Don and Elizabeth Thompson
Don and Elizabeth Thompson both grew up in the inner city of Chicago — Liz in Cabrini Green and Don just four blocks north on Cleveland.
“A lot of people ask, ‘You grew up in the projects? That must have been tough.’ But for us, it was an absolutely wonderful childhood,” says Don, now the president and chief operating officer of McDonald’s.
The Thompsons follow a great legacy of giving. “It’s woven into the fabric of our culture, our community, our families — it is a part of who we are,” says Liz. “Because we have had so many opportunities and so many people to care about us, it goes without saying we want to be able to provide opportunities to others.”
Their first involvement with the Trust was in 1993 when Liz was working with a team to bring the nonprofit organization, City Year, to Chicago.
Besides education, hunger is at the forefront of their giving. From the time he was a young boy, Don had great concern for those who are hungry and it was a concern his grandmother passed down to him. The Thompsons learned about the Trust’s donor advised fund (DAF) program, made a gift to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and then opened the Thompson Family Fund.
“The Trust’s DAF program is perfect for the person who wants to contribute but doesn’t know exactly what to do or how to invest it. The Trust provides that expertise.” Liz continues, “The Trust is embedded in the community. Its staff know who’s on the ground doing the real work and they can get investors of all sizes plugged in to what’s going on in the various organizations.”
“There are many different organizations and a lot of people doing wonderful things, but it’s important to really know when a dollar is given, the vast majority of that dollar is going to go directly to providing the needed services,” Don states.
He says, “Sometimes people from all walks of life can find themselves homeless due to events outside their control. The question isn’t if your real mission in life is whether or not to judge the person, it’s about whether or not to give. The money we have is not ours anyway… it’s a blessing.”
