Inspired by the generosity of his family and looking for a way to give charitably, Charles and Jean Eby chose the Kansas Methodist Foundation to care for their donor advised fund.
Charlie looked for options to steward his giving and was aware of his local community foundation when he learned about the Kansas Methodist Foundation.
“I did a little vetting and I just felt more comfortable with the Methodist foundation,” Charlie said. “I thought it was well run and it would do what I wanted to accomplish through giving. I’m a Methodist so it is really comfortable to be doing it this way.”
To accomplish his charitable giving goals, Charlie uses a donor advised fund. He views this fund like a charitable bank account that supports the organizations he desires to impact through his giving. When Charlie is ready to support his church, Wichita First United Methodist Church, or another nonprofit, he makes a recommendation to KMF to make a gift from the fund. Upon approval, the gift is sent to the designated organization in his name.
“The donor advised fund allows us to do what we wanted to do in the first place,” Charlie said. “It’s not limited to only Methodist organizations…and it was important to me it not be limited only to the church. Certainly we give a large portion to the church, but it does go to other organizations that I believe are doing good work.”
Although a regular supporter of his church, Charlie is also passionate about many ministries and organizations. He loves Habitat for Humanity, has been involved with the United Methodist Open Door for a long time, and, as a former big brother, he desires to support Big Brothers and Big Sisters.
Another advantage Charlie appreciates about his donor advised fund is the ability to keep his giving consistent each year. To fund his charitable giving, Charlie donates appreciated stock to KMF to be sold and the proceeds placed in his donor advised fund.
“In years things are good, we can put more into the account,” Charlie said. “When it’s not seven fat cows and we get seven skinny cows, we don’t put as much in. We’ve kept a reservoir of cash that allows us to try to keep a consistent gift to people like the church. The church is going to need the money every year so if we can keep our giving relatively the same it’s more predictable and makes life easier for the organizations.”
Through their generosity, Charles and Jean make an impact for their church and numerous other organizations each year.
“I just feel like when you’ve been blessed, you should pass it on,” Charlie said. “We have been blessed so I really want to give.”
