Volume 3, Issue 3, January 2009

Donor Turns Love of Nonprofits into Business

Gary Erickson with sons Robert (l) and Greg (r)

For Gary Erickson, helping his community extends beyond the grants he gives through his CCF fund. The former probation officer, who grew up in Exeter in central California, enjoyed volunteering so much that he made it his business to help strengthen nonprofits.

“When you’re raised in a very small community, volunteering is part of what you did,” said Erickson, who has 30-plus years of experience working with community-based nonprofit organizations. “I was literally so enamored in my volunteer role, it went from avocation to vocation.”

Today he is president and CEO of The Erickson Group, a consulting firm he started in 1988 to help nonprofits in strategic planning, program development, board development, marketing and fundraising. The firm recently raised $17 million from the private sector to help the Downtown Women’s Center, a CCF grantee, with a successful $35 million campaign to build a new facility.

Erickson is also on the board of the Ventura County Community Foundation, which CCF helped incubate in 1987. He has been director of development at California Lutheran University and executive vice president for United Way of Greater Los Angeles.

Through the Erickson Family Fund at CCF, his two sons can continue his philanthropy after he’s gone to help new nonprofits. Today both are giving back to their communities in different ways. Greg, 35, is the program director for the Peninsula YMCA in San Diego and Robert is a strong safety for USC’s football team.

Erickson says he is a better philanthropist because of CCF. “It’s great to have someone who manages the process of giving and also shares information to help people make good philanthropic decisions,” Erickson said. “I’m a Legacy Society member and the seminars, educational programs, newsletters and initiatives around key issues are very helpful. Just because I’m more involved than the average person doesn’t mean I know everything about everything.

“In most cases with charitable funds at commercial vendors, it’s money in and money out. CCF, though, is involved in the community. If you want to make a difference, CCF knows which nonprofits are making an impact.”

Learn about Erickson's survival tips for nonprofits.