A Donor Story of Impact, Community, and Legacy Giving
Why Dana & Ray Chose The Women’s Center
We often share success stories from our clients — but have you ever wondered why our donors choose to give to us? Out of the thousands of nonprofits in the area, what inspires them to support our program and clients? Our fundraising team hears riveting stories from donors, who are from all walks of life, and today, we’re sharing one of the ones that touched us.
The following donor story is a personal account from Dana & Ray Koch, who have been faithful donors for 28 years.
“When we decided to make Arlington, VA our permanent home after retiring from our dual military careers, we did so because of the many benefits and advantages of living in Northern Virginia offered. During the ensuing 30+ years, we’ve learned that not everyone in our Arlington community is as fortunate as us – nor can our local government meet everyone’s essential needs.
Making the decision to financially support The Women’s Center was easy. We know that we are helping the Center fulfill its varied roles as part of the “social safety net” for so many in our community. As a ‘front line’ advocate for not only individual women, but those with families as well, the Center provides direct help through its counselors, education classes, referrals, and follow-up services.
While we first began supporting the Center via a small annual cash contribution, over the past few years, our outlook toward charitable giving has evolved considerably. Where we previously made small donations to a large number of local and national organizations (some with tens or hundreds of millions of dollars in assets) now we try to give larger gifts, but to fewer non-profits — especially those working hardest to help our neighbors here in the Arlington/Northern Virginia/DC metro area. We have also included The Women’s Center in our estate planning, thus investing in the long-term sustainability of The Women’s Center!”
Join Dana & Ray as one of our donors by giving a one-time donation or becoming a recurring donor —every contribution helps provide reduced and sliding scale mental health counseling. You can also support our mission through gifts of stock, donor-advised funds, planned giving or matching gifts.
To learn how you can make a lasting difference in someone’s life, contact Lisa Baranello, Director of Major Gifts at lbaranello@thewomenscenter.org.
