Inspired Giving: Curt and Timm
Hear what our fundholders Timm and Curt think is the best part of partnering with the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation.
Shylo barked excitedly as Curt and Timm welcomed us into their home in Minneapolis' Bryn Mawr neighborhood one beautiful spring day. Their place was light-filled and full of warmth. These two have been partners for more than 30 years, so their charitable giving plan has been fine-tuned over time to help them focus on what truly matters to them.
Timm, Curt and Shylo
At what point did you know you wanted to give back to your community?
Curt: After 9/11, I changed careers and became a realtor. I had a pretty flexible schedule so I thought “I should volunteer.” I reached out to Big Brothers Big Sisters and I became a “Big.” And, well, Devin [Curt’s “Little”] was 7 then and now he’s 30! That has been an extremely satisfying experience for both of us and for Devin. So that’s when volunteering came to the front.
Timm: Then, we’ve had a financial advisor for 30 years, and he’s very instrumental in helping us locate how to gift our money.
Curt and Timm have a donor advised fund through the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. These charitable accounts allow you to give as often as you wish to the nonprofits you care about. You simply choose a name, fund the account and let this be your personal vehicle to support the community efforts that align with your values, goals and vision.
What causes really matter to you?
Timm: We don’t have kids so our vision is to donate to organizations that support children or single parents and get them into housing and schools.
Curt: Our other charity that we give most significantly to is Aeon, which is affordable rental housing.
Tim: They also have programs that help people move through the system so they create careers and jobs and education, and you know, they’re like a support system.
Curt: Affordable housing significantly impacts the greater community as far as providing places for people to live and employment.
Shylo waits for Curt to wrap up his needlework
At the Foundation, our purpose is to inspire generosity, advocate for equity and invest in community-led solutions. We have deep ties with the nonprofit community, so you can give with peace of mind. That’s just one of the reasons why giving to a community foundation like ours might be the right fit for you.
When you partner with us, we create a custom giving plan that honors your favorite causes and meets your financial goals. Best of all, we’ll take care of the accounting, legal and investment services.
Curt and Timm outside their home
What do you see as being the benefit of giving to a foundation vs. giving directly to a cause?
Curt: Timm and I don’t choose to be extremely involved with how our money is managed and grows and the return we get… Watching over our money is just not part of the fun for us. That’s why we have John [our financial advisor], that’s why it was nice to turn some of the money over to the Foundation so we don’t have to worry about ‘Are you watching that carefully?’ ‘How are you making sure it grows?’ ‘Are you paying attention to how that money’s invested?’
Foundation: On a scale of 1-10, one being super easy and ten being difficult, what score would you give the Foundation?
Curt: One. Totally one.
With You Every Step of the Way
When donors partner with us, they have their own philanthropic advisor who will be by their side every step of the way. They’re around to get to know you, learn about your financial goals, and even work with your estate planner or financial advisor to make sure your wishes are carried out.
But don’t take it from us. Take it from Curt, who had wonderful words to say about the couple’s philanthropic advisor, Aurea Gerard.
“ She totally gets it. Having Aurea is a godsend. She’s very responsive. And that is important… to have one point of contact.”
Curt
Connect With Us
If you would like to begin a conversation about how you can bring your charitable vision to life, get in touch with our team. Please call us at 651.224.5463, email philanthropy@spmcf.org, or complete the form below to start a conversation.