We’ve come to know that many Boulder County residents – like Pat Sterner and her late husband, Bill – want to leave a legacy of giving beyond their lifetimes, for generations to come.
We’ve come to know that many Boulder County residents – like Pat Sterner and her late husband, Bill – want to leave a legacy of giving beyond their lifetimes, for generations to come.
“Bill was the President and CEO of Elevations Credit Union, and he really prioritized being active in our community,” recalls Pat. “He served on the Board of Trustees, and we became very active with the foundation.”
Indeed, before he passed away suddenly in 2008 – one month short of becoming Board Chair – Bill championed the Millennium Trust. A permanent fund of the Community Foundation established in 1999, the Millennium Trust aims to meet our community’s needs in the new millennium.
“Bill believed that the Community Foundation should have a large pot of money available for unrestricted use, for the foundation to be flexible and responsive to the community’s needs and issues as they come up,” says Pat. “He made personal contributions, and he worked hard to get the business community involved.”
Pat, who lives in Lafayette, has continued to stay involved, naming the foundation in her estate plans. “In Bill’s honor, we decided as a family to make a significant gift to the Millennium Trust,” she says. “We made the pledge and paid a great part of it, and used the rest to make an estate gift.”
“I come from a nonprofit background,” continues Pat. “I’ve worked in the areas of development, fundraising and planned giving, and I’m a big believer in finding multiple ways to give – estate gifts, annual contributions, volunteer time, and more.
“It’s important to extend your capacity beyond making a contribution. While that’s great, how will you make giving a part of who you are, a part of your legacy?
“I think planned gifts are critical to community foundations, in particular, because they extend the life and impact of those organizations in ways that really make a difference.”
That said, for Pat Sterner, creating a legacy with the Community Foundation is ultimately about love.
“Bill loved the foundation, and loved being on the board,” she says. “He saw it as a way to give back to his community. Making an estate gift is a way for us to extend that love – not only to honor Bill, but for our whole community.”
