Category: Philanthropy

Most people know of the Devos family. For one, they are one of the largest philanthropists in America, donating over $139 million to various charities and organizations. Most often, those charities relate to education reform and charter schools. The Devos family is very active in the Republican Party as well. After all, Betsy Devos is the 11th US Secretary of Education, appointed by President Trump in 2016, and her husband is Dick Devos, who works for the FAA.

 

Devos’ venture with the FAA is only recent. He was nominated in September 2017 along with 12 other members. Most of the members come from transportation policy and authority backgrounds, while there are a few former airline executives as well. Devos is neither, but somehow, his nomination was praised by those in aviation, such as the CEO of Southwest.

 

Devos is a unicorn when it comes to aviation and business. He has dabbled in aviation since he was younger and has been fascinated with planes. He owns a jet and helicopter, which he frequently uses to pilot and travel on his own. However, his affiliation with aviation business is a much more powerful reason for him to be nominated to the council.

 

So why was Devos tapped by the FAA? For one, he has a huge influence over the Gerald R. Ford International airport expansion to be completed this year. Over the past two decades, he has worked with the Gerald R. Ford International Airport to bring in new business, starting in 1999. At this time, the airport had just re-launched, but sales trends still projected a loss.

 

Devos called up the CEO of AirTran Airways to see if he could change the fate of the airport. He asked if the airline would be open to adding new destinations to its terminals. AirTran agreed, and suddenly, there were four more new destinations to choose from at the airport. This included popular destinations like Orlando, Denver, St. Louis, and Vegas.

 

The airport was becoming a business traveler’s dream, and Devos thought that it was perfect to go along with city planning that he had been helping with in Grand Rapids proper. The business leaders in the city had planned a convention center, and now Devos thought that business travelers would naturally want to go to conferences and conventions in Grand Rapids as well.

 

It’s this type of thinking that got Devos onto the FAA’s new council. He will continue to meet with them for the next year.

 

Read http://dickdevos.com/news/ to learn more.

Long before Betsy Devos was the Secretary of Education in the United States, she was an active proponent of “school choice,” a movement that allows students from all economic levels to choose a school based on its educational criteria rather than on geographical location. She has actively worked toward the passing and implementation of legislative bills that will use public funds to create vouchers for private schools or tax credits for people who chose to enroll their children in private schools. While school-choice programs are not available in most states as yet, Devos is committed to the idea that all parents should have the financial opportunity to provide a quality private education, regardless of their income.

 

Betsy Devos has been the chairperson of many different non-profit groups whose goals were to move the legislation of school-choice laws forward. Her work with these charities as well as her position as Chairman of the Michigan Republican party placed her in a position to help form the American Federation for Children. The AFC is a political action committee which actively campaigns for legislation allowing school-choice vouchers and tax credits to be part of the education system.

 

Although many students and their families have benefitted from Betsy Devos’s philanthropic efforts and are full of praise for her work, other groups are less enchanted with the offerings she brings to the table in the political arena. Betsy Devos has been heard to say that education should be a bi-partisan political issue and that students from low-income families should have the opportunity for quality education, but large numbers of people including teacher’s unions agree that the reality of charter and private schools is vastly different than the picture Devos paints. Opponents claim that if the government has implemented tax credits and vouchers for private school, funding for public schools will decrease. Since public schools already struggle with reduced funding, many opponents of Betsy Devos’s policies fear the disparity between public and private schools will become even more evident if the government approves vouchers and tax credit nationwide.

 

Regardless of which political party holds office, it appears that Betsy Devos is either going to save the education system or doom it to failure. Which direction it takes is not yet clear.

 

To learn more, visit http://www.betsydevos.com/.

Jeffry Schneider is a dedicated personal-wellness enthusiast, so he knows the numerous health benefits that go along with working in a relaxed office. For this reason, he believes an effective leader should foster a healthy workplace with a positive attitude, charity, and openness. Being in a fast-paced industry, he took a less common direction, adopting a more creative approach to business while founding his firm on the concept. He attributes a majority of his success to creativity, philanthropy, and wellness, and he’s not the only one. Many effective leaders utilize passion and creative thinking to steer their employees towards a goal successfully.  By thinking creatively and staying relaxed, team members can solve problems and stay positive. Knowing this, Jeff strives to foster cohesion in his workplace through wellness programs and a progressive office culture.

