Tom and Pat Warrick
Their Gift: Legal Council
There are many ways to convey the idea of legacy. Earlier, we referred to legacy as a helping hand entrusted to guide us. There is a gentleman, truly a gentle man, and a consummate professional in our community who embodies this spirit of legacy in his service and commitment to the Elkhart County Community Foundation: Elkhart attorney Tom Warrick, founder of the law firm Warrick and Boyn.
An ECCF founding director, past president of our board and, with his wife Pat, members of the ECCF Legacy Society, Tom “has been around since the beginning,” according to Earl Taylor, ECCF president. “He was a friend of and attorney for Bill Myers, our organization’s first president. Over the years, he has given freely of his time through legal work for the Community Foundation. He has written numerous bequests, including those for the late philanthropist Bill Budd, ECCF founding director, treasurer and our largest single contributor.”
When asked when he first caught the spark of what a community foundation could do, Tom replied, “From the beginning. It’s a unique organization. It will be here forever. The principal of donors’ gifts grows; the interest income benefits the community. There’s nothing else like it.”
As a professional advisor, providing counsel to clients about the benefits of a community foundation is not in competition with one’s practice, Tom says. “It’s opening clients’ eyes to giving to not-for-profits through the ECCF because it represents all types of organizations. They can give to whomever they want, set up a fund and in 10 years possibly double their original contribution. It’s perfect for substantial gifts. And an easy sell!”
You'll Also Love
Patsy and George Bucklen