Artists Leah Sobsey and lynn Bregman Blass with the Living Legacy Tapestry at the 20th Anniversary Celebration.

Eighty-five individuals and families have chosen leave a bequest – a gift specified in their wills– or other type of planned gift to Rose Community Foundation as part of their future and estate planning. In its 20th anniversary year, the Foundation celebrates these generous donors, and their inclusion in the unique Living Legacy Tapestry.

Visitors to Rose Community Foundation are familiar with the Tapestry which is on display in our lobby. Composed by artists Leah Sobsey and Lynn Bregman Blass of visualhistorycollaborative.com, the Tapestry honors legacy donors with personal memories, images and other artifacts.  “We have included so many rich stories and images from our legacy donors as part of the tapestry,” says Vicki Dansky, the Foundation’s senior gift planning officer. “It has become an artistic archive of these generous individuals’ values and their wish to make a difference even beyond their lifetime.  We have always planned to include the first 100 legacy donors in the Tapestry project and we would love to be able to complete it during our 20th anniversary year.”

Those who have made legacy gifts do so for many different reasons, and with clear intentions for their philanthropy. Some choose to make an unrestricted gift to Rose Community Foundation, which the Foundation will direct towards the community’s most pressing needs in the future.  Others fund a donor-advised fund which their loved ones may direct after they are gone. Donors with very specific intentions can designate funds held at Rose Community Foundation to benefit a specific area of community need or nonprofit organization(s).

“A legacy gift to the Foundation can take many different forms. These individuals are entrusting us with this part of their philanthropic legacy. We take that responsibility seriously and recognize the importance of honoring their intent,” Dansky explains.

If you would like to make a legacy gift, please contact the Rose Community Foundation Philanthropic Services staff.