April 17, 2020 —Dee and Dave Richards had personal experience with the Kendal idea—Dave’s sister was a founding resident of Kendal at Oberlin and they had many occasions to visit her there. They began to dream about a Kendal community in their neighborhood—Dave was a former Director of Research at Owens-Corning and worked literally next door to what is now Kendal at Granville. In pursuing their vision, the Richards recruited their friends Jack and Jane Heller to match their passion for a Kendal community, and they jointly generated support in Granville. Words like visionary and persistent and hospitable cluster around any attempt to tell about these founders’ role in Kendal at Granville. Dee often spoke of their hope that the community would be “a fun place to live.”
With such deep ties in the community, it seemed appropriate to find a way, they said, to make a lasting gift to the Residents Assistance Fund. It was the natural next step in benefiting the community—the home—they love. They wanted the satisfaction of a legacy to support neighbors and friends who might someday find they need it.
That desire met an opportunity right in their own yard! Although they loved their vacation home in the mountains of North Carolina, Dee explained that there came a day when it was clear; there were simply “too many leaves to rake.”
Their adult children had loved coming to rural North Carolina, but nobody in the family wanted to keep the property when Dave and Dee were finished raking. Add to this the economic climate of 2009 where interest rates were at historic lows, and the Richards decided to look into using their vacation home to make a gift. Dave inquired about a charitable gift annuity through Kendal Charitable Funds. As he put it, “It turned out to be a good investment for us.” Within a couple of months, with all the arrangements complete, the property was deeded to Kendal Charitable Funds. Was the process complicated or difficult? “Not at all,” Dave notes. The result is a charitable gift annuity contract with current and ongoing tax advantages as well as income for life. Just as important, the Richards had the satisfaction of knowing they were making a long-term difference in the lives of some Kendal at Granville residents who will find themselves needing help with monthly fees somewhere down the road. Dave put it simply, “This is a win-win for us and Kendal.”
Someone observed that Dee and Dave did it again—not only supporting the Residents Assistance Fund themselves, but leading the way and inviting others to join them.