By Gina Blohm, CFG director of development
Generations of generous people have helped shape Greenville into the wonderful place we call home. How do you say “thank you” to people you have never met? Could you help provide for others who will be part of our community in years to come? Is there a way to “pay it forward” for the place you love and keep it strong?
With the Community Foundation of Greenville, there is. You can create your legacy, right here, to give back to others who also call Greenville home. When you do, you join a tradition of giving in our community that goes back more than 65 years. It’s a tradition that has likely touched your life in some way because the Community Foundation embraces every aspect of life in Greenville County, from arts and culture to education and more.
The Community Foundation makes creating a legacy simple. You share your wishes and we’ll listen. Your advisors help put tax-smart plans in place. And when the time comes, careful stewardship means your gift makes our community a better place – forever.
That’s what we did for Dorothy Frazier. In 2009, Dottie and her attorney came to visit the Community Foundation. She was thinking about their legacy and remembering her late husband. That conversation led to a simple plan. When she passed away, the Dr. J.C. and Dorothy C. Frazier Fund would be created in accordance with her will.
When Dorothy Frazier died in 2015, that’s exactly what happened. Every year, the Dr. J.C. and Dorothy C. Frazier Fund gives back to the causes she named: animal welfare, support for the elderly and to assist families in crisis. Because the fund is endowed, Dorothy Frazier’s final gift will keep on giving. Careful investment protects the fund’s principal while annual grants from the fund are made to trusted nonprofits.
The Fraziers started the Frazier Animal Hospital near downtown Greenville in the 1960s. Dr. Frazier passed away in 1983 and Dr. Harry Cunningham took over while Dottie continued to work in the practice. A few years back I met with Dr. Cunningham at his office and he shared a very sweet photo of the couple with me. I think of them every time I pass by. It’s important to us that we honor our donors’ wishes. I feel grateful that Mrs. Frazier trusted the Foundation to honor hers.
When Dorothy Frazier made her plan in 2009, she couldn’t have known that 2020 would bring a global pandemic into our community. When it did, the Community Foundation of Greenville distributed grants from her fund to organizations caring for Greenville’s vulnerable elders and stressed families. In 2020, grants from the Dr. J.C. and Dorothy C. Frazier Fund supported Center for Community Services, Foothills Family Resources, Greenville Literacy Association, Greer Relief, and Senior Action. In 2021 and every year to come, the Fraziers’ fund will keep giving. What an incredible gift to Greenville.
When you’re ready to think about your legacy, please reach out to us. The only thing you need to know is that you want to give back to our community. The Community Foundation will help you plan for a gift that has meaning for you and impact on the causes you care about. Contact us at (864) 331-8418 or you can reach me by email at gblohm@cfgreenville.org.
Community Foundation of Greenville inspires giving by bridging philanthropy and purpose, making Greenville County an inclusive and vibrant community.