To give back to his community, Jeff Schneider enjoys doing a substantial amount of charity work for organizations like the Cherokee Home for Children, Wonders and Worries, and the Gazelle Foundation as Jeff believes these groups value giving back to the community and the world as much as he does. An enthusiastic giver, Jeffry Schneider is specifically devoted to helping those who help the less fortunate. He even sponsors specific individuals who have committed to helping others around the world in addition to their local communities.

Business holds a special place in Jeff’s heart, but his true passion is positively impacting the lives of today’s youth. Since he understands today’s youth hold the key to the world’s future, Jeffry Schneider devotes himself to enriching kid’s lives everywhere. Whether he’s reading to kids at local schools, participating in health-focused events, or volunteering his time at facilities for mistreated children, Jeffry is always finding ways to help underprivileged kids. Jeff stands out as a philanthropist, because he believes first and foremost in helping those who help others. Admirably, Jeff sponsors individuals who have a solid commitment to helping the less fortunate in their community and around the world.

Jeff Schneider continues to focus his energy on charity and is always open to philanthropic opportunities. He is a strong example to those around him of what it is to be driven, giving, and passionate. Whether Jeffry is leading his team at work, volunteering in his community, or participating in a fundraiser, he uses his self-discipline, passion, and generosity to uplift and motivate those around him. Jeff believes that every day is a gift and an opportunity to help someone, so he puts others first, making the world a better place along the way. Check out his blog, http://jeffryschneidertravel.com/.

While the common goal for a person is to have a job so that he could take care of himself. However, there are people that take it even further because they understand how society works better than others. They decide to work hard and climb up the ladder with the knowledge that they have so that they can make the right business choices that will bring them the profits that they need. Among the people that have worked hard and made a lot of success for themselves is Dick DeVos. He is someone that has pursued something that he was passionate about and has utilized his skills in order to bring forth a better life for him and his family.

 

Dick DeVos has owned quite a few franchises. Among the franchises and businesses that he has owned was the Orlando Magic. One of the advantages of owning businesses is that Dick DeVos was able to do more with the money that he has gained from business. As a result, Dick was able to make more donations towards different charities so that people can get the help they need while they get themselves back on their feet. DeVos is also interested in helping people map out a goal that is meant to bring them to better circumstances.

 

While Dick DeVos is a philanthropist, he is not an enabler. He is also willing to give people opportunities to bring forth better lives. He has a lot of experience in the business industry and knows what it takes to bring a company into profitability. He also has the ability to increase the profitability of an established company. He comes up with some of the ideas that are innovative for the company. As he applies his ideas tot he company, they increase sales. As a result, he is more able to provide funding for different initiatives like education. He is one of the philanthropists that are working hard on creating new opportunities.

 

Bruce Levenson is perhaps best-known for his role as an NBA team owner and member of the board. What people don’t always realize is that Bruce is also involved in a number of philanthropic pursuits. That which, according to Karen Levenson, is Bruce’s most profound charitable pursuit is most definitely The Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Maryland. According to PR Newswire, The Center has grown into the nation’s leading source for newly trained professionals in nonprofit philanthropic pursuits. In fact, recruiters regularly go to the University of Maryland and recruit from this center, as its students are well-vetted and, to put an entertainment industry term on it, “hot”. The Center was started just three years ago, and so for various political and social reasons, it is a trending organization right now. But that’s not to say it isn’t producing philanthropic grandeur on its own. Annually, several courses in The Center are responsible for raising twenty thousand dollars which are then given to various nonprofits deemed worthy of the donation. That’s really noteworthy. It is the goal of the Forbes billionaire Bruce Levenson to do something which leaves a lasting, positive impact on not just the community, or the country, but the world itself. And their contributions have gone to good use with The Center. It’s continuing to expand, and according to PR Newswire, recently launched a dormitory so that students can live and learn directly at The Center. The future of philanthropy at the University of Maryland looks bright. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/undergrads-and-graduate-students-mastering-philanthropy-300038081.html