SOURCE OF WEALTH: Gerber Taylor Associates
FUNDING AREAS: Education & Youth
OVERVIEW: Charles and Meg Gerber conduct their philanthropy through the Fleetwood Foundation, which according to available tax filings, gave away just under $1.3 million in 2017. The couple’s giving centers on education and youth in the Memphis area.
BACKGROUND: Charles Gerber received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee. He served as a flight officer in the Navy before joining E.F. Hutton in 1984. Gerber went on to co-found Gerber Taylor Management in 1990, an independent investment advisory firm based in Memphis, Tennessee.
ISSUES:
EDUCATION & YOUTH: The Gerbers helped spearhead Promise Academy, one of the first charter schools in Memphis. The couple was inspired by the education reform movement in Meg’s hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Gerber chairs the board of Promise Academy and is also a board member of KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools and Tennessee Charter School Incubator.
The couple has also given to Charter School Growth Fund to support the expansion of high-performing charter management organizations in Memphis, as well as Achievement School District, Freedom Preparatory Academy, Gestalt Community Schools, Teach for America – Memphis, Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering, and Soulsville Charter School.
The Fleetwood Foundation supports the Achievement Network, an “education nonprofit that helps schools boost student learning with great teaching.”
OTHER: The couple is involved with the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis and has also supported the Community Foundation For Greater Atlanta via their foundation. Gerber also sits on the board of Campbell Foundation, which is “committed to advancing surgeon education, orthopedic research, and community healthcare.” Gerber himself has suffered from osteoarthritis.
LOOKING FORWARD: Expect the Gerbers to remain laser-focused on education reform in the Memphis area.
CONTACT:
The Fleetwood Foundation does not provide a clear avenue of contact, but below is an address:
Fleetwood Foundation
1 Commerce Sq., 40 S. Main St., Ste. 1900
Memphis, TN 38103
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