Donor Spotlight: Rick & Anna Van Swol
Program of Support: First Tee’s Caddie Program
Giving Mechanism: Donor Advised Fund
How it Started, By Rick Van Swol
I was first introduced to the First Tee when they were the beneficiary at a charity golf outing. After meeting CEO Tyler Smies, and finding out more about First Tee and how they help young boys and girls in the area, I agreed to raise money through playing in their Golf Marathon fundraiser. After one year of playing 72 holes, I decided it was much better for my physical-well being to focus on sponsoring the kids for each hole THEY played, or in one case, how many hotdogs they could eat (see picture below).
The Next Push: Supporting First Tee’s Caddie Program
In recent years we have continued to support First Tee financially, but also recently by being part of First Tee’s caddie program. It started at Indian Trails, and now has been piloted at the club I’m a member of. These caddies have a goal of earning enough “loops” to qualify for an Evans Scholarship, a full-ride, room and board college scholarship (see flyer below for more on the caddie program’s growth). I have met some of these caddies program, and have been very impressed with their maturity, manners and enthusiasm. They are way ahead of where I was when I was a teen; they are excellent at interacting with adults and working towards a specific future plan. It also makes the round of golf that much more enjoyable.
Why a Donor Advised Fund?
A number of years ago, I found I was getting predictable regarding our charitable giving by doing most of it at year end and focusing on the tax benefits. Anna and I made the decision to change this, and have found that using a Donor Advised Fund as the basis for our charitable giving works really well for us. It allows you to set aside monies you have earmarked for charitable purposes when it best suits you, taking into account the ever-changing tax laws and your own personal income history. You can donate money, stocks, or other assets into your fund. You can then distribute the “grants” all throughout the year, or save up the balance to be used in future years for special projects, or whatever time table works best for your favorite charities. A Donor Advised Fund is easy to set up, and will have a positive effect for years.
Regardless of how you and your family orchestrate your charitable giving, I would invite and encourage you to find out more about the First Tee and how they are impacting lives all around us.
Written by Rick VanSwol