Among the causes that Roger and Lynn Van Vreede feel strongly about is the environment. They feel so strongly about it that giving a lifetime of support isn’t enough for them, so they have arranged for a significant portion of their estate to come to the Community Foundation to provide lasting support for environmental causes long after they are gone.

Roger said they have discovered the benefits of giving through the Community Foundation to make grants to nonprofits doing work they support.

“One thing we like is your gift keeps on giving,” he said. A charitable endowment fund at the Foundation typically distributed 5% of its assets in grants each year, keeping the principal to generate more grant money in the future.

“It’s a great vehicle,” Lynn said of the Foundation. “We feel comfortable that our wishes will be honored.”

The Van Vreedes have no children, so beyond taking care of a few relatives, most of their assets will go to benefit charity, most prominently their Roger and Lynn Van Vreede Charitable Fund within the Community Foundation.

Roger pointed out that they can lay out a plan that divides up the support their fund among the nonprofits they have listed in the description of their future gift. The grant money can be divided on a percentage basis or as a flat or accelerating annual dollar amount. And if one of the organizations they support ceases to exist, they know future Foundation boards will act responsibly in reallocating the money in way that reflects the preferences they have expressed now.

To arrange a future gift through your will, trust, insurance policy or retirement savings, contact Bob Ellis at 920-830-1290.