Become a member of the Tower Legacy Society because…

You’ve lived here.   You’ve worked here.   Community support is important to you.


You can give back with a gift to our community’s future.

By designating a portion of your estate for future good works, you can endow a charitable fund at the Greenville Area Community Foundation that will bear your name (or any name you choose) forever. Your gift will establish a permanent legacy, provide a lasting source of pride and build a stronger community.

The GACF Legacy Society was named after and in honor of Ray and Mary Tower. They were the first to name the GACF as a beneficiary in their estate plans. We lost our friends in 2008-09 and they will be missed. But their legacy will live on through their gift to GACF and the good it will do for our community – for ever – as well as through the Tower Legacy Society.

Permanent Legacy

Name your fund for yourself, your family, people important in your life or a favorite cause. Here are just a few funds from generous donors who have chosen to give back to their community.

The Aggressive Tooling Fund • The Bill & Helen Braman Fund • The Dee & Byron Cook Administration Fund • The Bill & Harriette Cook Literacy Fund • The Jennifer Marie Horst Memorial Scholarship Fund • The Catherine Stall & June Motley Fund • The John Lothian Fund for Youth • The Lena & Fred Meijer Fund • The Porter & Marian Walker Fund • The Montcalm Panhandle Community Fund • The Victoria Walter Patterson Memorial Scholarship Fund • The Reisch Family Memorial Fund for Children • The Rossman Family Scholarship Fund • The Lakeview Area Community Fund • The Grace Sagendorf Fund for Education • The Hazel Saeger United Methodist Church Fund • The Stafford Community Enhancement Fund • The Flat River Community Library Fund … and many more!

Source of Pride

Document your local history, philosophy of giving or personal statement as part of your gift to future generations. The Community Foundation will be the keeper of your name, your charitable intent, your legacy.

Stronger Community

Direct your gift to the GACF Unrestricted Fund or to any field of interest fund. Our professional program staff has broad expertise and can target grants to make a difference where they are needed most.

Enriching education
Safeguarding health
Strengthening families
Improving neighborhoods
Cultivating arts
Protecting environment

Planning Your Legacy Is Easy

1. Assess your estate value

2. Arrange for yourselves and family

3. Calculate a percentage for your community

4. Determine the most advantageous assets to give; you may want to consider these assets:

  • 401(k), IRA and other qualified retirement assets
  • Life insurance
  • Other estate assets that your heirs find of lesser value, such as real estate

If your estate is subject to estate taxes, a charitable planned gift established today may actually help reduce taxes and preserve more assets for your heirs.


Here to Help

Interested in learning more?

Please let us know about your charitable intentions. We can work with your estate, tax or financial advisor to help you achieve your charitable goals. We also want to invite you to join other generous individuals in our Tower Legacy Society.

Contact the Greenville Area Community Foundation for conversations, ideas, planning guides and more. 616.754.2640 or via  email.