Amanda Millerberg
Community Volunteer & Director, Philanthropy | Millerberg Family Giving Fund
How has your background in sociology shaped your approach to philanthropy, particularly in addressing systemic challenges?
Both my husband and I grew up in middle-class families, and our parents really valued helping others. I saw my mom and dad, who didn’t have extra, make sure other families had enough for Christmas. … As I expanded my education in sociology, I became fascinated with upstream root causes. In my efforts to do my philanthropy well, I use my sociology background to gain context and perspective about issues I may want to support. … To me, being strategic starts by seeking to understand through being there, asking a lot of questions, and trying to see from the individual’s perspective: Why is this a problem? How did this problem start? Who is this a problem for? Who has the power to solve this problem? What and who can I support in this issue? … I know that, as a philanthropist, I can’t solve an issue alone or fully, but I can look for opportunities to start partnerships, break down barriers and support innovation.
Your work as chair of the Show Up Service Pillar with first lady Abby Cox has connected thousands of Utahns to service opportunities. What strategies have been most effective in cultivating meaningful, lasting engagement rather than one-time volunteerism?
I don’t believe that there is a formula to volunteering; often, it just takes “showing up” and starting. The more you do, the more you find to offer. Anyone who works with volunteers understands the value of a long-term partner who supports an organization, versus a one-and-done event. As part of the Show Up Service Initiative, we have worked hard to build partnerships and bring awareness to the amazing nonprofits that work in our state. We hope to help volunteers by first discovering what they are passionate about; second, understanding what they have to offer (time, testimony, talents, and treasures); and third, finding organizations where they can offer value through their efforts.
How do you identify which initiatives to support, and how do you measure their effectiveness?
We thought about our values as a family and our own careers and strengths. Watching the patterns in our giving, we saw a clear trend of supporting areas that provided self-reliance. We recognized the power in giving individuals control and power over their own lives and opportunity. Building individuals and communities to be agents for themselves felt like the best way we could do good for others. While self-reliance is the umbrella, the Millerberg Family Giving Fund provides grants focused within a few subset areas, including women and children, education, financial literacy, food, and physical self-reliance.
