John and Judy Goebel

Donor Advised Funds

The Elkhart County Community Foundation was introduced to John and Judy Goebel by their attorney, former ECCF board president George Buckingham. After researching the Foundation, the Goebels realized it was well organized, well run, knowledgeable about community nonprofit organizations and a great steward of donors’ charitable gifts.

John and Judy appreciate the ECCF’s personalized guidance in creating charitable gifting vehicles that would most efficiently address community needs as well as their philanthropic passions. Their Donor Advised Funds’ gifting enables them to “give back” to the community and to be “hands-on” with their gifting, continuing their lifelong involvement in voluntarism. They also like the idea that their gift will never be spent. Instead, it is pooled with others’ gifts and prudently invested – with the earned interest used for community grants.

Now retired, the Goebels have chosen to remain in Elkhart with a desire to make Elkhart County a better place in which to live. After having had their charitable funds invested and managed by ECCF for four years, Judy and John are convinced the Foundation is the right philanthropic vehicle for them.

“We have instilled in our children the importance of helping others,” John says. “The ECCF is a great vehicle to continue our, and eventually their, legacy. My passion is the development of the Wellfield Gardens. Judy is passionate about helping women in need through Soup For Success. While we have different goals in our gifting, one tool, the ECCF, fulfills both our wishes and helps us achieve our dreams.”