Last fall, United Way of Whitman County (UWWC) hosted a Legacy Giving Panel to kick off the giving season. The event, led by local experts, invited the community to think differently about the charitable potential of non-cash assets. 

Panelists included Pullman-based advisor Jeff Feuerstein of Values & Vision, who specializes in helping clients donate non-cash assets, CPA Tim Gehring, attorney Aaron Roepke, and Nolan Glueckert, Innovia’s Rural Engagement Manager for the South Region. 

Together, these local experts highlighted the importance of collaboration between donors, professional advisors and community foundations like Innovia. Advisors serve as a valuable resource, establishing connections between individuals and their charitable causes, while helping them discover the most suitable giving options. 

“The goal wasn’t to sell services. It was to show that so much more can be done than people realize,” says Deanna Bren, Executive Director of UWWC. “You don’t have to have a great amount of wealth to be able to make a big difference.” Through shared stories, attendees were encouraged to look for unexpected ways to support the organizations they care about.  

One inspiring story came from a UWWC board member who turned an unconventional form of income into an opportunity to give. She periodically receives royalty checks from songs her grandmother wrote in the 1940s, which are still used in commercial jingles today, and chooses to direct this extra income toward charitable purposes. 

The Legacy Giving Panel underscored every individual’s potential to make a difference through their unique assets and opportunities. Deanna hopes attendees walked away with a greater understanding of the resources they might otherwise overlook—resources that, when invested, can make groundbreaking and long-lasting impacts on the community causes that donors care about.