ASHEVILLE — Glenn W. Wilcox Sr. isn’t shy about asking people for money.

It’s usually not for himself, though.

The chairman and CEO of Wilcox World Travel and Tours has been the driving force behind a number of fundraisers for local nonprofits. And he and his wife, Pauline, recently chose to leave a portion of their estate to LifeWay Ridgecrest Conference Center, a nonprofit Christian retreat center near Black Mountain operated by the Southern Baptist Convention. The exact amount of the donation was not disclosed.

“I don’t ever apologize for raising money for organizations that I believe in,” said Wilcox, 74. “I say, ‘Stop and think. What has this community meant to you?’ If it’s meant something to you, you really need to give back to it.”

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Glenn Wilcox, a local philanthropist, talks about his strategy for fundraising. (386 KB)
Glenn Wilcox, a local philanthropist, explains his approach to prospective donors. (580 KB)

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That probably has something to do with why Stephen P. Miller, executive vice president of The Biltmore Co., would call Wilcox “Asheville’s greatest fundraiser.”

The Wilcox family philanthropy reflects, in part, a growing interest among wealthy people in making big donations while they are alive, rather than as a bequest at death. Philanthropy advisers say giving while living, as it’s called, is often a smart choice. For starters, donors can reap the joy over their good deed. What’s more, donors can keep tabs on their gift, eyeing whether the money is being used effectively.

There also can be attractive tax benefits. When you make a lifetime gift, you get an income-tax deduction, reducing your income tax bill, and you also move money out of your estate, which can trim estate taxes.

Looking for passion

When it comes to raising money, Wilcox said he looks for passion in the people from whom he is soliciting funds.

For example, “if they don’t have a passion for students, universities and colleges, they’re not going to give Mars Hill and Appalachian any money,” he said. “It’s nothing but human nature. If I don’t have the passion, I’d probably have a hard time selling somebody else.”

His passion and his ability to mine the passion of others has helped contribute greatly to organizations such as the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County and Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministries.

Wilcox chaired the United Way campaign in 1988 and helped raise more than $3.2 million for the organization, a 13 percent increase over the previous year’s giving, said David Bailey, president and CEO of United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County.

Wilcox also chaired the United Way’s Peaks Society, made up of people from the community who pledge $1,000 or more to the United Way, and grew membership in the society from 67 members contributing more than $82,000 in 1984 to 515 people giving more than $814,000 in 1995.

Leaving a mark

People who know Wilcox well say he’s had an impact on them.

“I might not be where I am today if it hadn’t been for Glenn Wilcox,” the Rev. Franklin Graham said recently. “He’s been a friend, supporter, a backer and a go-to person when I’ve been in need.”

Mike Arrington, LifeWay’s vice president of corporate affairs, said like the biblical Barnabas, Wilcox is “the ultimate encourager.”

“He is a guy that is always looking for the best in people as well as the greatest ministry that a church or a place like ours can be to help others,” he said. “Glenn has always been a person that really is interested in touching lives and making a difference in the lives of people as well as his own community there.”