The Foundation That's Giving It All Away | Stephanie Sauer, Sauer Family Foundation

Most foundations are built to last forever. The Sauer Family Foundation decided to do the opposite. Started in 1996 as a 30th-anniversary gift between Stephanie Sauer's parents, the foundation has spent nearly three decades strengthening the well-being of children and families across Minnesota. Now, rather than existing in perpetuity, the family has made the unusual and deliberate choice to spend down their resources and sunset the foundation — betting that a big impact now matters more than a smaller one stretched across forever. In this conversation, host Elizabeth Kitzenberg talks with Stephanie about the thinking behind that decision, what it means to give from a place of trust, and why she wants more philanthropists to swing for the fences instead of playing it safe. In this episode: Why the family chose to spend down and sunset rather than give 5% forever "To create a legacy is to plant a tree under which you will never sit" — giving for impact you may never see What trust-based giving actually looks like from the funder's side of the table Why paying for salaries and overhead isn't a compromise — it's the whole engine Growing up inside a family foundation, and the skills it gave her The proof of impact she's chasing next: mental health A conversation about generosity, urgency, and the courage to give more than feels comfortable. 🎙️ Proof of Impact is a production of Gleam Tower Media, recorded at Picnic Linden Hills in southwest Minneapolis. 📬 Connect with Elizabeth Kitzenberg on LinkedIn, or learn more about nonprofit consulting at thekitzenberggroup.com.