“My goal in life is to leave the world a little better place," Everett Whitaker explains, admitting that he doesn’t necessarily think of giving in terms of “philanthropy.” For his wife, Kathy, giving has meaning through its potential to change a person’s life. She enjoys supporting literacy causes and organizations that connect people with nature - an extension of her commitment to nurturing happiness and personal growth wherever possible. 

When the Whitakers approached the Community Foundation, they did so with a distinct vision in mind. The couple has no children, so they had already begun to think about their legacy and the impact they hoped to make. In addition to helping them plan their legacy giving, the CFGC team also introduced them to the concept of a donor-advised Fund (DAF) to support their lifetime giving.

The Whitakers’ DAF has been an ideal tool for them. They can make contributions to the fund at times that are strategically advisable from a tax perspective and control charitable distributions to the causes and institutions that resonate most deeply with them. Perhaps most importantly to Kathy and Everett, the DAF will be a way for the Foundation to better understand how to best steward their legacy gift when they’re gone.

The couple credits the Foundation’s philanthropy staff for being invaluable partners, providing critical counsel about specific organizations as well as the fit, flow, and timing of their giving.