Greg Baumer connects the infrastructure of generosity—linking the Maclellan Foundation's vision to Generous Giving's movement that has convened thousands of America's most generous families since 2000.
Generous Giving is not a charity. It is a movement architecture. Founded in 2000 as an initiative of the Maclellan Foundation (Chattanooga, TN), it exists to inspire and encourage givers toward greater biblical generosity. Greg Baumer operates within this architecture—connecting the foundation-level strategy to the family-level transformation that happens when wealthy Christians encounter the theology of enough.
The Maclellan Foundation, with over $500M in assets under management, created Generous Giving as its most ambitious project: a peer-to-peer network for high-net-worth Christians to wrestle with generosity together, outside the pressure of fundraising asks.
The Maclellan Foundation was established in 1945 by the Maclellan family of Chattanooga, Tennessee—a family whose wealth derived from the Provident Insurance Company and related enterprises. By the late 1990s, the foundation's leadership asked a radical question: "What if our greatest impact isn't in the grants we give, but in the givers we inspire?"
Rather than hosting galas or publishing reports, Generous Giving convenes "Celebrations of Generosity"—intimate gatherings of 50-200 high-net-worth individuals who share stories of transformative giving. No fundraising. No asks. No pledge cards. Just peer testimony about what happens when you hold wealth loosely. This model—counter-intuitive in a world of donor cultivation—has proven more effective at increasing giving than any direct solicitation.
"We don't ask people to give more. We invite them into rooms where generosity is normal—and they recalibrate on their own." — Generous Giving operational philosophy, generousgiving.org
Maclellan Foundation Established — Chattanooga, TN. Initially focused on traditional Christian philanthropy: seminaries, missions, local social services.
Generous Giving Launched — The Foundation's "moonshot"—a separate initiative to inspire givers rather than fund causes. First Celebration of Generosity convened.
Movement Expansion — Scaled from small gatherings to national reach. Developed the "Journey of Generosity" (JOG) curriculum for small groups of 8-12 affluent Christians.
Network Density — Connected with National Christian Foundation, Waterstone, Signatry, and other faith-aligned giving vehicles. Built the informal infrastructure linking America's generous families.
Next Generation Focus — Shifted attention to NextGen givers, recognizing the $30T wealth transfer underway. Baumer's role connects this legacy infrastructure to contemporary kingdom capital flows.
Transforms the giver's identity from "owner" to "steward." This is the spiritual operating system on which all subsequent generosity runs.
Provides the financial instruments—donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, gifting of appreciated assets—that make generosity tax-efficient and operationally simple.
Helps givers allocate resources toward maximum kingdom impact. This is where strategy meets stewardship.
Sustains the practice of generosity through ongoing peer relationships. Prevents the "generosity hangover" that follows one-time emotional giving.
"Generosity is not a transaction. It is a lifestyle that requires community to sustain. Isolated givers eventually revert to accumulators." — Generous Giving leadership, Annual Impact Report
Baumer's role within this architecture is connective—linking the Maclellan Foundation's institutional weight to Generous Giving's relational methodology. He operates at the junction where foundation strategy becomes movement reality. His relationships span both the governance layer (foundation boards, endowment committees) and the practitioner layer (families actively restructuring their wealth around generosity).
Generous Giving's convening list is effectively a directory of America's most generous Christian families. Access to this network—which cannot be bought, only earned through relational trust—represents one of the highest-value connection points in faith capital.
Baumer sits at the intersection of institutional philanthropy (Maclellan Foundation) and movement infrastructure (Generous Giving). This dual positioning provides access to both the capital governance layer and the family relationship layer of Christian generosity. He is a gateway to the convening network that has shaped the giving patterns of thousands of America's wealthiest faith-driven families.
Through the Generous Giving community—attend a Journey of Generosity, participate in a Celebration event, or connect through the broader Maclellan Foundation network in Chattanooga.
National Christian Foundation overlap — NCF and Generous Giving share significant community overlap. NCF relationships provide lateral access.
Chattanooga faith ecosystem — The Maclellan Foundation is a cornerstone of Chattanooga's faith-driven philanthropic community. Local relationships provide geographic access.
The Generous Giving community is explicitly non-transactional. Do not approach with an ask. Approach with a generosity story. Demonstrate that you are a practitioner, not a solicitor.
The architecture of generosity is not built in bank vaults. It is built in rooms where wealthy people learn that enough is a number, not a feeling.