Philanthropy Is Where He Lives
Bruce L. Blumer of the Dakotas United Methodist Foundation shared this story with us:
A donor invited me to visit with him to discuss his estate, so we set up a time to meet at his farm.
I drove up to the nice two-story home and knocked on the door. A lady answered, and when I asked for the donor, she said he lived next door – in a trailer.
A dilapidated trailer house, to be more specific. The screen in the door was torn out so his dogs could run in and out. “Simple” hardly describes the interior.
In the course of my visit, the donor told me the two-story farmhouse was occupied by his hired man and his family.
Why does the donor live in the trailer?
He explained, “This is all I need.”
A man of considerable wealth, living simply so he can give.
Quite a lesson.
You find wealthy people where you least expect them.
I was not able to download the “Before you go….the 25 documents you need” article that you refer to. Wha am doing wrong?
Jan
Another way to look at it: Such shining examples of unselfishness seem few and far between. But I think the closer you look, the more such examples you find. And that’s good news for nonprofits.
Sorry you had trouble, Jan. It should be working now. Please try again: http://www.plannedgiving.com/downloads/fd-25-important-documents.zip
That’s the zip file that includes the “25 Documents” flier and a cover letter you can personalize and use when sending the flier to your prospects.