Celebrating Service: A Champion for the Foundation  

In January 2025, Chris Weekley’s term as Governing Board Chair of Greater Houston Community Foundation (Foundation) ended after he had served in this position since April 1, 2022. So, what positioned Weekley to be an impactful Board Chair, and how has the Foundation evolved since 2022 under his leadership?  

Cultivating a Spirit of Service

Weekley credits his parents for walking the walk, modeling what it looks like to be generous with their charitable resources in a smart and impactful way. Growing up, he consistently watched his parents give back to their community thoughtfully and meaningfully, whether by donating to their church, participating in a food drive, or supporting organizations with clear evidence of impact. It was never something they pushed or demanded of him; rather, Weekley absorbed the value of generosity through their steady example and actions. This consistent exposure taught him the importance of kindness and service, lessons he hopes to pass on to his children. Weekley and his wife, Sarah, are involved with several organizations. They hope that long after their children leave home, they, too, will understand the joy and responsibility of helping others. 

“We inform our kids of what organizations or causes Sarah and I are involved in and bring them to events like Family Philanthropy Day. Through this, we show them that our family has the capacity to give back. It’s less about directly involving them with specific organizations and more about immersing them in this culture of generosity. In turn, they seem to organically participate in community service activities through their school or the Foundation.” 

Weekley’s five children have been involved with the Center for Family Philanthropy in numerous ways over the last 10 years, regularly attending Family Philanthropy Day. His older children, Sawyer and Grayson, have been engaged with the Family Giving Circle, and we hope Thatcher, Tobin, and Asher will participate in the Family Giving Circle once they reach middle or high school. 

Strengthening Ties with the Foundation

Weekley initially connected with the Foundation through his dad, David Weekley. David has been involved with the Foundation since close to its beginning, serving on the Foundation’s Governing Board in the early 2000s, with a portion of this time serving as the Governing Board Chair.  

One of Weekley’s first engagements with the Foundation was his participation in the inaugural class of the Next Gen Donor Institute in 2011, which he had learned about from his parents. 

“I see Next Gen [Next Gen Donor Institute] as a ‘Philanthropy 101’ course. Before that, much of my philanthropy was through my social network or what tugged at my heartstrings with no real strategy. Next Gen shifted my approach to philanthropy to be more thoughtful. Also, the peer network is incredibly valuable—I probably learned as much from my peers as I did through the initial course, including being challenged by their questions and views.”  

In addition to participating with the Next Gen Donor Institute, Weekley was also involved with the Next Gen Giving Circle for five years and the Gen Impact Fund, which focused on alleviating childhood poverty, for three years. Weekley took advantage of the relationships he forged to develop his approach to high-impact philanthropy.  

To date, Weekley is one of the longest-serving Board Members. His term on the Foundation’s Governing Board began in 2013 when he was the first Next Gen Representative, and in 2017, he was elected as a full member of the Governing Board. He has served on the Center for Family Philanthropy Advisory Board alongside his mother, Bonnie. This Advisory Board has helped the Center for Philanthropy emerge as a national leader in advising families on the stewardship of philanthropy and community impact across generations. In addition, he has served on a few other nonprofit boards, with each experience giving him valuable insights into how different nonprofit boards work.  

Precision and Purpose with Philanthropy

Weekley shared that when it comes to making philanthropic decisions, it is not always clear-cut. He still struggles to balance the pull between his heart and his head, with the head being the best business decisions and the heart being what feels best. “I try to pick organizations and get involved with them on a deep level instead of just the surface. I am intentional,” shared Weekley. “I want to help drive impact instead of being a passenger, and this is where the Foundation has helped sharpen my philanthropic focus.” 

Although the peer-to-peer connection is one incredibly valuable piece of partnering with the Foundation for his philanthropy, Weekley shared that the personalized services and thoughtfully curated events set the Foundation apart. “I call, and I actually get to talk to someone who will help me; it is far from being just another transaction. Also, the variety of events is great; you learn from not only the staff but also other funders and nonprofits who are helping Houston be better, and there are enough events where you can go to one based on what you are interested in.”  

Pride with our Progress 

As the Governing Board Chair at the Foundation, Weekley has had a front-row seat to the Foundation’s progress over the last three years. He stated that the Foundation’s Community Impact work, specifically the recent establishment of the High-Impact Grantmaking and Greater Houston Disaster Alliance initiatives, “are some of the best ideas out there as they are helping to solve some of Houston’s biggest issues, with more of a strategic approach that is grounded in data, instead of a blanket approach.”  

Over the past three years, Weekley has observed several notable advancements within the Foundation that he celebrates. These include its successful adaptation to the evolving challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, its resilience in the face of natural disasters in our region, surpassing over $2 billion in money granted to the community, and its commitment to fostering an Inclusive Culture. 

“The Foundation continues to evolve, with donor advised funds remaining the largest part of the Foundation’s business. However, there are so many more parts and pieces to philanthropy. For me, the Foundation is growing into being a hard-hitting, thoughtful, and intentional impact-maker. The Foundation will always continue to honor donor intent first and foremost. Still, through its knowledge and understanding of Houston, it also can help educate our donors to come alongside us in strategic initiatives. The Foundation has evolved from being transactional to being philanthropic thought-partners.” 

Life keeps getting busier, and people have less and less extra time. As this happens, it is easy for philanthropy to be put on the back burner. But as Weekley stated, “The Foundation has been the ‘easy button’ for me and my philanthropy. I show up, everything is curated with the best partners, and the staff is so helpful. Through working with the Foundation, I get to leverage the expertise of people who work in the philanthropic space all day, every day. The Foundation’s staff has deep philanthropic knowledge and skills that I don’t have, and I feel fortunate to pull from their expertise.” 

Path Forward

2025 marks Greater Houston Community Foundation’s 30^th Anniversary. As we look to the future over the next three decades and beyond, Weekley highlighted the impending transfer of generational wealth, which will play a pivotal role in shaping the Foundation and its impact across the Greater Houston community. 

“People will need intermediaries if they are trying to give a lot of money away strategically. There are a ton of complex family dynamics to navigate as this wealth transfer happens. It’s crucial to have a trusted third party to help with that transfer and educate the next generation. The Foundation will need to continue to meet families where they are, helping to steward the assets properly while fulfilling and executing on donor intent.”  

Weekley will continue to serve on the Foundation’s Governing Board for a few more years. In 2025, he will assume the role of Chair of the Governance Committee. He will also stay on the Compensation Committee and Philanthropic Impact Committee and remain involved with the Center for Family Philanthropy. 

Weekley’s parting words were, “Just get started. Many people will wait until they hit a certain financial milestone or age to start their philanthropy because of an educational component. Philanthropy is very different from business or other things you might be involved in. You will stub your toe or make missteps, but learn and keep going. Getting started is the hardest part!” 

Ready to get started?
Kevin Pickett, Chief Advancement Officer
Andrea Mayes, Senior Director of Charitable

More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation:

• Bob Harvey’s Amplified Giving: Evolving Philanthropy to Shape Houston’s Future
• What is a Donor Advised Fund? The Complete Guide
• What’s the Difference Between a Designated Fund vs. a Field-of-Interest Fund?
• Supporting Education: A Guide to Scholarships for Donors
• Philanthropy at Home: Nurturing Values Across Generations

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