|
The Trustee's (Un-) Changing Role
I'm
happy to welcome four new members to the Foundation's board - Kent
Fry, Dr. James Knister, Gary Rose, and Tom Shelton - and looking forward
to working with them in their new roles as trustees. But what is that
role nowadays?
Some people say the role of the Foundation trustee has changed. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that everything is changing and yet nothing has changed.
The job of Foundation trustee has always been multifaceted. Some trustees focus on special events, and that continues to be an important way we build support and keep the community aware of the needs of Queen of the Valley. For other trustees, major gifts and planned giving are of particular interest. Those areas have become more important, but they are not new. Many of the bequests the Foundation has received recently were arranged decades ago.
One thing that has changed is the sophistication of our donors. They are more likely to be aware of tax-savvy options such as charitable remainder trusts, and that means trustees also need to be educated about such matters.
One thing that hasn't changed is what makes trustees effective: their commitment to use their talents and skuills to really make a difference, whether that means planning a trust or organizing a barbecue. Our board is rich in that kind of commitment, and I'm confident our fournewest members are going to be great additions to the team.
