Live Generously
A Four-Generation Family Business Shaped by Generosity
The Hodgdon family didn’t just pass down their business; they passed down their family values along with it.
In the 1940s, Bruce and Amy Hodgdon founded Hodgdon Powder Company, on clear, core values: faithfulness, generosity, and the belief that what they manage ultimately belongs to God. With each new generation, the rising business owners watched their parents live out these values personally and professionally.
By the time the business was theirs to steward, the values were their own as well.
Building generosity into the business itself was a key part of each generation’s success. The Hodgdons use a donor advised fund (DAF) at The Signatry to do this in a few practical ways:
Tithing: Their company tithes consistently, directing a portion of its profits into a DAF. Generosity is always part of the budget. Joel, a fourth-generation Hodgdon, explained, “[With the DAF], you can plan generosity for, not just when you have a good year, but for decades—for the generation to come. That’s what speaks to me.”
Practicing Values Together: The DAF offers a centralized structure to prioritize giving and pass a culture of generosity on to the next generation. They review grant requests together and pray over decisions as a family.
Giving Creatively: The DAF also provided an avenue for the family to donate real estate assets, which expanded their impact on the ministries they support.
