Todd and Rowena enjoy careers spent supporting local health organizations, including the Spokane Regional Health District. But they’re also committed to supporting community health after they’re gone, designating part of their wealth for scholarships for Washington State University College of Nursing students, in memory of Todd’s mother, Mary M. Miller. Thanks to the couple’s commitment, more students will get the support they need to help our region grow healthier.
Read more about Todd and RowenaPeople like Rowena and Todd invest time, energy, passion and talent to helping our neighbors and improving Eastern Washington and North Idaho. People in our region are committed to this place, to one another — and to creating a better future.
By committing to leave 5% of our wealth to local organizations that reflect our passions, we can make sure that personal investment continues to grow after we’re gone. Each of us continues to play a part in building strong, healthy, vibrant communities for generations to come.
Education. Arts and culture. Social justice. Food security. A healthy environment. Economic opportunity. Each of us has a passion that’s bigger than ourselves. We find ways to engage — to make a difference in our region in ways that feel meaningful — throughout our lives.
Our power to make a difference continues after we’re gone. By planning to leave 5% of what we have to local organizations doing work we believe in, we know we’ll keep making a difference that matters.
Few of us consider ourselves wealthy. Yet most of us in Eastern Washington and North Idaho have wealth to share with our communities, especially when we look beyond cash on hand. Our potential to benefit our region through end-of-life gifts can be found in our homes and real estate, personal belongings, investments, business holdings and elsewhere. If everyone in our region planned to leave 5% of what they have, the benefit would be enormous.
When we say enormous, we mean game-changing. People in Eastern Washington and North Idaho are expected to leave $42 billion by 2029 to beneficiaries upon their deaths, according to a study by Locus Impact Investing commissioned by Innovia Foundation. If just 5% of that “wealth transfer” were transformed into local philanthropy, we would invest $2 billion back into our communities. That’s the power to make dramatic improvements in areas vital to our region’s future.
The gift planning team at Innovia Foundation will meet with you to discuss options and provide resources to help guide conversations with your family. Your professional advisors also can help you create your plan to commit 5% to your community.
Many people create community endowments through Innovia Foundation — providing ongoing gifts to local organizations and causes that the donors care about. Community endowed funds at Innovia provide relief from excise taxes and other payout requirements associated with private foundations. These funds also provide some donors, especially in Washington, with options for giving instead of paying estate taxes.