Donor Advised Funds - Keep on Giving

Some families have opted to use the resources of the Unity Foundation to help establish a tradition of philanthropy. The Donor Advised Fund is particularly well-suited for meeting these goals while offering a real education in giving. With this type of fund, the donors suggest which charitable causes will benefit. Some families use their funds to involve the next generation of children or grandchildren.

Some use Donor Advised Funds as part of their retirement planning. Let's say a family makes yearly gifts to their favorite charities of $1,000. When they retire they would still like to make those same gifts or more. If they were to gradually build a fund of say $20,000 then they could make their charitable gifts from the earnings of their family fund AND be sure that they can always make those gifts regardless of their personal income. Charitable giving does make people feel good and just because you retire doesn't mean you need to retire from giving!

When La Porte couple Leigh and Marcia Morris established a Donor Advised Fund, their goal was to leave a message as well as a legacy. Leigh, a founding board member of both the Unity Foundation and the LaPorte Hospital Foundation said, "We're setting an example we would like our descendants to follow." Morris knows that the promise they're making to LaPorte County will be kept for generations to come. He said, "Unity offers professional investment and management services and connectivity to charitable causes in the community. We don't have to worry about the future of our fund."

Both Leigh and Marcia are dedicated community volunteers and champions offering countless hours of service, expertise and leadership to many. Their legacy gifts will live on through their contributions to permanently endowed funds to benefit the people of LaPorte County.