The Columbus Foundation is honored to work with donors throughout the many stages of their giving—from identifying their unique philanthropic goals and creating personalized charitable funds to helping donors leave a lasting legacy through a planned gift.
One such donor is Laurina "Laura" Mignardi Harper. Born in Ithaca, New York, Laura was a passionate educator. After retirement, she and her husband John moved from Rochester, New York, to a farm near Grove City. Tragically, John passed away unexpectedly in 1984.
Like many donors, Laura began her charitable journey with The Columbus Foundation by establishing a Donor Advised Fund, the John T. and Laurina M. Harper Charitable Fund, to honor John while supporting the causes she was most passionate about.
Later, Laura worked with the Foundation to set up a Charitable Gift Annuity (CGA), which provided her with income for life. Meanwhile, Laura coordinated with the Foundation to execute a memo, known as a Gift Intent Memo, from her to the Foundation outlining how any CGA principal retained by the Foundation after her passing should be used to carry out her charitable goals.
Laura also set up a bequest to the Foundation through her trust to be managed according to that same Gift Intent Memo.
A Gift Intent Memo is a simple document that enables donors to easily communicate their specific charitable instructions for assets received through their planned gifts, including:
- The name of the charitable fund to be established or augmented through the planned gift
- The organization(s), program(s), and/or cause(s) to benefit from grants from the fund
- The term of years (i.e. a permanently endowed fund, a fund with grants to be paid out over a term of years, or a fund with the full balance to be granted out as soon as practicable)
- Investment instructions—including naming an approved Investment Agent
Donors can easily change their instructions to the Foundation over time without troubling them to revise their underlying will, trust, and/or beneficiary designation forms.
Laura passed away in December 2024 at the remarkable age of 102. During her lifetime, Laura was dedicated to her community and supported many organizations, including the Columbus Museum of Art, Friends of the Southwest Public Libraries, the Grove City Arts Council, and the Grove City Cancer Thrift Shop, a nonprofit benefitting LifeCare Alliance Cancer Services. Her charitable legacy continues on through the John T. and Laurina M. Harper Charitable Fund.
We’re here to help. Contact us if you’re interested in learning more about The Columbus Foundation’s planned giving services.
"Laura quietly and generously honored her and her husband’s families, education, the arts, and her community with her time, talent, and treasure during her life and now after her passing through The Columbus Foundation."
— R.L. "Rick" Richards, Laura’s trusted friend
About The Columbus Foundation
The Columbus Foundation serves thousands of individuals, families, and businesses that have created unique funds and planned gifts to make a difference in the lives of others through the most effective philanthropy possible. The Columbus Foundation is Your Trusted Philanthropic Advisor and is one of the top 10 largest community foundations in the country.