DonorsTrust Founding President Whitney Ball
DonorsTrust was established in 1999 by Kim Dennis and Whitney Ball with the vision of supporting conservative and libertarian philanthropists. Pairing the advantages of donor-advised funds with a commitment to donor intent and the principles of a free society, DonorsTrust would be the institutional embodiment of the ideas Whitney and Kim championed in their careers.
Kim would serve as board chair while Whitney ran DonorsTrust’s day-to-day operations as founding president. Under Whitney’s leadership, DonorsTrust grew from a single account to an established player in the philanthropic world. By the time of her death in 2015, DonorsTrust had processed more than 10,000 grants, amount to hundreds of millions of dollars to charities advancing free enterprise, limited government, and personal responsibility.
Whitney’s Legacy
Whitney profoundly influenced libertarian and conservative philanthropy during her career. Some of her vision was only just coming to fruition when her life was cut short by cancer. She believed DonorsTrust needed to play a central role in expanding the financial resources available to the libertarian and conservative movement. As part of that aim, she hoped DonorsTrust could develop the capacity to jumpstart new initiatives and invest in strategic opportunities to advance the cause of freedom. She also believed strongly in the need to cultivate a new generation of philanthropists.
Since Whitney passed, DonorsTrust has built on her legacy with the Whitney Ball Memorial Fund, the Whitney Ball Legacy Society, and the Novus Society.