Donor Stories
Every act of generosity starts somewhere. Sometimes it grows from a lifelong connection to a place or community. Sometimes it begins with a simple question: What could I do? The stories below share both real experiences and illustrative examples of what's possible through partnership with VCF.
Giving Where Their Heart Lives
Read the stories of generous people who have made an impact by giving through the VCF.
Why I Planned a Legacy Gift
Robin Edelman's Commitment to Opportunity
A Life in Motion
Giving Back to Vermont Beyond a Lifetime
A Legacy That Lives On
How Mary Hoffman's thoughtful planning is shaping Vermont's future
A Lasting Gift for the Place He Loved
Leonard Ahlfeld's sustained support allows the Community Food Cupboard to "look ahead, not just keep up"
Nelson Withington's Legacy: The Withington Fund Reaches Million-Dollar Giving Mark
Brattleboro's Nelson Withington invested in wellness before it was called that. Here's why.
Lois McClure Leaves 20 Million to Support Education and Training Pathways to Vermont's Promise
Lois McClure, who passed away in January 2025 at the age of 98, has left a final gift of more than $20 million to expand education and training pathways to Vermont's most promising jobs.
Building Rural Opportunity: Richard and Kathy White's Commitment in the Northeast Kingdom
Living in one of Vermont's most rural areas inspired a couple to give in lasting ways to help people of the region. Read about their giving journey here.
Testamentary Fund Helps Local Musician Leave His Legacy
Through a Charitable Remainder Trust, Ted's testamentary gift ensures future support for local arts organizations.
What Giving Could Look Like
The stories below are fictional examples created to illustrate how individuals, families, and businesses might partner with VCF to meet a range of charitable goals.
Retirement Planning
Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift
Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged her to update her estate plan.
Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Charitable Rollover Gift
Margaret was a retired librarian. She volunteered at her favorite nonprofit several times a week and also made several donations each year. Margaret saw that her taxes were increasing and wondered how she could continue to do extra things like make charitable gifts with lower income.
Bequest
Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts
Harold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event Vermont Community Foundation held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift that would support our mission and ensure that we remain financially strong well into the future.
Bequest of Insurance
Marla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future. As the children grew up, married, found good jobs and accumulated significant assets, the insurance was no longer needed for its original purpose.
What Will You Do With Your Unspent Retirement Savings?
Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks and IRAs. They met with their financial advisor to discuss a plan to provide for their family and for some of their favorite nonprofit organizations.
Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)
Keith has been a faithful supporter of Vermont Community Foundation and makes regular gifts to support our work. Recently, Keith talked to our staff and expressed his interest in naming Vermont Community Foundation as a beneficiary of his estate, but he wanted to keep the process as simple and inexpensive as possible.
Life Income Gifts
Tax-Free Sale
Howard and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
Fixed Income for Retirement
After working for decades as a pediatrician in a small town, Patricia is ready to retire. Patricia has enough saved for retirement, but she is concerned about the impact a drop in the stock market would have on her retirement savings.
Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio. While their investments increased substantially in value, their potential capital gains tax bill was rising.
Sale and Unitrust
Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well. A larger company is now discussing the possibility of buying the smaller company. This sale would require that Gene and Carol sell their stock, subjecting them to capital gains. Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.
Deferred Gift Annuity
Several years ago, Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock. It turned out to be a very wise decision, as the stock increased in value to $100,000 within three years. Though they were not in need of additional income at the time, the couple decided to cash in on this growth.
Give It Twice Trust
While visiting her favorite nonprofit's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the organization for more information. The nonprofit's gift planner explained that a give it twice trust would allow her to first give income to children through the trust, and then the trust would later transfer the trust balance to charity.
Leading for the Future
Luke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite nonprofit organization. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission. At the same time, they were looking for a way to care for their family in the future.
Gift for a Loved One with Special Needs
Richard is a successful business owner. His younger brother, Robert, was born with special needs. For the past 10 years, Richard has supported Robert, including paying the costs for Robert's adult care facility.
