A longtime friend of the Community Foundation, Jennie Arbogash spoke with us recently about how she and her husband, Tim Whittaker, became members of our Legacy Society.
A longtime friend of the Community Foundation, Jennie Arbogash spoke with us recently about how she and her husband, Tim Whittaker, became members of our Legacy Society.
Based in Longmont, Jennie moved to Boulder County in 2000. “I started working at the Boulder County AIDS Project,” she recalls. “For the next seven years, I worked with a number of local, direct-service nonprofits – as a fundraiser and in a number of other roles – which gave me many occasions to get to know, and interact with the Community Foundation.
“In addition to its grantmaking, I always appreciated how much support the foundation offers its grantees – advising, advocating in the community, making connections and introductions, and more.”
In 2008, Jennie got involved with Social Venture Partners (SVP), then housed with the Community Foundation. “During those five years working at the foundation offices, I saw first-hand the incredible work of the foundation’s board, staff, and volunteers,” says Jennie, now Executive Director of SVP, which became independent in 2012. “I saw how comprehensively the foundation serves the community.”
Around the same time, Jennie, now in her 40s, and Tim, in his 50s, were working on their Wills. “We started talking about the fact that we don’t have children, and that we really want the bulk of our estate to support some kind of social good.
“But we’re working class folks, and I’ve worked in nonprofits my whole career. So we don’t have a lot – still, we wanted to make an impact.”
The couple started talking about the Community Foundation and the Community Trust. “It made so much sense to us, to support the whole nonprofit spectrum in Boulder County – and we know the foundation is ‘in it’ for the long haul. So we wanted to start something that would continue to pay dividends for many years to come.
“It took us a while to think things through, but – in the end – it was an easy decision to support our community through the Community Foundation. And it’s really changed the focus and the energy of our lives, while we’re still here.
“We won’t be able to give $1M or even $100K in our lifetimes, but we’ll still make an impact. You can be an average, middle-income person and still make a difference by using your Will – and you don’t have to wait until you’re in your 60s or 70s to make that decision.”
Learn more about ways to give and make a difference in Boulder County.
