Helping Children, Veterans and Himself

Jim Burke was a lifelong baseball fan who felt like he hit a grand slam after establishing two Easterseals gift annuities.

"I thought it was a very good arrangement. I could help children, vets and myself," the 87-year-old retired plumber said at the time.

For more than 30 years, Jim gave steadily to Easterseals, in keeping with the priority he placed on tithing—voluntarily giving away 10 percent of his annual income. "I've tried to stay right on course with that," he said.

Easterseals' mission had personal meaning for Jim, a Navy veteran of World War II. He was his mother's caregiver after she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and he later cared for his father.

"Easterseals is a very good organization that helps veterans and other people with disabilities," he said.

One year Jim contacted Easterseals about making a different kind of gift: two charitable gift annuities, one funded with cash and another with savings bonds. He worked with an Easterseals planned gift officer to establish the CGAs and offset taxes that would have been due on the mature bonds.

During Jim's lifetime, he enjoyed guaranteed regular income payments, plus the satisfaction of knowing his gift would support Easterseals beyond his lifetime. "It's a win-win situation," he said.

Jim is no longer with us, but his legacy lives on through his gifts.