| Acting Locally, Thinking Globally |
Alan Smith's* initial intentions were to help change the world. But he's not the sort to take on that lofty task without first doing a fair amount of research and giving it a great deal of thought. Little wonder that when Smith finally decided to promote public health by naming the John Muir Health Foundation as his family trust's beneficiary, he was satisfied that he'd chosen well and that his and his wife's assets would support a worthy cause.
"I've heard nothing but good things about John Muir," says Smith, who worked for years in East Coast commercial real estate and is now retired. "I have assigned my money to the Foundation, and there are no restrictions. I'm not going to pretend that I know now what will need to be done at a later time. I assume the Foundation will spend the money when it's needed and in the area it's needed most."
Smith says his recent donation was actually years in the making. Interestingly, he traces its start to a Renaissance history course he once took and to the New Yorker magazine's "Annals of Medicine" columns that he used to read years ago, which inspired his interest in public health and its pivotal role in society's well-being.
After he moved to the Bay Area, Smith's ideas about donating through a planned gift continued to percolate. Among several possible beneficiaries he researched was the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation. Ultimately, though, he became convinced that supporting delivery of local medical services was the most effective way for him to aid public health.
"It was tempting to try to solve many of the world's health problems," Smith says, "but I finally decided I'd rather have the money make a difference in my own backyard, right here in Walnut Creek."
*A fictitious name, per donor's request
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