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For many families, conversations about legacy begin with trusts, estate plans, and asset transfers. For David Rubin, legacy begins somewhere else entirely — with purpose.
Speaking during the APEX Global Forum Members Meeting, Rubin shared how a deeply personal experience led his family to establish a foundation that has become far more than a charitable vehicle. It has become the thread that connects generations, giving each member of the family a shared mission and a reason to contribute beyond financial success.
Rather than treating philanthropy as something reserved for later in life, Rubin has made it part of his children’s everyday decision-making.
He recalled how one of his children, after selling a home, asked the buyer to donate part of the commission directly to the family’s foundation. Moments like these, he explained, are exactly what the foundation was designed to encourage — not obligation, but a natural instinct to think about others in every transaction and opportunity.
All of his children, now professionals in their own careers, are involved in the family’s commitment to giving back. According to Rubin, growing up with privilege comes with responsibility, and creating opportunities to serve others helps ensure that wealth does not become the defining characteristic of the next generation.
“They see a commitment to community,” he explained. “They see a commitment to the greater good.”
That philosophy has become especially meaningful through the family’s work addressing food insecurity, an issue Rubin described as both widespread and often overlooked in the United States. Beyond the practical impact, he said the foundation has given his children a sense of purpose, helping them develop empathy while understanding the realities faced by others.
One decision, in particular, proved transformative.
Instead of creating a private foundation, Rubin chose to establish a public foundation. While the structure comes with greater oversight, it also allows broader participation, collaboration with other organizations, and the ability to accept outside contributions. The result has been a platform that extends well beyond the family itself, supporting fundraising events, partnerships, and community initiatives that continue to grow its impact.
During the discussion, APEX founder Kari Chaudhry reflected on another dimension of Rubin’s approach.
What stood out wasn’t simply that the family had created a charitable organization. It was that every generation had a role to play. One child helps lead the foundation, while the family uses philanthropy as a way of passing down values alongside financial wealth.
As Chaudhry observed, intergenerational wealth is ultimately about far more than assets.
“What you leave to your next generation, wealth aside, is these beliefs and values.”
Rubin also shared an unexpected benefit of having the foundation integrated into the family’s long-term planning.
Families often struggle when dividing assets that carry emotional rather than financial value — artwork, jewelry, and heirlooms that cannot simply be split equally among siblings. Instead of allowing those decisions to become points of conflict, the foundation provided a neutral destination for certain assets. Items could be sold through public auction, with the proceeds benefiting the foundation, allowing every family member to share in the outcome while reducing tension during estate administration.
The structure also created practical advantages from an estate planning perspective. Rubin explained that having the foundation already established gave his advisers flexibility when managing estate distributions and charitable gifting, while helping maximize the family’s philanthropic objectives.
Yet throughout the conversation, the recurring theme was never tax strategy.
It was stewardship.
For Rubin, involving the next generation early has never been about preparing them to inherit wealth. It has been about preparing them to inherit responsibility. By making philanthropy part of everyday life rather than a once-a-year exercise, the foundation has become a place where values are practiced, not simply discussed.
In the end, Rubin’s message was simple: the most enduring legacy a family can leave is not measured by the assets it transfers, but by the purpose it passes from one generation to the next.
David does not describe this from a distance. Every one of his children is involved in the Gitel Foundation, with his daughter Madeline Rubin serving as president, which means the succession he talks about is not theoretical — the next generation is not waiting to inherit the work — they are already running it.
To learn more about the Gitel Foundation or to contribute, visit thegitelfoundation.com