Legacy Planning


Dear Pioneering Veteran Feminist of America,

Spend a day researching the Second Wave and you will see a two major themes. One is that the world before and after are profoundly different. Second is how much is missing from any historical accessible record.

For women, 1964 – 1982 was an explosion of independence, education, art, legal advances and more. Some think it began in consciousness raising groups and others believe it was taking to the streets. We watched laws advance up the courts and universities open Women Centers.   Credit, music, books, conferences, leaders ~ it was unprecedented. But looking deeper, by those of us who were there, it holds a touch of melancholy, a concern, a gap. We look for names that are lost, for stories that have not been recorded and wonder if they will be forever forgotten.

The Veteran Feminists of America has taken on this enormous and meaningful task ~ to protect our legacy. We want every story documented and accessible. We want every name on the roster. We want nothing to vanish. We want students, researchers, historians to access as much of the story as can be told in the keepers of time.

We are aging and now is the time to address this. Over these last 50 years; the information, the archives, the artifacts both increase in importance and scatter. How are we going to collect, restore, protect the Legacy of Us?

One way is legacy planning, which has many possibilities. We know this is not an option for many of our members as women’s wages, and thus pensions, have been severely limited over our lifetimes. For those who have been more fortunate, there are numerous ways of gifting to consider.

Planned Gifts

There are various types of planned gifts. Among the types 501©3 organizations most often discuss are:

  • Tax-wise gifts such as real property, charitable annuities, and retirement assets.
  • Simple gifts such as naming the VFA in your will or living trust
  • Lifetime gifts such as life insurance or inclusion in estate planning.

A planned gift to the Veteran Feminists of America is your lasting investment in protecting our stories and accomplishments. We were the ones at the helm. We were the ones there from the incubated CR group to the founding of NOW, NWPC, Ms., and countless others. Appropriately, we are the very ones who know who and what must be remembered.

There are many ways to give and build our strong, accessible, historic legacy. As President of VFA, I invite you to consider this. If you have any questions, suggestions and ideas, please let me know.

Sincerely,
Eleanor Pam
President, Veteran Feminists of America
President@veteranfeministsofamerica.org

 


*Please note that the Veteran Feminists of America does not render tax, accounting, financial, or legal advice. Please consult with your tax, financial, and legal advisors regarding your personal circumstances.