Rooted in Generosity: A Family Tradition of Giving
For Jeanne Helphenstine, generosity began long before she opened a donor advised fund. It began on her family’s ranch, around a dinner table, and with a simple belief passed from one generation to the next: no one should go hungry.
Jeanne’s grandparents, Allan and Yolanda Righetti, were Swiss Italian immigrants who operated a dairy farm on 143 acres off Orcutt Road in San Luis Obispo. Life on the Righetti Ranch was grounded in hard work, gratitude, and caring for neighbors. Those values became part of the family and eventually shaped the way Jeanne thought about giving back to the community she calls home.
Years later, Jeanne found a meaningful way to carry those values forward with her mother, Barbara.
Giving Together
Jeanne encouraged her mother to consider making a charitable gift through The Community Foundation San Luis Obispo County, recognizing both the tax advantages of charitable giving and the opportunity to make a meaningful local impact.
Jeanne and Barbara each established their own donor advised fund at the Foundation. Soon, philanthropy became something they shared.
Each year, mother and daughter talked about what was happening in the community, learned about local organizations, discovered new causes, and decided where they wanted their giving to make a difference. Agriculture and food security were natural priorities given their family history, while the arts also held a special place in their hearts.
For Jeanne, those conversations became as meaningful as the grants themselves.
“Giving became something my mother and I looked forward to each year. We learned from each other, supported what mattered most, and stayed connected to our community in the process.”
Their donor advised funds provided a simple way to organize their philanthropy. More importantly, giving together created time to reflect on what they valued and how they wanted to contribute to the community they loved.
A Tradition That Continues
Jeanne’s commitment to community extends beyond her philanthropy. Throughout her career in real estate and through her volunteer leadership, including her service on the Foundation’s Real Estate Foundation Board, she has remained closely connected to San Luis Obispo County.
That involvement has also informed her giving. As Jeanne has learned more about the challenges and opportunities facing local nonprofits and families, her philanthropy has evolved with her.
Yet the values behind it remain remarkably consistent.
The land that supported her grandparents’ dairy farm is an important part of Jeanne’s family history. But the Righetti legacy extends beyond those 143 acres. It lives in a belief that we care for our neighbors, share what we have, and remain connected to the community around us.
For Jeanne, philanthropy became something she and her mother shared. Today, that tradition continues, carrying forward the values of a family deeply rooted in this community.
Make Giving Part of Your Family Story
A donor advised fund can create a meaningful way for families to give together, explore the issues they care about, and pass charitable values from one generation to the next.
The Community Foundation works alongside individuals and families to make giving thoughtful, flexible, and connected to the communities and causes that matter most to them.
Sometimes the most meaningful thing we pass from one generation to the next is not what we have, but what we believe.
Righetti Family Ranch
