“I believe that the measure of our lives is how we impacted others”
For John Terry Beaty, philanthropy is in his blood. A native New Yorker, he grew up watching his mother work at the city’s Community Trust, later volunteering for United Way for nearly 15 years.
“We were all encouraged to, when we had the time or money, help other people,” he said.
Beaty, an investment advisor with Brown Advisory, first learned of The Community Foundation from one of his clients who held a fund with us. He was intrigued by the organization’s ‘multiplier effect:’ our ability to amplify positive impact in the community.
Fast forward several years, and Beaty has his own family fund at The Community Foundation, since 1995; eventually, he even served as Chair of our Board of Trustees’ Investment Committee.
Recently, Beaty and his wife Anne Mehringer, made an even longer-term commitment to The Community Foundation. They established a bequest, entrusting one-third of the Beaty Family Fund to us.
“We wanted to help strengthen the organization,” Beaty says. “It is like leaving our legacy to the community as a whole.”
Their bequest is completely unrestricted, meaning funds can be used for core operating expenses—a resource that’s essential as we work to address the greatest needs facing our community. Beaty wanted to provide this flexibility because “I think [many donors] don’t think about this [being so important].”
He hopes this money will help us remain financially strong, and help donors give to those in the community who need it the most. Beaty says that, while funding core operations can be somewhat unglamorous, he knows it is necessary. And, it will allow other donors to fund more immediate programming.
The Beatys are also regular donors to The Community Foundation’s annual Celebration of Philanthropy, and to the Celebration of Giving in Montgomery County, where they live.
When Beaty isn’t working at Brown Advisory or with The Community Foundation, he is feeding his passion for history. He serves as a board member for the American Battlefield Trust and Fort Ticonderoga; and is a former board member at the National Trust for Historic Preservation and History Montgomery. He is also a former advisory board member for Princeton’s history department.
Beaty plans to continue giving to The Community Foundation, and staying engaged as an active part of the community.
“I believe that the measure of our lives is how we have impacted others,” says Beaty. “I want to have a positive influence on our community, our families.”