• Why Give
  • Donor Story - Doug and Mary Sanders
  • Donor Story - Laurie Wermter
  • Donor Story - Cathy and Dan Mundt, Sr.
  • Donor Story - Sue and Dan Riley
  • Donor Story - Phil and Babs Strom
• How to give
  • Getting Started
  • What To Give
• Giving Now
  • Contribute To An Existing Fund
  • Create A Fund
• Giving Later
  • Legacy Circle
    • Legacy Circle Members
  • President's Circle
    • President's Circle Members
• Fund Options
  • Benefits of an Organizational Endowment
• Professional Advisors
  • Advisor Resources
  • Gift Options
  • FAQs
• Donor Resources

Making an Impact in Perpetuity

Doug and Mary Sanders aren’t originally from Grand Marais but that doesn’t prevent them from calling it home. After retiring in the north shore community nearly a decade ago, the two immediately began spending their new-found time volunteering. And today, they couldn’t imagine doing anything else in the community they’ve grown to love.

“Right now I’m really passionate about tutoring kids,” explains Mary. In addition to working with kids, the two are passionate about the Grand Marais Playhouse, the Cook County Schools Education Foundation, North House Folk School and several other causes in the region. So passionate, in fact, that they are taking action to make sure those organizations remain long after they are gone.

“We wanted to leave something behind,” says Mary. “We recognize that there are bigger things in life than just us.”

To do this, the couple worked on an estate plan with Grand Marais attorney Leigh Mathison. The plan, which includes creating a fund after their death at the Community Foundation, will benefit multiple non-profits in Cook County in perpetuity.

“Since they wanted to benefit multiple non-profits in Cook County and were already familiar with the work the Cook County Community Fund was doing, partnering with the Community Foundation made sense,” Mathison explains.

The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation currently manages more than 280 funds—many of which were designed to help people like Doug and Mary reach their charitable goals today and tomorrow. In Doug and Mary’s case, a designated fund will be set-up in their name with the earnings from that fund then benefitting the non-profits of their choice in perpetuity.

Making these types of decisions is not easy, which is why Mathison recommends you start with a list. “I encourage people to think about what’s been most important to them – whether it is causes or organizations or even a geographic area – and then to jot it down.”

From there, a professional advisor or staff at the Community Foundation can work with you to ensure your goals, both financially and in charitable giving, are met.

“Overall, the process was really easy,” Mary says. “We knew we could trust Leigh and had heard good things about the Community Foundation so it was a natural connecting point for us to reach our goals.”