By Margaret Beck Pritchard
Margaret Beck Pritchard (right) with her parents Bobby and Hope Beck
From an early age my parents instilled the importance of the giving experience in their three daughters. For many years each of us donated
funds to support individual organizations of our choosing. About ten years ago we became involved with the Williamsburg Community Foundation. Since that time, the Foundation has provided us with an opportunity to become more engaged with the needs of our community while at the same time it has helped us to define and strengthen our individual and shared family values.
Bobby Beck with daughter Jane Beck
By establishing a donor- advised fund, families can direct their philanthropy through a community foundation just as effectively as those that have formed private family foundations. Family members can engage with one another in selecting organizations to support that provide services to the community that speak to their core values. Giving back to the community together, as a family, has strengthened our relationships with one another and provided us with a shared experience.
Catherine Beck Swetnam with her husband Rex Swetnam
There is a very big return when investing in the community—a return that is magnified by approaching the investment as a family partnership.
We are grateful for all that the Williamsburg Community Foundation has done to educate us about needs in our area and for providing us with guidance in directing our philanthropy.