“It’s an easy way to give.”
– Ray and Maggie John, Legacy Society members
The opportunity to build something from the ground up originally brought Maggie and Ray John to Shasta County in the 90s. They relocated from the Bay Area to open Bishop Quinn High School in Palo Cedro. Maggie entered the nonprofit world, working for NVCSS, BloodSource, and One Safe Place before joining the board of what was then known as the Grant Resource Center. In 2000, the Grant Resource Center became Shasta Regional Community Foundation, before the Foundation changed its name in 2020 to the Community Foundation of the North State.
Coming in at the Foundation’s infancy really helped cement the John’s trust in the organization’s stewardship of charitable funds. “When we get involved in something you get the inside track on how things are going, if you can trust the organization, and if they’re doing good in the areas you want to do good in,” Maggie said. “There are tons of opportunities in this community to give, but you have to find something that makes sense to you.”
Both Maggie and Ray said that they recognized the community need. The role the Foundation has played in providing a path for nonprofits to gain funding, while also connecting donors with avenues for giving, has been invaluable. “There was such a need for something like the Foundation. I would never have dreamed where it is now,” Maggie said. “It’s amazing to me. And the reception in the community and the needs that it’s filling. It’s an easy way to give.”
The basis of trust and accessibility were fundamental in the John’s decision to also include the Foundation in their legacy plans. The John’s relationship with the Foundation is both rooted in the past and invested in the future, a testimony to the faith they have in the Foundation’s ability to act as a steward responsive to evolving community needs.
Want to learn more about planning your legacy? Contact us at 530.244.1219 or info@cfnorthstate.org.
