How Rebecca Moffett Of Vanguard Charitable Is Helping To Address The Growing Challenge Of Food Insecurity

An Interview With Martita Mestey

Don’t let the scale of a problem deter you. The challenges surrounding food scarcity can feel insurmountable. 60 million Americans turned to food banks last year. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by that number. We each can — and must — make a difference. It’s the only way we’re going to solve the problem.

In many parts of the United States, there is a crisis of people having limited reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. As prices rise, this problem will likely become more acute. How can this problem be solved? Who are the leaders helping to address this crisis?

In this interview series, we are talking to leaders who are helping to address the increasing problem of food insecurity who can share the initiatives they are leading to address and solve this problem.

As a part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Rebecca Moffett.

Rebecca Moffett is the president of Vanguard Charitable, a national donor-advised fund provider and one of the nation’s top grantmakers. As a long-time donor-advised fund leader and advocate, Rebecca focuses on furthering the benefits of giving for donors, nonprofit partners, and communities around the globe. She also drives Vanguard Charitable’s mission to increase philanthropy and maximize its impact over time. Rebecca is an alumnus of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Eastern Pennsylvania and has also been active in youth-focused charitable endeavors. She earned her Bachelor’s degree and M.B.A. from Saint Joseph’s University.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?

Giving back has always been an important priority for me. My mother was a special education teacher, which gave me an early view into how the right career can really connect with your values and enable you to make an impact on the world. I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps and forge a career path with meaning. This mentality was reinforced during college when I attended St. Joseph’s University. The Jesuit Education approach really centered my focus on giving back and always doing more to help others. While I learned a lot about business as a food marketing major, all of my extracurriculars were focused on social justice and community building. When I recognized that intersection, I quickly saw an opportunity to use business principles at an organization committed to doing good. That’s what ultimately led me to Vanguard Charitable.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

I’ve been with Vanguard Charitable for 16 years, and one of the privileges that comes with that longevity is watching our donors’ giving priorities evolve and their impact grow . One particular story I was just reflecting on was related to the unprecedented challenges stemming from COVID-19. A donor regularly volunteered at a local nonprofit supporting homeless and/or needy men in his community. As a result of the pandemic, the nonprofit was forced to close its thrift store — a key source of revenue. This donor used his donor advised fund at Vanguard Charitable to grant funds to the organization, helping them cover operating costs and continue to provide an essential service during the pandemic.

Aside from donor anecdotes — of which there are many — it has been an honor to partner with some of the biggest names in philanthropy to bring meaningful change to those who need it most. I’ve had a few “pinch me” moments that only deepened the rewarding nature of my job.

Are you able to identify a “tipping point” in your career when you started to see success? Did you start doing anything different? Are there takeaways or lessons that others can learn from that?

There has not been one single “tipping point” in my career. Rather, there have been many moments of consistent hard work and learning that have led me to my current phase of life. I’ve always sought out new positions and experiences — some of them upward, but many of them lateral moves. Honestly, it was often those lateral moves that taught me a life lesson and edged me closer to where I am today. I am a firm believer that you must be open to new ideas and opportunities in order to stretch your experience and expertise. That, to me, is success.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person to whom you are grateful who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

I’ve been blessed with countless sponsors, advocates, coaches, mentors, and teachers during my life. Any success I have achieved has been because of them. One individual in particular who had a profound impact on my life is Jane Greenfield, Vanguard Charitable’s previous president. Jane is an incredibly impressive and inspiring woman and leader. She always challenged me and took so many risks on me. She saw something in me and believed that I could be her successor. She showed me that often, the best way to support someone is to challenge them and help them become the best version of themselves.

You are a successful leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Here are the three traits I hope others can learn from.

1. Be approachable and open to any view no matter where you sit. Leadership means balancing a variety of priorities and viewpoints. In my work, I make my best decisions when I’m focused on what matters to each group I’m working with and don’t get too focused on one way of seeing the world.

2. Be open to new roles and views from within the business. You may not enjoy every moment of your job or career, but you should look to learn from all of it.

3. Put others first. Always think beyond yourself and prioritize your organization’s needs. This also applies to audiences that matter most to you — employees, customers, donors, volunteers, etc.

Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

One quote that I try to keep in mind is from Maya Angelou — “I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.” All those advocates, coaches, and mentors took the time to support me and foster my growth. I try to find opportunities to support others in the same way.

Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion. Can you describe to our readers how your work is helping to address the challenge of food insecurity?

Vanguard Charitable increases philanthropic giving by sponsoring donor-advised funds — a tax-effective way to consolidate, accrue, and grant assets to charity. Food insecurity has long been a crucial focus for many of our donors, and we’ve seen these issues take on new urgency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The message from our donors was clear: they wanted tools to help enhance their giving to combat hunger and homelessness in their communities. To answer that critical need, we created NAVi for Hunger & Homelessness. NAVi is an interactive web-based tool connecting donors with nonprofits in their local communities, as well as those operating in geographic areas struggling with homelessness and hunger.

We’re incredibly proud of this resource and the impact our donors have had on the crucial issue of hunger and food insecurity.

Can you share something about your work that makes you most proud? Is there a particular story or incident that you found most uplifting?

The hard work and collaboration it took to develop the NAVi tool is something that brings me great pride. When COVID-19 hit, we reached out to our donors and asked how we could support their philanthropy during this unprecedented time. Over and over again, we heard donors say they wanted to be able to focus their giving in their own communities and in the areas most affected by the pandemic. We developed NAVi as a tool to help donors achieve those goals, and we created the software in less than three months.

To work with a team that was able to collaborate and scale up such an ambitious project on that kind of timeline makes me so proud. And it had a profound effect. Thanks to our team, our donors were able to target their giving and make a greater impact more quickly.

In your opinion, what should other business and civic leaders do to further address these problems? Can you please share a few things that can be done to further address the problem of food insecurity?

Food scarcity is such a pervasive challenge in our society, and we all have a role to play in helping to end it. I would encourage leaders across all kinds of organizations to figure out how they can make a positive impact. Talk to the experts. Lean about the issue. Understand the root causes. Figure out how your organization and your unique talents and influence can be part of the solution. Seek input early and often to ensure your work is as beneficial as it can be.

Are there other leaders or organizations who have done good work to address the challenge of food scarcity? Can you tell us what they have done? What specifically impresses you about their work? Perhaps we can reach out to them to include them in this series.

When I think about moving the needle on the challenges of food scarcity, I’m always moved by the commitment and impact of Vanguard Charitable donors. I am continuously impressed by the individuals, families, and organizations that partner with us to help achieve their philanthropic goals. These are engaged donors looking to make an active impact in their communities by supporting and championing organizations that are making a difference. In 2021 Vanguard Charitable donors gave more than $188 million to hunger focused nonprofits across the United States. This is up 113% from pre-pandemic giving in 2019. Their commitment and results inspire me every day.

If you had the power to influence legislation, are there laws that you would like to see introduced that might help you in your work?

At the highest level, I support legislation that makes it easier to give and support charitable causes. Supporting people in their efforts to give back would materially move the needle on food scarcity — and countless other issues and causes. We know that when giving is easy, more people give and people give more.

What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? Please share a story or example for each.

I‘ve been so fortunate to be surrounded by so many great mentors and resources throughout my life. I don’t really look back and wish there was something someone would have shared with me specifically, as I always had access to such thoughtful advice. But, one thing I learned for myself that I try to pass on to others just starting out, is that you should always trust your gut. Go with your instincts. When in doubt, use your experiences and the insights of the people around you to help you make the right choice for that moment. Chart your own path to success.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

Don’t let the scale of a problem deter you. The challenges surrounding food scarcity can feel insurmountable. 60 million Americans turned to food banks last year. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by that number. We each can — and must — make a difference. It’s the only way we’re going to solve the problem.

If I were to inspire a movement, I would encourage everyone to budget for giving at the start of the year. Our own research has found that people who add charitable giving to their annual budgets give seven times as much as those who do not budget. That shows the power of planning. Plan to give, no matter how big or small. Create a budget and a plan for giving back — and stick to it.

Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. :-)

We support hundreds of nonprofit organizations each year. I would love to sit down with the leader of an organization who was the beneficiary of a Vanguard Charitable gift 10 years ago. I’d be fascinated to hear how the gift impacted their work and their mission.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

I’d encourage everyone to check out Vanguard Charitable’s website and our NAVi tools. They’re not just for Vanguard Charitable donors — anyone can use them to find nonprofits addressing COVID-19 and hunger and homelessness. We also have an active presence on LinkedIn, which will give readers a bit of insight into our culture and the ways we’re working to make an impact.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much, and we wish you only continued success.