After a tragic accident in which their daughter Jenny died at age 19, Rick and Carol Parton wished to honor her legacy. They requested that friends and family give donations in Jenny’s name in lieu of flowers. Jenny, a Garnet Valley graduate who was enrolled at Landmark College in Vermont at the time of the accident, had a learning disability. The Partons felt that the best way they could honor Jenny and her legacy was to provide scholarships for other students with learning disabilities who need financial support.
Working with The Foundation for Delaware County makes our life a lot easier. I cannot imagine why folks would not consider a community foundation to assist with their charitable giving. Rick and Carol Parton
Working with The Foundation for Delaware County makes our life a lot easier. I cannot imagine why folks would not consider a community foundation to assist with their charitable giving.
Today, more than 20 years later, the Partons are on a mission to annually award one graduating Garnet Valley senior with learning disabilities a $2,000 scholarship for each year of college. The student can use those funds to pay for tuition, to purchase textbooks and more. In the future, the Partons would love to be able to provide a full college-tuition scholarship for a student with learning disabilities.For the Partons, The Foundation for Delaware County was an ideal match for their philanthropic goals. After 23 years of managing the administrative burden of providing yearly scholarships, Rick and Carol decided to look for help. Carol’s background in working with nonprofits helped in her research, and when she and Rick found the foundation, they knew it was the perfect fit for them. Not only could they establish a scholarship fund in memory of Jenny, they could also establish a donor-advised fund with their appreciated stock to manage all their philanthropic activity in one place. All this came without the burden and worry of the back-office tasks.
Rick and Carol have included the foundation in their wills so that both funds may continue in perpetuity. Their daughter Jessica, a special education teacher at Garnet Valley, is a member of the scholarship committee and will help to carry on their legacy. The Partons feel fortunate that they can provide opportunities for others, and they are grateful for the support that the foundation provides to help them fulfill their charitable goals.
