By Amy Pancake, Associate Director/COO, Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, apancake@ewvcf.org
It is February, aka Lovuary, the month to celebrate love (Valentine’s Day) and the care of our hearts (American Heart Month) and in its honor, I feel uniquely honored—and compelled—to share a beautiful story during this month of cherished love. A story that continues to bear witness through the smiles and lives of those touched by gifts made in honor of a life that now lives on in others.
Recently, I had the privilege of sitting with a wonderful donor and friend who simply wanted to “do some good” for others in the name of their loved one. During our conversation, I began to draw a mental picture of “who” I believed this loved one to be.
This honored person valued family, generosity, education, child and senior nutrition and wellness, and animal welfare… This honored person savored life, and making life easier for others.
At the conclusion of our conversation, over 20 different organizations were designated to benefit from the generosity of the donor advised fund in memory of their loved one. I was in awe of this act of remembrance— of honoring and being remembered—of blessing another in the name of a beloved life.
What if you could honor the life of someone you love by providing grants to organizations that mattered to them? What if your gift fed a senior citizen, supported a child’s health or education, protected a cherished pet, or helped clean a stream at a local park?
Maybe you want to shout your honorees’; name from the mountaintop.
Maybe you prefer to be discreet.
Maybe you want your gift to be known—or to arrive as a quiet surprise.
Through a donor-advised fund, the intention and actions of honoring and remembering are yours. As a donor, directing grants to the causes and organizations that matter most, and that best reflect the legacy you wish to honor can make a true and lasting impact.
Remembrance is not only about looking back—it is about shaping the good that continues forward. If during the month of love, or any month of the year, you want to learn more, please give me the honor of hearing and knowing your story, and the legacy you wish to place in our community.
Amy Pancake is the Associate Director and COO of the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation and can be reached at apancake@ewvcf.org or by calling 304-822-7200. For more information on the Eastern West Virginia Community Foundation, visit www.ewvcf.org.
