Meet Venitia Smith of Genuine Parts Company. Below is a photo of her from a Habitat for Humanity Women’s Build project, you might recognize her—she’s often the one rallying volunteers. At Genuine Parts, Venitia has spent years connecting employees to nonprofit board service and volunteer leadership. She has a big heart for community—and she’s just as thoughtful about her legacy.
Venitia is working on her estate plan, and she asked a simple but powerful question:
How do I make sure what I worked so hard for continues to support the organizations I love?
Her solution? A Legacy Donor Advised Fund at Cobb Community Foundation.
Here’s what makes this structure so elegant—and advisor-friendly:
- She established a fund agreement now.
- It remains inactive during her lifetime.
- Her will and IRA beneficiary designation direct assets to the fund at her passing.
- The fund then creates four named endowments—each benefiting a specific organization in perpetuity.
It’s our standard Donor Advised Fund document—simply activated later. Clean. Flexible. Powerful.
No complex private foundation. No administrative burden for family. No guesswork for nonprofits. Just clarity and permanence.
For clients who care deeply about community—but don’t need income from their assets and don’t have direct heirs—this is such a compelling option. It allows them to be intentional, specific, and enduring in their impact.
And as always, CCF retains no portion of the charitable gifts directed to nonprofits through these funds beyond standard administrative support.
Professional Advisors, if you have a client like Venitia (who is now a part of our Legacy Society)—philanthropic, thoughtful, ready to define their legacy—I’d love to talk through possibilities with you. And as always, CCF is grateful for the opportunity to support you and your clients—whether they’re supporting the causes they love while maximizing tax advantages, giving non-cash assets, navigating a life transition, or simply looking to make a lasting impact in Cobb County. We’re here to be a resource and a collaborative partner.
