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Family Leaves a Legacy in East San Diego County

Donna Hendrix with children

On a Tuesday afternoon and the Hendrix Youth and Teen Center at the McGrath Family YMCA is buzzing. Twenty or so kids are in the center, which is decorated with a relaxed, beachlike vibe. Surfboards and snowboards hang on a wall with the words “Don’t get Bored…Ride Life!” One group is playing computer games, several kids are working on homework, and others are planning next month’s Y-Teen Event.

“Before the YMCA opened in 2010, there was no real place for older kids and teens to congregate,” says Jennifer Pillsbury, Executive Director of the McGrath Family YMCA. “The Hendrix Youth and Teen Center has made a huge difference in this community!”

But how does a wonderful center like this come to be? It takes the dedication and commitment of some extraordinary people—in this case, Donna and Bill Hendrix. Donna has been an active member of the East County Family YMCA Board of Management for more than 25 years. Bill, a retired East County oral surgeon, passed away in 2015, but the legacy that he and Donna are leaving will impact the youth of East San Diego in perpetuity.

“One of the primary reasons Bill and I chose the Y as our charity of choice over the years is because of the amazing professional directors and staff who have dedicated themselves to the youth and families of our community,” Donna says. “To have confidence in an organization’s leadership was important to us, and we knew the YMCA would be good stewards of our donation.”

Attracting More Donors to the Cause

The couple made a very generous pace-setting gift themselves to fund the Hendrix Youth and Teen Center. Additionally, their family and friends donated or pledged another $130,000 in Bill’s memory, and the Center for Oral and Facial Surgery, where Bill was a partner for more than 40 years, made a significant gift as well.

The gifts made in Bill’s honor will allow the Y to offer more programs for young people and provide more scholarships for those in need. The Y will expand Teen Leadership Training programs, and monthly activities are already in the planning stages. College application workshops, a Thanksgiving dinner for new immigrants, and a beach cleanup are just some of the many events already being planned “by teens, for teens” in the coming months.

“Bill often told the story of how the YMCA kept him off the streets of Las Vegas when he was young and gave him his first paying job as a dishwasher at the Las Vegas YMCA resident camp,” Donna says. “The YMCA truly changes lives each and every day. We’ve seen it firsthand!”

As members of the YMCA’s Heritage Club, Donna and Bill joined others that are committed to ensuring the viability of the Y’s mission for generations to come. “Giving back to future generations is the cornerstone of growth and success,” Donna says, “and it simply begins with that first donation.”

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to the YMCA of San Diego County a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I give to the YMCA of San Diego County, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 3708 Ruffin Road, San Diego, CA 92123, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to the YMCA or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the YMCA as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the YMCA as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and the YMCA where you agree to make a gift to the YMCA and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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