Bob Harvey’s Amplified Giving: Evolving Philanthropy to Shape Houston’s Future
Over the last thirty years, Greater Houston Community Foundation (Foundation) has sharpened and expanded the toolkit it uses to partner with donors to amplify their giving. In partnership with our donors, the Foundation helps transform communities, primarily located in Greater Houston, into more vibrant, resilient places to live, work, and educate the next generation.
In tandem with the Foundation, Bob Harvey, the current Governing Board Chair of the Foundation and retired CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership, has undergone an evolution in his personal philanthropic journey. Initially, his charitable endeavors focused on supporting his alma mater, Texas A&M University, his faith community, and the schools his three children attended.
Fast forward to today, while he is still involved with Texas A&M University, an active member of his congregation, and a continuing supporter of his children’s schools and universities, his philanthropy has rippled out further towards local causes that do not always directly impact his family. More specifically, his philanthropy tends to reflect a deep interest in education at all levels and has expanded to include workforce training and skill development. A driving question for his philanthropy focuses on how young people in Houston equip themselves for a successful and rewarding life.
Continue reading to learn more about how Bob’s philanthropy has evolved, how he channels his philanthropy to support the potential he sees for Houston, and, in turn, what he thinks is in store for Greater Houston Community Foundation as it continues to amplify giving for the next 30 years and beyond.
Roots of Philanthropy
From the outset of the conversation, Bob emphasized the importance of recognizing that his references to giving and philanthropy represent a collective effort—an inclusive “we” highlighting the joint commitment he and his wife, Vicki, share in their generosity. Notably, a pivotal experience that significantly shaped their philanthropy journey was their active participation in the capital campaign for Memorial Lutheran Church several years ago.
The church was facing a decision that many families, businesses, and organizations grapple with in Greater Houston—update our facilities at our current, highly sought-after location or sell the property and use the proceeds to start fresh further out in the suburbs. Bob advocated that the church remain in the same location, as it was important for this area of Houston to have a church of this specific mission and focus. In turn, Bob and Vicki were very involved in supporting the capital campaign to update their church’s facilities, making a lead gift, and helping to steer the campaign for their congregation.
Bob cites this experience with his church’s capital campaign as what got him over the “hump” of fundraising. Bob shared, “Anyone can fundraise; they just have to care deeply about the issue and mission they are fundraising for. When you are fundraising, you are asking people to do something worthwhile, and you are almost doing them a favor by giving them an opportunity to support something they care about.”
As evident through Bob’s experience, there are many ways to engage with your community impactfully. However, getting ‘over the hump’ and getting started is often the hardest part. The Foundation is here as a resource for community-minded individuals to deepen their philanthropic impact and identify and support the causes that matter most to them.
All in for Houston
If you do not know this, Bob’s involvement in Houston is extensive and encompasses a wide range of initiatives and collaborations. Bob was raised in the Spring Branch area of Houston, Texas. His career has also been based in Houston, first as a management consultant in the Houston office of McKinsey & Company and then as Vice Chair/Executive Vice President with Reliant Energy. Most recently, Bob was President and CEO of the Greater Houston Partnership until his retirement at the end of 2023.
Alongside his professional achievements, Bob has also dedicated significant time to his community on boards across various organizations in Houston. Notably, Bob is a trustee emeritus of the United Way of Greater Houston, where he served as its Board Chair from 2007 to 2010. Through his board service, Bob has deepened his understanding of the diverse urban challenges facing Houstonians, even those not directly impacting his own family.
Bob modestly shared how his experience with strategy, governance, and development has organically led to many Houston-centric organizations reaching out to him to get involved. Although he has served on national boards and enjoyed those experiences, his philanthropic focus continues to return to the community he calls home—Houston.
In addition to serving as the Foundation’s Board Chair, Bob is currently involved with Good Reason Houston, Tex-E, Greentown Labs, and more! Good Reason Houston is a nonprofit established to help with urban public education reform. It operates under the aspiration that every child in every neighborhood should have access to a quality public school education. Good Reason Houston works with urban school districts to improve their quality of education, whether through curriculum development, teacher training and assessment, administration, facilities, and more.
Innovation within and for Greater Houston is another issue that Bob tends to gravitate towards, which is evident through his Board service for Greentown Labs and Tex-E. Bob explained, “Houston has so many things going for it. It has a strong economy, and the city is robust and diverse, but what it has not had relative to other cities, like Austin right down the road, is a strong innovation economy with a lot of entrepreneurship, start-ups, and venture capital, which is so important in today’s economy.”
