very rewarding and led to participation elsewhere like the Bowers Museum, where I am also on the board.

C: What are some of the ways that the “new generation” of philanthropists is different from their parents?
BL:
One thing I have noticed, particularly with Pretend City’s board, is the desire to get involved beyond the dollars. In some ways, this may be because philanthropists of our generation do not have the capacity to write the huge checks, but they can leverage their gift capacity with their professional expertise. We had a number of board members who indirectly raised money for the project by reducing our costs – either volunteering their professional services or just using their industry knowledge to help us better manage our business.

C: Recent philanthropic event you were involved in that exemplifies the idea of the modern philanthropist…
BL:
This is mostly about Pretend City, as I have been involved deeply with the project for over five years and up to my ears in it since I took over as chair from Anne Marie. The grand opening of the museum at the end of August was to me a real testament to the drive of next generation philanthropists. Our board members really banded together to make the opening possible, not only by increasing their financial commitments but by passionately devoting their time and energy to helping the staff bring this wonderful educational resource to the families of Orange County.

C: Most memorable or rewarding experiences regarding your philanthropic efforts…
BL:
Watching my daughter interact with the exhibits in Pretend City was very rewarding. We raised funds from a PowerPoint presentation, which described how children would experience the museum. (I should mention we are still raising money and looking for generous board members!) Towards the opening, I began to wonder if kids would really “get it” when they came inside. They clearly understand it is a place designed for them, and they pretty much run the place. Knowing [my daughter] would rather go there than some amusement parks is pretty cool. Plus, at Pretend City she is learning the whole time, not waiting in line.

C: What is one piece of advice you’d give to aspiring philanthropists?
BL:
Surround yourself with people you enjoy spending time with; if you are going to take on a big project, these are the folks you are going to be in the trenches with.