A New Kind of Philanthropist

Before passing away in 2012, Gail Sheffield led an adventurous life, complete with passion and knowledge.  Sheffield’s will bequeathed $100,000 to the Feral Cat Consortium in Louisianan and her $300,000 home to Flathead Spay & Neuter Task Force in Whitefish, Montana. 

Many were stunned by Sheffield’s generosity, including estate planner Melinda Gustafson Gervasi.  Gervasi says that Sheffield’s story is so great because it involved assets attainable for many middle class families—a home and a retirement account.  It illustrates a frequently forgotten fact in charitable giving, that “[e]very dollar makes a difference.” 

Gifts such as Sheffield’s are helping nonprofits rethink who to consider as a philanthropist.  “A lot of times, the [approach] people who are the big fish in the community, someone who has a lot of assets.  But they might be overlooking the person who has led maybe a more modest live but who is a very passionate volunteer,” explained Gervasi. 

See Adrian Hirsch, Worth Far More Than Money, In Register, March 31, 2015.