Andrew Firestone: An Emcee Who Inspires People to Get Involved

Andrew Firestone may still be best-known outside of Santa Barbara County as the third Bachelor in the history of the trend-setting reality TV franchise, where the good-looking and affable great-grandson of the founder of the Firestone Rubber Company was wooed by 25 young women. But around these parts, he’s one in a four-generation line of family members to establish themselves in the Santa Ynez Valley as both entrepreneurs and enterprising philanthropists – with Andrew gaining fame and accolades as the current MC of choice at area fundraising galas. 

Andrew’s grandfather Leonard, and his mom and dad Brooks and Kate, established Santa Barbara County’s first estate winery in 1972, spearheading what has become a huge industry in the area. Brooks also served as a state legislator and two-term county supervisor. His siblings went into wine, breweries, and coffee, while Andrew worked a number of roles in the hospitality industry starting with cleaning rooms and bussing tables even before he could drive. Since 2014, Andrew has been principal and founder of StonePark Capital, a hospitality firm that focuses on the development and acquisition of select service hotels. 

But philanthropy folks also know Firestone for his public face. Andrew has emceed a huge swath of fundraising events, as many as 50 in a given year, dating back nearly two decades and covering a full range of causes and issues. He’s hosted galas for organizations supporting all phases of life, from early childhood education (Storyteller) to hospice care (Visiting Nurses) and everything in between. His donations of time and talent go well beyond serving as auctioneer, as Firestone has served on numerous nonprofit boards, ranging from The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation (MOXI), where he was a cofounder, to current seats on the boards for Visit Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, and the AAPLE Academy at San Marcos High School. 

Steven Libowitz: You grew up in a very industrious family, but also one devoted to philanthropy in your family. Was the concept of giving back instilled at an early age?

Andrew Firestone: Participating in community service has always been part of my life. I watched both my mother and father being very active, which inspired and set an example for me. There’s so many different ways to contribute between the three “T”s of time, talent, and treasure. My parents have supported the arts and a variety of different organizations over the years. So I was exposed not just to philanthropy but really getting in and helping and figuring out where to contribute. I am proud to continue what my family has done while taking a little bit of my own direction. It’s been a big part of my life, and I feel lucky to be in a community like Santa Barbara that has so many philanthropic outlets and opportunities for doing good.

SL: You’ve become the go-to guy for emceeing nonprofit events in the area. Why do you think that is?

AF: I see it as more than just going up there and standing on a podium or holding a microphone. I get involved in the organization to fully understand the mission and the outcomes they produce, so I can speak about it with confidence and some level of experience. I feel a sense of responsibility to make sure that I’m doing my part to help the organization be successful. 

Anybody can throw a great party. To me, these galas are about coming together to celebrate the mission and inspire people to continue to support the organization. I do that through telling stories and showing how the organization is accountable. [Donors] want to be able to see the outcomes of what is essentially an investment. When you raise your paddle, you are saying that you believe in that organization, so you want it to have the fuel it needs to accomplish its mission. 

I like to talk about what this organization does and why it’s so important, as well as where it’s been and where it’s going with the contributions of the community. I’m able to do that because I believe in the mission or I wouldn’t be there. 

SL: How do you stay fresh and avoid burnout returning year after year for the same nonprofit? 

AF: Actually, it’s helpful. In a way, I’ve been growing up with the organization. I know where they were a year ago, three years ago, five years ago. I know how they’ve expanded, how many people have benefited from what they do. It’s about sharing the continuum, not just a snapshot, but rather a story that is continuing to unfold. I feel that responsibility to help make sure that the legacy of the organization continues to grow and to prosper. 

It’s my job to inspire the people that are there. I run around on stage with energy and enthusiasm so people get excited about being there. It’s not about guilting people to raise a paddle once. You want them to really invest in the organization over a long period of time. That’s why it’s important to share what their investment has turned into. 

With the organizations I’ve helped out for years, I feel like I’m a part of that mission, whether it’s Direct Relief or Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation or United Way or Alzheimer’s Association. I feel a sense of responsibility for doing my part. With some of the younger ones, I help with guiding their overall fundraising platform. I can offer best practices for fundraising and for keeping supporters engaged. It’s really satisfying to see them grow.  

SL: How do you choose which nonprofits to help?

AF: Full stop, this community, whether it’s the arts or education, supporting families with either food or shelter insecurities, domestic violence – these organizations are helping my neighbors, helping my community, and I have a responsibility to do whatever I can. I feel blessed that we have so much here. I’m just shouldering my portion of that burden.

I recently did an event for Olive Crest Hope Refuge in the Santa Ynez Valley for the first time. So I spent a day at their facility (for sex trafficked teenage girls), met the people involved in the program, and it was incredibly moving. It’s heartbreaking and remarkable at the same time. I left there incredibly inspired. 

It’s remarkable and it’s heartbreaking and all those things all rolled up. But in so many of these things, and probably why I try and help out where I can is, you need people on the front line that are addressing so many of these issues. And my motto is that a lot of this responsibility is very, very heavy, and it is too heavy for one person. But if you spread that responsibility, that load across a crowd of people, it becomes that much lighter. And I like to think I’m just shouldering my portion of that burden. 

SL: How are you passing on the giving gene in your own family?

AF: If I have one job on this planet, it is to raise empathetic children that are willing to also support and help their community where they can. And I know the best way to do that is by example. And so I have involved my three children in events and I’ve gotten them involved in fundraising and auctions and all sorts of things so they can kind of see how much time I dedicate to that, how important it is for me, and how fulfilling it is as a part of my life. 

And as my kids grow up, they’ve gotten their hands dirty. They’ve volunteered at many organizations. One of my proudest moments, my daughter who’s now a freshman at San Marcos High School, is on the founding board of Glimmers Foundation, which was in memoriam in support of one of her classmates who passed away from cancer at a young age. I am just beaming with pride. Inspiring a younger generation to be involved and to participate is really what it’s all about.

SL: Any final thoughts on wealth, philanthropy, and giving back? 

AF: With any level of success comes a responsibility to make sure that you’re leaving your community better. There are many ways to participate. You have to find your passion, not only what moves you but where you can have the greatest impact.