John Goldwater recalls the moment he went from being an occasional corporate supporter of Kids’ Chance to a passionate advocate and dedicated individual donor.
The retired president of Berkley Net, John had made a few donations on behalf of his company to Kids’ Chance of Georgia when he decided he wanted to learn more about this organization that provided scholarships to the kids of injured workers. In 2010, he attended the Kids’ Chance annual meeting in Biloxi, Mississippi. There, he heard from a Kids’ Chance scholarship recipient – the daughter of a sheriff’s deputy who was shot and left a paraplegic.
Thanks to Kids’ Chance, the daughter went on to become a neurosurgeon for the practice that saved her mother’s life.
“I was really moved by her story and was immediately struck by the value we could bring to these kids and their families,” John says. “I said, ‘Our team needs to get involved.’”
John was so inspired, in fact, that he helped form Kids’ Chance of Virginia and went on to serve as a board member and president of Kids’ Chance of America, playing an active role in its expansion to all 50 states. Now retired after a 47-year career in the insurance industry, he devotes most of his time to charitable endeavors.
“I’m involved in Rotary and my wife, Sandy, is passionate about education – so Kids’ Chance aligns perfectly with our values and passions,” he says. “I’m also a long-term sort of builder: As Sandy and I discussed my retirement plans, we thought, ‘wouldn’t it be nice to see Kids’ Chance develop into something that continues to grow beyond our lifetimes?”
In addition to including Kids’ Chance in their estate plans, John and Sandy donated $250,000 to KCOA to create The Goldwater Family Endowment, building KCOA’s infrastructure and capacity to support the state organizations. They have since donated an additional $200,000 to the endowment and recently made a $210,000 gift to create capacity building grants to Kids’ Chance state organizations – helping them scale their operations to much higher levels.
“Kids’ Chance is something that resonates with Sandy and me,” he says. “And having served on the state and national boards, I am confident our funds will be put to very good use.”
In making the gifts, John says he and Sandy were inspired by the generosity of former Paradigm Chairman and CEO Jim Hudak and Sally Silvia, who made a $1 million donation to create an endowed fund to support an annual, named four-year scholarship. Part of philanthropy, he notes, is inspiring others to contribute as well.
“We called our endowment the Goldwater Family Endowment because we wanted to set an example for our sons,” John says. “They participate in charitable events with us. And perhaps someday, they will be moved to contribute in a more significant way as well.”
And while he is keenly aware that not everyone is capable of making such large donations, John says even a small initial contribution can pay significant long-term dividends.
“My family has been very fortunate – I had a great career, and we are humbled by the fact that we can now do significant things for others,” he says. “But you don’t have to start big. The more active you are in Kids’ Chance and the more you engage with the students, the more you realize how important this mission is to families and the kids of severely or fatally injured workers.”
Noting that many Baby Boomers are nearing retirement, John suggests that people interested in leaving a legacy talk to their financial advisors about including a gift to Kids’ Chance in their estate plans.
“Initially, you may be a bit reticent; however, when you start to do financial projections, you may find you are actually in a place to make a pledge today,” John says. “In doing so, you could put something in motion that will make a significant difference 20 or 30 years from now.”