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women talking about philanthropy

March is Women’s History Month and to celebrate, I’d like to highlight just a few of the many women who have made their mark on history by practicing smart, impactful charitable giving. Undoubtedly these women believe in advancing philanthropy through “walking the walk” and moving the needle forward on what the modern philanthropy looks like. No longer is philanthropy limited to signing a big check, today’s do-gooders are creative, dedicated, and using social entrepreneurship to draw attention to pressing concerns of the world.

Melinda Gates

Gates, who has received her MBA from Duke, co-founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 with her husband. The couple has donated more than $36 billion to different charitable initiatives! Gates has been integral in expanding the reach of the foundation to include areas of focus ranging from global education to developing preventive measures and treatments for life-threatening illnesses, like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS. At the helm of the Foundation, Gates has persistently worked to combat global poverty and has raised awareness about important issues that demand practical solutions like “time poverty.”

Oprah Winfrey

No surprises here! The benevolent media mogul has given hundreds of millions to educational causes (including establishing the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls), endowed her own charitable foundation, and has supported a wide range of other charities ranging in fields from environmental, to arts and culture, to humanitarian. Oprah also regularly uses her platform of fame to encourage her fans/viewers to support charities they care about.

Sara Blakely

Youngest self-made female billionaire and founder of Spanx, Blakely was an early signer of the Giving Pledge, a call to action by founders Bill Gates and Warren Buffett encouraging billionaires to donate at least half of their wealth to charity. Additionally, her company’s foundation supports programs designed to empower underserved women and girls through education, entrepreneurship, and the arts.

Dr. Marilyn Simmons

Simons is president of the Simons Foundation. With a Ph.D. in economics, Simmons was uniquely poised to grow the 1994-established private foundation into a leading funder for math and scientific research.

Dr. Priscilla Chan

As a pediatrician, Chan has incorporated her medical training into the charitable and 501(c)(4) arms of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, which operates with ambitious goals such as “to cure, prevent or manage all disease in the next generation’s lifetime.” Also, in 2016, Chan founded The Primary School, a private, nonprofit school in East Palo Alto, California that offers both a high-quality education and healthcare services.


Inspired yet to make your mark and leave a lasting legacy? Of course, this is just a short list. This blog post could go on for days if we let it, as so many women are power players when it comes to charitable collaboration and effective resource management.

Believe me, you don’t need to be wealthy to make a difference and maximize what you can/want to give to your favorite causes and nonprofit organizations. Contact me to discuss strategies that are unique/work for you.

famous hat

It’s National Estate Planning Week and while it doesn’t involve costumes or gourds full of candy, celebrating can still be fun. Which brings us to these examples of “unique” (i.e. over the top, kooky, crazy, or weird) estate plan provisions of the rich and famous. In the past we’ve highlighted the unfortunate circumstances of celebrities who died without a valid estate plan dictating to whom they want their assets to go. The lesson there? Don’t leave it up to others what should happen with your property!

Today’s lesson? Your estate plan is unique and you can employ different planning strategies and tools to make whatever (legal) requests and bequests about your estate you wish…even if they’re a little different.

Gene Roddenberry, Creator of Star Trek

Roddenberry created the original Star Trek television series and was obsessed with space. So, it was actually fitting he requested a celestial burial. He passed away in 1991 and his request for a disposition of his final remains in deep space was fulfilled in 1997. Roddenberry was cremated and a part of his remains was put on a rocket and launched into orbit. His wife Majel, who played Christine Chapel in the original Star Trek and died in 2008, also elected for a space burial with the same company (Celetis).

Harry Houdini, Magician

Famous magician Houdini conducted séances during his life and wanted his wife, Bess, to continue the practice upon his own death. A clause in Houdini’s (otherwise “normal”) will requested his wife conduct an annual “session” with the afterlife. Houdini had his wife memorize a secret “code” that he thought would use identification to prove communication from the “other side.” She honored the request for 10 years on Halloween, the anniversary of her husband’s death.

magic in hand

Oprah, Media Mogul

Oprah is the living (thank goodness, let’s not imagine a world without Oprah in it) spokesperson of the benefits of an animal care trust! Reportedly, Oprah has established a trust funded with $30 million for her pet dogs, so that they will continue to have a high level of treatment and care. Sure, a cool $30 mil is more than you or I will ever see in our lifetimes, but compared to Oprah’s total estate it’s just a drop in the bucket. Plus, she plans to give the bulk of her $3 billion estate to charitable causes! “When I’m gone, everything that I have is going to go to charity because I don’t have children. And I believe that that’s what you should do,” she said. “To whom much is given, much should be given back.”

Janis Joplin, Rock Singer-Songwriter

The infamous Joplin tragically passed at the age of 27 in 1970 from a drug overdose. Joplin carried her nonstop party spirit into her will where she left behind $2,500 (which is like the 2018 equivalent of $16,000) for her best friends to have a rocking wake party. A few weeks after her death, the party was indeed thrown in California.

Adam Yauch, Singer, Beastie Boys Co-Founder

The talented artist’s will set the record straight for the future of his music. He provided limitations in the use of his likeness and his music with the provision: “in no event may my image or name or any music or any artistic property created by me be used for advertising purposes.” (Whether or not this request is enforceable, regarding a legal difference between publicity rights and copyrights is whole other story.)

casette tape

William Randolf Hearst, Publisher

Apparently there were rumors circulating that the publishing powerhouse/politician who died in 1951 had fathered illegitimate children. He unequivocally denied this even in his last will and testament, offering anyone who could prove such would inherit $1: “that he or she is a child of mine . . . the sum of one dollar. I hereby declare that any such asserted claim . . . would be utterly false.” No claims came forward alleging paternity, so there must have been something true behind the provision!

Benjamin Franklin, Founding Father/Politician

Franklin devised a picture frame to his daughter containing more than 400 diamonds. He left the frame (and thus the gems) to his daughter Sarah under the express provision that she “not engage the expensive, vain and useless pastime of wearing jewels.” He apparently didn’t want her to remove the diamonds from the frame…apparently the request was not honored.

Just like these interesting wills, your estate plan is entirely your own. You can elect to pass your assets on to whomever you wish including your pets, kids, and favorite charities. But, you can’t record these requests until you execute an estate plan! (Remember, a will is one of the multiple documents found in an estate plan.) Get started with my free Estate Plan Questionnaire and contact me for a free consult!