“It’s good to be well endowed.”

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Philanthropy may not be the first thing you think of when you hear that phrase. However, when you consider the impact of charitable giving that lasts forever, it is good to be well endowed. In an endowment fund, the principal is invested forever and part of the income is donated to the cause or causes selected by the donor.  Whether the endowment fund supports a specific nonprofit or a cause that matters, such as the arts or education, they make a positive, lasting impact.

We’re fortunate that we have people in Southwest Louisiana who have and are creating endowment funds to support our region both now and forever. A recent example is the Brent Fenet McGinley Fund Benefitting the Children’s Museum of Southwest Louisiana.

One of my favorite things about helping families or companies create an endowment fund is the opportunity for them to name the fund after someone important to them. It creates a legacy for that person or family because the story of their impact continues to be told…forever.

Since Brent’s family has deep roots in Lake Charles, her husband and family wanted to find just the right way to honor her in this community.

“It was a matter of trying to honor her in the things she was interested in,” said her husband of over 30 years, Ron McGinley. The Brent Fenet McGinley Fund benefitting the Children’s Museum will honor Brent’s legacy by making an annual donation to the Children’s Museum forever.

Fun, caring, and intelligent are three key characteristics McGinley’s daughter, Brianna Benoit, remembers about her mom. “All of these things really are examples of what children experience in a children’s museum,” she said. “So, this is the perfect way to honor her and give back to our community at the same time,” she added.

The McGinley family has fond memories of enjoying children’s museums in other cities and the one in Lake Charles. Whether it was for a special event or simply to entertain the young ones from time to time, they loved that it was always a learning experience for the children.

The McGinley’s daughter, Brianna Benoit, has a strong tie to the Children’s Museum herself. Not only does she have fond memories from her childhood, but she also worked there while she was an Elementary Education student at McNeese State University.

“My favorite times at the Children’s Museum were when students visited us on field trips. Getting to teach them things while they had hands-on learning and lots of fun was the best,” she shared. “As a Kindergarten teacher at Lake Charles Charter Academy, I’m especially excited to lead my students on field trips to our new Port Wonder.” She and her husband, Adam, are also looking forward to making their own memories with their baby boy, Brent, so he can experience the fun, caring, and hands-on learning that our new Children’s Museum will offer the next generation.

“I’m excited that there will be hands-on activities where he’ll get his mind going, interact with other kids, and be a part of our community at a young age!”

Creating a charitable fund to benefit nonprofits like the Children’s Museum is made easy with the Foundation. We connect people who care with causes that matter and this fund is the perfect example of that. This type of fund is designated specifically for a nonprofit selected by the donor, the principal is invested, and the nonprofit receives income from the fund every year…forever.

By partnering with the Community Foundation, people can rest assured that their philanthropy will be effective and long-lasting and make a positive impact on the world.  As you can see from this example, it is great for nonprofits or an important cause to be well endowed!

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To learn more about endowment funds and how the Community Foundation connects people who care with causes that matter, sign up for our monthly newsletter on our website, foundationswla.org, follow us on Facebook, or give us a call at 337-491-6688.

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Sara McLeod Judson is the CEO of the Community Foundation SWLA. She can be reached at 337-491-6688 or sjudson@foundationswla.org.