In 2003, Literacy Council volunteer Florence Sifferd left a bequest to the council after years of committed volunteer work. Not only did Ms. Sifferd touch the lives of those she tutored, but her gift will continue to support the council for years to come.
Betty Zakarian was also a committed volunteer and supporter of the Council. She left a portion of her estate to support our continued work. It is humbling to know a person can have such an impact in the world, not only during his or her life, but long after as well.
Lee Collins and her husband Foster, shared a love of learning and teaching, both in America and in the international communities where they lived and worked. “Literacy is important,” says Lee “because it is essential to learning more than what experience alone teaches. It opens doors to improving oneself and to doing so much more in one’s life.”
In 2002, Foster died after a courageous battle with Guillain-Barre Syndrome. To honor Foster, Lee recently established the Lee and J. Foster Collins Endowment Fund for World Literacy. This permanent fund will provide continuous support for ProLiteracy Worldwide as well as the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and California Literacy.
If you’d like to include the Council in you planning, there are ways to give which benefit both the Council and your estate. Some of your options include a living trust, bequest in will, real estate gift, retained life estate, charitable remainder annuity trust, and charitable remainder unitrust. Talk to your financial advisor to learn more about your options. If you have any questions, contact, Patricia M. Donnelly, 703-237-0866. Please let us know if you decide to include us in your will.
ProLiteracy has an informative web site about planned giving. For more information go to www.proliteracy.org/giving.
Portions of this article are reprinted with permission from ProLiteracy Worldwide.
