Stuart and Walter Kingsbery appreciate the Boulder County
community for the
lives they’ve led here and the friends they’ve made. The two
believe this is such a nice place to live because of many individuals’ efforts,
and they celebrate the community through their Kingsbery Friends & Family
Fund at The Community Foundation.
Two of four brothers and originally from Texas, Walter and
Stuart grew up in a home where philanthropy wasn’t a household word, but the
practice of participating and leading in church, school, hospital, or athletic
groups was a part of their family culture.
“Our parents valued community,” said Walter.
“They encouraged us to lead a life that is broader than just work.”
Family traditions moved with Stuart and Walter to Boulder where they both
became involved on boards of non-profit organizations-sometimes overlapping.
Stuart was recruited to serve on The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees
in 1996. Through his seven years on the board, including two terms as Chair,
Stuart familiarized himself with what a great vehicle The Community Foundation
is for providing community support. This knowledge came in handy when the brothers began discussing alternative holiday gift
ideas.
“We started talking about the chore that buying
Christmas gifts can become. Neither of us likes to shop, and we have what we
need. Making donations in honor of family members seemed like a good way to
give differently. Then we got to thinking that we might also be able to involve
our friends in the concept. We set up a donor advised fund, and it’s turned
into a fun way to spread consciousness about charitable giving and to raise
awareness about The Community Foundation and other Boulder County
non-profit groups,” said Walter.
Now the Kingsbery Friends & Family Fund serves as a
vehicle for gathering together for good purpose. Every fall a committee of five
of the people who contributed to the fund are randomly chosen to select the
fund’s new grant recipients. Then there is a party to celebrate.
“We have a long-time group of friends and this
gathering together of friends and family for good purpose brings something new
to the conversation. The fund also focuses mainly on serving disadvantaged
youth. It’s a purpose universal enough for all the fund’s donors to feel
supportive,” said Stuart.
The fund has also contributed to teaching Stuart’s two
teenage daughters about community needs and the importance of being involved.
Both Dad and Uncle expect the participation of Kate and Sarah to grow.
“Using a donor advised fund model made this possible.
There’s low hassle, and it’s easy to combine diverse interests and resource
levels. It’s a very fun and democratic approach to giving,” said Stuart.
“We rely on The Community Foundation’s knowledge and expertise. As a
donor, a donor advised fund is very efficient.”
“The main purpose of our fund really is about the
process of raising awareness of the many needs of non-profits in Boulder County. We’re happy if people contribute
to The Kingsbery Friends & Family Fund or if they give directly to local
nonprofits.” said Walter.
“We share the same goals as The Community Foundation’s
Culture of Giving project-generally increasing philanthropy in the county. So
many people make this a good place to live. Our fund is a way to add to the sum
of the whole,” explained Stuart.
To learn more about
establishing a Donor Advised Endowed Fund, a Donor Advised Gift Fund, or a
Donor Advised Impact Fund at The Community Foundation for you or your company,
call Tim Leifield at 303-442-0436 x110 or email him at Tim@commfound.org.
