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D E C E M B E R / J A N U A R Y 2 0 1 8 M A C O N M A G A Z I N E | 57 11 REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY C urtis and Annie Farrar planned to establish a fund at the Community Foundation of Coffee County (CFCC) through their will. Then they both served on the CFCC board, which led them to go ahead and establish a donor advised fund that they could enjoy using during their lifetime. "We wanted to see how this works so that later we can expand it. We are just trying to learn how we want to give, and teach our children how to give" says Curtis Farrar. "This will help to form a pathway to giving—causes we care about—that our family can follow when it becomes their responsibility." Curtis and Annie decide what to give by paying attention to what's going on in the community. "I've lived in Douglas all of my life," says Curtis. They like to give to organizations with limited resources for whom a donation of $500-$1,000 could have a meaningful impact. Their selection process is simple and on their own timeline. "My wife and I don't have set criteria. One of us may hear about a need and we talk it over." They have provided support to 4-H programs, summer camps, the Boys and Girls Club, historical preservation groups, and senior citizen groups, usually for a targeted purpose. Their selections differ from year to year so that "no one group comes to depend on us." This method of giving allows them a great deal of discretion and the advantage of giving quietly. Annie adds, "We made a contribution to create our fund at CFCC. Then at our request, the Foundation's staff researches the organizations we want to support, and we decide what grants we want to recommend." And while enjoying grantmaking during their lifetimes they can also build an endowment for the future that will always be there to support the community they love. The Farrars value highly the support provided by the staff of the Community Foundation of Central Georgia. "We have a lot of confidence in them. They are sincere and very good at what they do." Community Foundation of Coffee County (CFCC) was established in 2002 to improve the quality of life in Douglas, Georgia. Local citizens have benefitted from CFCC since its founding by taking advantage of the Foundation's charitable and estate planning expertise. Donors have given more than $3 million to eight endowed funds, which have made approximately $650,000 in grants to local nonprofit organizations so far and will continue to do so. The entire Coffee County community has benefitted from these grants and the quality of life in Coffee County has been enhanced. Donor Advised Fund / Coffee County