The First Check Through the Door

Giving anonymously, moving with “ferocious velocity” and trusting people to turn early support into lasting change.

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For the philanthropist known here as Mr. A, giving is not about recognition, naming rights, or checks. It is about moving “with ferocious velocity”—finding people, trusting their character, and providing the first money that allows an idea to become real.

That instinct became urgent during COVID-19. After learning that Diné families in communities lacked water for sanitation, Mr. A made calls and wrote checks. Within 72 hours, a delivery system was carrying water onto the Navajo Nation; local organizers soon expanded it to include firewood and coal. The response reflects his preferred role: not necessarily writing the largest check, but writing the catalytic one that helps others raise more.

His approach resembles what the nonprofit world now calls trust-based philanthropy. Instead of demanding lengthy applications and annual reports, he invests in people, relationships and three-year commitments. A person raising money, he argues, is not begging. They are inviting a donor to fulfill a dream they lack the time or talent to accomplish alone.

Mr. A also offers what he calls shared experience, not advice. Decades of successes, failures and hard lessons allow him to support nonprofit leaders facing decisions they cannot always discuss with their boards. The exchange runs both ways: their knowledge keeps him connected to the community and sharpens his understanding.

Anonymity is central to the practice. He has no interest in seeing his name on a hospital wing. He would rather fund the early, uncertain stage when timely support can ignite a program, protect threatened services, or give young people room to exceed expectations.

His guiding test is concise: have fun, make money, and do right—with “do right” carrying the greatest weight. His challenge to donors and organizations is equally direct: do nothing small. Act, accept that failures will come, learn from them, and keep moving forward.