Joe and Carolyn Bailey believed deeply in the power of community and the importance of leaving things better than they found them. Through thoughtful legacy gifts included in their estate plans, they ensured their generosity would continue shaping the future for generations to come. In recognition of their commitment to rural South Central Texas, GFCF is proud to honor Joe and Carolyn Bailey as inaugural members of The Key Society.
The Key Society was created to honor individuals and families who choose to leave a lasting legacy through planned giving and estate gifts to the Greater Fayette Community Foundation. These gifts help ensure future generations will continue to benefit from charitable investment, local leadership, and community-driven philanthropy across our rural region.
For Joe and Carolyn Bailey, giving back was never about recognition. It was about helping strengthen the place they called home.
Their legacy reflects the very heart of what The Key Society represents: neighbors helping neighbors, thoughtful stewardship, and a commitment to creating opportunities that outlive us.
What Is The Key Society?
The Key Society is a circle of generous donors who have included Greater Fayette Community Foundation in their estate plans or long-term charitable giving intentions.
Planned giving allows individuals and families to continue supporting the causes and communities they care about while creating a meaningful and lasting impact for future generations.
These gifts can take many forms, including:
- Bequests through wills or trusts
- Beneficiary designations through retirement accounts or life insurance policies
- Gifts that establish endowed or designated funds
- Memorial gifts made in honor of a loved one
- In lieu of flowers donations that support charitable work within the community
The Key Society is rooted in the understanding that legacy giving is not only about financial planning. It is about values, community care, and preserving the spirit of generosity for generations to come.
As outlined in GFCF’s planned giving resources, donors can work alongside the Foundation to clarify their charitable vision, identify causes that matter most to them, and create a legacy plan that reflects their wishes. Professional advisors, including estate planning attorneys and financial advisors, can also help structure gifts through wills, trusts, retirement accounts, life insurance policies, and other charitable giving vehicles.
Creating a Legacy Through Planned Giving
Many people assume planned giving is only for large estates or major philanthropists. In reality, legacy giving can be accessible in many different ways.
Some donors choose to leave a percentage of their estate to support the Foundation’s long-term mission. Others establish scholarship funds, donor-advised funds, field-of-interest funds, or designated funds that continue supporting causes they care about well into the future.
GFCF also provides resources and suggested language to help donors and professional advisors incorporate charitable giving into estate planning documents. Planned gifts may include:
- Gifts through wills or trusts
- Retirement account beneficiary designations
- Life insurance beneficiary designations
- Endowed funds
- Designated nonprofit funds
- Field-of-interest funds
- Scholarship funds
The Foundation works closely with donors and their advisors to help ensure charitable wishes are properly documented and stewarded with care.
Honoring Loved Ones Through Giving
For many families, charitable giving also becomes part of how they honor the memory of someone they love.
Recently the family of Milton Schultz chose to direct memorial gifts to Greater Fayette Community Foundation in lieu of flowers, creating an opportunity for loved ones to support lasting charitable impact in his honor. The tribute reflects the long-standing support of GFCF and community involvement shared by Milton and his wife.
These types of gifts create meaningful opportunities for generosity and remembrance while helping strengthen the future of rural South Central Texas.
A Legacy That Continues Forward
The Key Society is about more than planned giving. It is about preserving the values that make rural communities strong: generosity, stewardship, collaboration, and care for future generations.
Joe and Carolyn Bailey helped model that spirit through their lifelong connection to Fayette County and their belief in the importance of investing back into their community.
Their legacy, alongside other Key Society members, continues to help shape the future of GFCF and the communities it serves.
As Greater Fayette Community Foundation continues its mission to inspire charitable action, facilitate collaboration, and empower the organizations that strengthen our rural communities, planned gifts help ensure this work can continue for generations to come.
Consider Joining The Key Society
If you have ever thought about how you would like to give back to your community in the future, The Key Society offers an opportunity to create lasting local impact.
Whether through a will, trust, memorial gift, scholarship fund, donor-advised fund, or other charitable giving vehicle, GFCF can help you design a legacy that reflects your values and supports the causes closest to your heart.
To learn more about planned giving or becoming a member of The Key Society, contact Susannah Mikulin, CEO of Greater Fayette Community Foundation.
Email: Susannah@greaterfayette.com
Phone: (979) 797-2181
You can also learn more through the Foundation’s donor resources and planned giving materials.