A Simple Lesson Taught by Grandma
As a small boy, I was anxious to go sit with my Grandparents, Fred and Amelia Walters, in church. Grandma was loving, gave hugs, and always had a surprise in her purse – usually some gum or hard candy.
I was taught to sit still and listen to the pastor. That was often hard, but Grandma wrote down a bunch of words like “God”, “prayer”, “walk”, or “heaven” on some paper. Every time the pastor said any of those words, I would put a mark by that word. At the end of the service when passing by the pastor at the door, I would ask, “Did you know you said, ‘God,’ 55 times?” He smiled and seemed to know what Grandma was up to. When the offering plate came by, Grandma always put a nickel or dime in my hand and told me to put it in the offering plate.
As I grew, this became a habit – to be sure we had something to put in the plate. Grandma and Grandpa lived on a farm and raised my dad, Glenn Walters, and his 5 other siblings with very little income. Most of what they ate was what they grew in their own garden. Grandma’s pantry was full of canned fruit, vegetables, and even chicken and beef. Refrigeration was expensive, and she had no freezer. I even remember her refrigerator was an icebox that Grandpa kept full on the bottom with a large chuck of ice to keep the milk and butter cold.
I never thought of my Grandparents being poor, but they were. They would be considered by today’s standards as living in poverty. Even in that condition, they still put money into the offering plate, and taught me to do the same. They wanted me to understand that giving was the right thing.
How Do You Give To Charitable Organizations?
Today giving has taken on many different forms. Oh sure, the church offering plate is still passed, but parishioners often give by check through the mail, online charity donations, or even through Trust planning. Whether individuals, families, or companies who are pursuing donation projects are new to charitable giving or are experienced philanthropists, there’s an incredible amount of ideas and issues to consider.
How do you give to charitable organizations? Do you wish you had a way to plan for larger giving especially for estate planning? Would you like your donation to work in perpetuity? Do you find yourself not wanting to go through the legal and accounting hassles to set up a non-profit Foundation, conduct board meetings, manage the investing, report to a board, and fill out the state and Federal forms or worrying about financial sustainability? Fortunately, my parents, Glenn and Viola Walters, went to all that trouble in 1999.
Giving: The Right Thing
The Walters Family Foundation already has the infrastructure in place for nearly 19 years including experienced accountants and investors, an engaged board that meets at least twice yearly, and gives to charitable causes as outlined by the Founders. The members of the board and executive committee invite you to be a part of our family. Make a financial investment to expand the Foundation’s ability to help more at-risk youth and families through a number of organizations with which we partner. Join our family or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
When you join our family, perhaps you, too, will discover that giving is the right thing! No greater satisfaction can be seen or felt when a positive change occurs in the life of a person in need of help.
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