Greentown Labs Houston is a 40,000-square-foot incubator in the Ion District that offers a prototyping lab, office, and community and event space for startup companies, primarily in the climate tech space. Tex-E is a first-of-its-kind collaboration among leading universities, businesses, corporate innovators, and entrepreneurs that helps springboard innovation that will pave the way to purpose-driven careers in energy transition and climate technology.
While Bob’s journey of discovering causes that resonate deeply with him has evolved organically, we recognize that this isn’t the case for everyone. To support our donors in identifying impactful issue areas and enhancing their philanthropic endeavors, Greater Houston Community Foundation has continued to step up for our donors and for Houston. Whether it’s tailored philanthropic advising or hosting programs for our fundholders highlighting various issues impacting our region, the Foundation is committed to transformative change by helping individuals, families, foundations, and businesses amplify their giving.
Houston at the Heart
Both Bob and the Foundation began their work in Houston’s philanthropic sector with a clear and simple goal: to improve the community. Fast-forward to today, and they have both stepped up for Houston simultaneously and now together.
“I love that Houston is a very growth-oriented community, which makes it so dynamic. Things are always changing. And Houston is diverse in every way. In Houston, when you enter into a conversation with someone for the first time, you will likely not know where they are from, but they are likely not from here. That said, Houston is a genuinely welcoming community—we get excited about the diversity that someone brings to our city and the unique contribution they are likely to make.”
Bob’s commitment to transformative change for Houston is rooted in his recognition that, as many opportunities as he and his family have had, those opportunities do not exist equally across town. The many hats Bob has worn for Houston have primed him to be the ideal Board Chair for this moment in Greater Houston Community Foundation’s trajectory.
Bob expressed the importance of community foundations for communities of all sizes, sharing that “A community foundation plays a different role for a region than other nonprofits—it provides vehicles for community-minded individuals to channel their giving. Community foundations come into play when someone’s field of view and interest expands beyond what directly impacts them, like their own faith or education, and they want to ignite change for the broader community. Greater Houston Community Foundation is the right fit for someone who cares about their community but does not know all the ways to channel their support—this is how Greater Houston Community Foundation can partner with donors.”
Within the landscape of community foundations across our nation, Greater Houston Community Foundation is fairly young, coming decades after many community foundations were established, but right when donor advised funds became popular. “Unlike many community foundations, Greater Houston Community Foundation’s journey has been heavily influenced by donor advised funds, which created a great opportunity for the Foundation to grow. While most of our donor contributions still flow through donor advised funds, the Foundation has been adding to its expertise.”
As we evolve and grow as a Foundation, our work—whether it involves customized philanthropic advising, supporting organizations, or our Community Impact initiatives—will be driven by a commitment to innovation and continuous improvement. Bob shared, “The Foundation’s commitment to expanding its expertise will enable us to not only build upon our existing successes in Houston, but also to unlock new opportunities for impact and deepen our relationships with our donors. By doing so, we will amplify the effects of our donors’ contributions, open up opportunities with new donors, and overall, add more value for our donors and community.”
Seamless Solution
Houston stands out as one of the most generous cities in the United States, embodying a spirit of giving and community support that inspires many. Greater Houston Community Foundation is here to help amplify how an individual, family, or corporation channels its philanthropy.
“For many philanthropic people in our region, no clear vehicle currently exists to facilitate deeper engagement in philanthropy or connect them to the conversations and networks that drive change. This is where the Foundation steps in—filling the void and creating pathways for enhanced giving solutions that directly benefit our community.”
Bob has a forward-thinking vision for Greater Houston Community Foundation, highlighting its potential to enhance charitable giving in the area. He expresses optimism about future developments, stating, “The future is bright for our community and the Foundation. We are steadfast in honoring donor intent, driving impact with our donors, and serving as a resource for innovative ideas aimed at improving the community. Houston is a welcoming city, and we can all work together to transform Houston into the opportunity city that we want it to be, no matter what your background is.”
With the support of our donors and partners, Greater Houston Community Foundation envisions a future fueled by boundless generosity, where our collective impact shapes a brighter world for generations. Bob closed with, “If you are here in Houston and you’ve been successful and have accumulated some wealth, isn’t it appropriate to channel some of that wealth back into Houston? Although we do not limit where donors give–and our donors are truly generous in their giving around the country and around the world–we largely exist to channel donor interest into Greater Houston.”
Ready to join us in driving meaningful, positive change in Greater Houston and beyond? Reach out to Kevin Pickett or Andrea Mayes to explore how we can help you amplify your giving and achieve your philanthropic goals.
More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation:
- Strengthening Your Philanthropic Giving Strategy
- How to Give Back to your Community
- How Charitable Giving Can Enhance Your Legacy Planning
- What Is the Great Wealth Transfer?
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