Juanita Reynard, committed to carrying on her parents’ legacy and pursuing her own philanthropic passions, has been using a Donor Advised Fund for years to support health education and environmental conservation in Audubon County, Iowa.
For Juanita, her parents greatly influenced her approach to charitable giving and helped her develop her philanthropic focus areas.
Developing philanthropic goals through family history
When Juanita’s mother, Marjorie, was a young girl in Birch Tree, Missouri, her Grandma Cherry would visit and help when a new child was born into the family. During those visits, Grandma Cherry used the same spoon to feed both herself and her grandchildren. Unfortunately, Grandma Cherry had tuberculosis, more commonly known as “consumption” at the time, and this simple act of sharing a spoon passed along the disease to Marjorie and her siblings.
Luckily, Marjorie recovered at the TB Sanitorium in Norton, Kansas and lived a healthy life, but her experience with tuberculosis left a lasting impression. She recorded the story of her family’s battle with tuberculosis, which was compiled into a memoir and educational book called “Grandma Cherry’s Spoon.”
Her experience with tuberculosis and living a life shadowed by the disease made both Majorie and Juanita’s father, John, passionate about supporting local health programs and health education. They were strong supporters of the Audubon County Memorial Hospital Foundation. Four years after her father’s death and when Marjorie was in her final days, Juanita promised that she would carry on her parents’ work in those areas.
Juanita’s father also influenced the charitable causes she supports. He was truly a steward of the land, and he passed his deep love of nature on to Juanita. He was proud to be the second registered Tree Farmer in the State of Iowa and could boast he had the largest Buckeye tree in the state.
As a child, Juanita spent a lot of her time in nature. Her parents owned land and a cabin in Guthrie County, and Juanita has many fond memories of her time on this property — playing in the mud, hunting for bugs, and watching her dad make modeling clay from the red clay soil. Juanita’s parents donated these 55 acres known as Sutcliffe Woodland to the Guthrie County Conservation Board to be used for environmental education and as a wildlife refuge. When her father first saw the sign that the Guthrie County Conservation put up, he said that was better than any tombstone he could wish for. With their love of the land, Juanita spread both of her parents’ ashes among the pine trees on the hill as requested by her parents. The family planted 2000 pines on that hill in the 1950’s and their survival were the pride of her parents.
Memorializing a family legacy through charitable giving
After her parents passed away, Juanita wanted to set up a charitable fund to memorialize their work in the community. While she was exploring different options, she discovered the complexities of setting up her own 501(c)(3) charitable organization. A local attorney suggested she explore setting up a fund through the Audubon County Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation.
After connecting with the Community Foundation, Juanita realized that setting up a fund with them was an easy and effective method of giving to honor her parents and would allow her to quickly begin granting funds out into the community.
“The ease of the process is the best part of working with the Community Foundation,” Juanita said.
Through her fund, she supports organizations that focus on health education and environmental conservation. She has developed relationships with several organizations over the years and has set up a succession plan to ensure these organizations will receive continued funding upon her passing.
When asked what legacy she hopes to leave behind, Juanita said: “In the end, my goal is to make things better for others.”
“You don’t have to do something big to make a change,” Juanita said. “You can start with the simplest gesture of kindness and goodwill.”
Opening a Donor Advised Fund
Partnering with the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa on a Donor Advised Fund will help you to maximize your community impact. Your contributions accrue interest, which will allow you to provide additional support to causes important to you.
“You don’t need millions of dollars to make an impact,” Juanita said.
The Community Foundation simplifies the charitable giving process by handling your paperwork and serving as a personal giving resource. There are a variety of fund options for individuals and families who want to start making an impact in their community today.
In addition to the Audubon County Community Foundation, the Omaha Community Foundation supports affiliates in Cass, Crawford, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page and Shelby counties. We also support fundholders across Southwest Iowa who want to make an impact in their own communities.
Contact the Community Foundation’s Southwest Iowa team today to discuss your philanthropic goals at (402) 342-3458 or visit swiowafoundations.org.