A Family Legacy, Generosity Through Generations

Bob Holmes’ late mother, Lorraine Holmes, made generous gifts to Wayfinder because she was keenly interested in helping people with vision loss. Bob has continued his mother’s legacy by supporting Wayfinder’s work for more than 30 years. Now, Bob and his wife, BJ, are leaving their own legacy by including a bequest to Wayfinder in their estate plan.

“I’m blessed,” says Bob. “I’ve worked hard and want to pass some of that along.” Their decision to make a planned gift grew out of practical considerations. “We thought, let’s get serious,” says Bob. “We’re not spring chickens anymore. Let’s act like adults and do an estate plan.” Bob and BJ wanted the assurance of knowing their wishes would be honored, rather than making their family guess the couple’s desires.

In addition to honoring the legacy of Bob’s mother, Bob and BJ have confidence in Wayfinder. “We felt it was a good, reputable, established organization,” Bob says.

Bob and BJ aren’t restricting their gift to a project. Bob’s giving philosophy is, “If you feel comfortable with a charity, give money with no strings attached.” He points out that unglamorous—but crucial— overhead expenses make unrestricted gifts so important, such as electricity, finance staff and human resources.

“Our unrestricted gift is to be used as Wayfinder’s management sees fit,” Bob says. “It’s an affirmation of my confidence in them.” But most of all, “We’re grateful to be able to help people who need assistance,” says Bob.