Faithful Generosity: Donna and David Allman
This story originally appeared in the 2026 Whitefield Magazine.
Whitefield Academy has been blessed with acts of generosity for more than 30 years! It is because of the people the Lord has brought to this community we have been able to thrive as a school. We look at how Whitefield families view and live out generosity through a biblical lens. This history of generosity is now extending across generations.
We are excited to share more about David and Donna Allman, who can be seen at many of our grandparent events, typically winning the “most grandchildren at Whitefield” award!
Tell us about your family.
We (David & Donna) both grew up in Atlanta and met in high school at Lovett where we still have strong ties. We have been married for 47 years and have been overwhelmingly blessed, with four children and 13 grandchildren.
Our youngest is Rebecca who is married to Trip Doster, and they have four children at Whitefield, Brooks (10th), Ford (8th), Bailey (6th) and Andrew (2nd).
We have twin sons, Andrew and Daniel. Andrew’s wife is Sarah and they have three children, two at Lovett, Henry (8th) and William (8th) and Anna who is currently at Schenk (5th).
Daniel is married to Lauren, and they have three daughters and Whitefield, Lanier (10th), Liza (8th) and Julia (4th).
Adam, our oldest son, is married to Audrey, and they have two children at Whitefield, Chappell (10th) and Mason (9th) and their youngest Nash is in the 6th grade at Sutton Middle School. We thoroughly enjoy the time spent with family, especially traveling together and creating strong ties and lasting memories!
What are your thoughts and/or viewpoints about generosity?
Generous living (time, talents, treasure) is, at its simplest and most profound, our response of gratitude to God’s initiative to us (“God so loved us that He gave…”) and the gift of abundant life. We are “hardwired” to be generous and can only find intimacy with God and joy and fulfillment in life thru generous living.
We all can recall moments or acts of generosity that we knew were extrinsically good—whether we were the recipient or the initiator.
It just takes work (and help from the Spirit) to make these attitudes and acts more central to who we are.
How does faith play a role in your financial generosity?
Faith is the foundation which informs and motivates our financial generosity. It’s the “why” for our giving. Those of us with “surplus” have a call to be generous not just to help “the least of these” but to experience personal intimacy with God and to experience His joy.
It is faith that provides the long-term (eternal) perspective (“lay up for yourselves treasure in Heaven…”).
How does prayer impact your view, thoughts and actions on generosity?
Prayer can assist with both getting our hearts “right” so that we can give generously and with joy. It can also provide us the wisdom to give prudently as good stewards—how to give with impact. But it also prepares us to be ready to respond “in the moment,” those “kairos” moments where our spirits can be guided.
Why is Whitefield a part of your family’s giving priorities?
With nine grandkids at Whitefield, it’s easy to appreciate the value Whitefield is providing in their spiritual formation. Donna and I have been so impressed with the mission, the leadership, and the sense of community that we’ve witnessed.
How has generosity impacted your life?
Generosity has been foundational to how Donna and I have experienced personal joy, fulfillment and felt God’s pleasure in our lives. Participating in the “good works” that God has planned in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10) has been a central, orienting guidepost for our adult lives. We have repeatedly experienced the joy and blessings of receiving more than we could ever give. We have profound gratitude for what we’ve been given.
If someone asked you “what does the Bible say about being generous?” what would you say?
The Bible tells us that the full and abundant life is best experienced when we appropriately respond to God’s demonstrated love of us with abundant gratitude and generosity—a natural response to God’s goodness. What do we have that we did not receive?
If we can come to see God as owner of all and ourselves as stewards, it is both freeing and transformative.