We often think of legacy as what’s left behind after we are gone, but legacy can be more than that. We can empower our own legacies by choosing what to invest in the future.
For Michelle and Michael Maher, the decision was an easy one.
“We tell our children that God is and should be the center of their lives,” said Michelle, a Catholic school teacher at St. Therese Academy. “We very much wanted that to be integrated into their school lives.”
Their belief in the power of Catholic education is one of the main reasons that the Mahers began supporting the Fulcrum Foundation. “Our love for Fulcrum ties into our love for Catholic education,” said Michelle. “We’re all people of faith because we believe in something larger than ourselves. Fulcrum’s mission is a testimony to that—proof that the collective power of our faith has far-reaching effects.”
The Mahers became regular donors to Fulcrum, but soon realized that they wanted to do more. In 2017, Michael and Michelle joined Fulcrum’s Legacy Society, a group of donors who have included Fulcrum in their estate plans.
“I’ve always been a planner, but not about estate planning,” Michael said. “It wasn’t something I thought enough about. It never felt urgent. Then, we started hearing about it from Celeste McDonell, a fellow St. James parishioner, Holy Names alumna, and Fulcrum supporter. We have four kids, and at the time, none of them were legal adults. I knew we needed to have a plan—and not just for them—for us, too. We needed to decide what we wanted our legacy to be.”
The Mahers chose to include Fulcrum in their estate plans, solidifying their support of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Seattle.
“We were blessed to experience Catholic education which led us to fruitful careers,” Michelle said. “We truly believe that ‘to whom much is given, much is expected.’ Joining Fulcrum’s Legacy Society was an opportunity to live our faith.”
“I’m a lover of history,” Michael added. “One thing I really love about the Church is that it’s a community that transcends place and time. People have been part of this community for two thousand years. Joining the Legacy Society is how we can extend this contribution into the future.”
For more information about adding Fulcrum to your estate plans, contact us at info@fulcrumfoundation.org