Life Stories Live On Through the Work of The Community Foundation
We do what we promise we’ll do. That’s at the heart of the hundreds and hundreds of philanthropic funds established at The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee through the years. Many donors who find their way to The Community Foundation to connect generosity with need do so in order to leave a legacy for themselves or for family members. This can be done through the different types of funds offered by community foundations. For instance, philanthropists can establish their giving mechanism to come to fruition now, or plan for future giving upon their death. In both instances, donors’ stories can live on, and their support for the community can continue generation after generation. This is like others who, having heard of CFMT through word of mouth or other ways, will relax as other friends express their own goals and success in getting done just what they wanted.
Top Photo: Dan Berry Photo above: U.S. Secretary of State Cordell Hull (left), alongside his wife, Rose Frances, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1945 for his role in establishing the United Nations.
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Planned giving counts for many such funds, and they can come in many shapes and sizes. The beauty lies in this: It’s relatively easy to create a fund and to take the time to ensure it achieves the charitable goals close to the donor’s heart. Dedicated members of our Donor Services team work with donors, attorneys, trust officers, and other financial advisors to tailor a giving vehicle to best suit the donors’ needs. Donors’ charitable goals may be realized with several giving options: estate planning, wills, IRAs and life insurance are a few examples. Legacy gifts often reflect support for organizations or issues in which the donor has had a long
and meaningful history, while at the same time taking care of existing family members. An example of planned giving through estate planning is the Dan and Mimi Berry Fund. Its genesis dates years ago to when Dan Berry was still alive, but the planned gift eventually was established as a Designated Fund in 2017 upon the death of Berry’s last direct heir. Some background: Dan McIntyre Berry Jr. was the longtime head of the Nashville branch of the Better Business Bureau. He passed away in 2013 at age 87 and was preceded in death by his wife, Mimi, and their son, the Rev. Dan Berry III. The elder Berry was brought to the city with the charge of ridding a growing Nashville business community of scammers and swindlers. “We intend to create a better climate for the legitimate business operations here,” Berry was quoted in the Sept. 21, 1961, edition of The Tennessean after speaking at a luncheon meeting at the Hermitage Hotel not long after being named BBB chief. (Interestingly, Berry’s first board president was Nelson Andrews, then an executive at McClure’s Department Stores and later a key supporter and board chair of The Community Foundation.) Small wonder that a by-the-book businessman such as Dan Berry had very specific ideas about where his money should go after his death. So one day, in late 2007, Berry worked with The Foundation to create a document. It began: “Upon my demise, my will makes specific bequests. After these bequests have been honored, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee will receive the remainder.”
