Gail Miller wants her grandchildren to learn generosity, and she's got a plan to do it

SANDY — When Gail Miller was growing up in Salt Lake City, one of the greatest lessons she learned was to give back to the community she lived in. Fast forward to adulthood as the family business grew and prospered, that principle became woven into the fabric of the Miller empire that today includes numerous profitable ventures, along with thousands of employees.

Those businesses have made the Miller family among the wealthiest in Utah, something she and her late husband, Larry, never took for granted. Today, she is intent on passing down those lessons to the next generation of Miller children, beneficiaries of the trust and generosity Utahns have shown the family businesses over the past four decades.

To that end, in 2016, the family matriarch launched an effort to get the generation she calls "Miller 3.0" involved in the Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Foundation. Established in 2007, the philanthropic organization was created to support religious, charitable, scientific, literary and educational purposes, according to its website.

She said engaging in philanthropy is important because it's a way for the family to give back "what we have gleaned from the community through our businesses."

"It (also) helps make the community better," she said. "Because we're doing that and because it will eventually be the repository for all of our wealth, it's important to me that those who are going to carry on that tradition understand how to do it."

She said one way to do that is to help 3.0 understand the stewardship that comes along with money. "In order to do that, they had to have some experience," she said.

Miller set up a mechanism that allowed kids in the family — starting at 12 years old — to choose a registered nonprofit organization they would like to support, then investigate and research the organization's mission and make a written (e-mail) proposal to the foundation board for approval. She noted that learning about giving back at an early age can actually be a natural thing for kids who grow up with "an abundance" if taught in the right way.

"That what they have, they're blessed with and their responsibility in life is to bless those that don't have what they have," she explained.

For 3.0 family members, that lesson was instilled throughout childhood, she said.

One of the other parameters of the plan is to support organizations in places where the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies does business, explained granddaughter Carisa Miller, 32.

She said that having the opportunity to participate firsthand in community giving "where we're the ones doing the research, going out and seeking these companies" allows them to get a true sense of the impact their decisions have on the communities the foundation serves.

One of the organizations Carisa Miller chose to give to was the Red Cross in 2017 to aid in disaster relief following Hurricane Harvey's devastation of south Texas. Because it was her first personal pitch, she was nervous initially knowing how much effort she had put into the proposal.

"I was the one doing the work," she said. However, she soon gained confidence and continued to look for other worthy recipients for the next proposal round.

Regarding the plan to get more family members involved, she is appreciative of her grandmother's effort to teach them community responsibility.

"It's paying off tremendously. Once we got involved and started doing it, we realized, this is really fun to get out there and do," she said. "To see how much need there is and how much we can make a difference in so many different areas is (powerful)."

One of the youngest family members to get involved in foundation giving efforts is 14-year-old Joseph Miller, who made his first foray into the process two years ago. That experience opened his eyes to what community giving was all about.

"(At first) I don't think I got it," he said. "But as it's gone on, I've learned more about it, and I'm realizing how much of a great opportunity it is to be able to (give back)."

Taking stock of the good he was able to offer to his chosen organizations, Wasatch Adaptive Sports and Utah's Hogle Zoo, he felt the gravity of his opportunity and the positive impact the support would provide for the local community.

"I love skiing so much and I can't imagine not being able to ski," he said. "I want to be able to help people who don't have the opportunity to be able to ski."

Regarding his support of the zoo, he said, "My mom used to take me (to the zoo) as a kid, so I've just always loved the zoo."

Over the past two years, granddaughter Madelaine Anderson, 22, gave to The Sandy Club: A Safe Place for Boys and Girls; the Kauri Sue Hamilton School for children with severe disabilities located in Herriman; Bridal Up Hope, a nonprofit in Alpine with the mission to help young women through equestrian training; and American Indian Services. A soon-to-be graduate of Westminster College, Anderson said she's "caught the bug" for charitable giving and would like to continue helping wherever she can make an impact.

"This year, I'm thinking about things that I am passionate about and want to give to," she said. "I want to be a teacher, so education is really important to me. Seeing the needs that are out there, maybe there are some (opportunities) to really help students and teachers."

Last year was the first involvement for Aaron Anderson, 28, who said before participating, he hadn't really considered the needs that existed for charitable giving. But because of Gail Miller's plan, he is now fully invested in helping to support worthy causes.

"It has opened my eyes more to be aware of those opportunities when they come along," he said. "Also, to seek out those opportunities so that I always have a new opportunity to give to others in the community."

While understanding the importance of giving back has been a foundational value passed down throughout the family, being part of the Miller clan comes with a sense of reverence and responsibility that is not taken lightly.

"We have a few phrases that we say," Carisa Miller explained. "One of them is to 'be a fountain and not a drain.' The other one is something my grandpa used to say all the time … 'Where much is given, much is required.'"

"We do realize how much we're blessed with," she said. "What fun is it to just have it and sit on it? It's more fun to share it with other people who need it more than we do."

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