The Permanent Fund & Legacy

"Several years ago, my wife Laura and I heard Eileen Ellsworth talk about a new fund with the Community Foundation that could help our region for generations to come. It was a permanent endowment that would help fund the wide variety of community needs that the Community Foundation supports.

Laura and I struggled with where to focus our charitable giving when the need was so great in many areas. She had a career focused on mental health, and mine was focused on the environment. And we both saw the need in so many other areas, from helping those without adequate food and shelter to building a brighter and sustainable future. We were both committed to doing what we could to make the world a better place. A fund that supported the full range of good causes made the choice easy. And a fund where the resources were invested to fund the needs today and for generations to come was a powerful idea. We were all in!

In the fall of 2022, Laura passed away from cancer. She left a legacy through our children, her meaningful work, and all those who knew her. But she also left a lasting legacy by wholeheartedly supporting the Permanent Fund. This year, ten years from now, and one hundred years from now, donations to the Permanent Fund of the Community Foundation for Northern Virginia will improve our region and the world.”

—Paul Gilbert
Permanent Fund Donor since 2017