“We are remembered forever by the tracks we leave.”  ~ Unknown
It is a special kind of donor who provides for the future of our community by making a legacy gift to the Community Foundation. Barbara Bushnell, a lifetime Great Bend resident (until 2008) was that special kind of donor.
Barbara named the Golden Belt Community Foundation to receive a gift from her trust; and she made arrangements to let the Foundation know which charitable organizations she wished to support. The fund will provide grants to the designated charitable organizations/purposes over the next five years. By using a planned gift to the Foundation, Barbara was able to make sure the things she most appreciated in her community could continue to be improved for others to appreciate and enjoy.
Planned giving refers to any means of making a charitable gift from estate assets, including naming a non-profit in a will, making it the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, or setting up a trust. Through planned giving, donors can control their assets longer, maximize the value of the gift and, depending on how a gift is set up, reduce capital gains and income taxes now and/or estate taxes later.
Among those charitable agencies selected to benefit from the Barbara Bushnell Memorial Fund are the Barton County Historical Society and the City of Great Bend, to benefit both Brit Spaugh Park and Zoo and Veterans Memorial Park. Many times she enjoyed visiting the parks simply to watch the ducks at the pond or view the Christmas lights. Barbara passed away at the age of 91 in April of 2011. The Foundation is honored to be able to continue her charitable giving.
The Golden Belt Community Foundation has been assisting donors with their charitable giving goals and working with area non-profit agencies since 1996 in an effort to build better and stronger communities in Barton, Pawnee, Rush, and Stafford counties. Learn more about the Golden Belt Community Foundation at www.goldenbeltcf.org or by phone at (620) 792-3000.