‘You don’t have to be a Rockefeller’

Natalie Murphy was the first in her family to go to college. She became a public school English teacher and spent 40 years dedicated to educating young people in New Hampshire.

When Natalie decided to do some estate planning, she called on a former student, Dorcas Gordon, for help. Dorcas, an attorney who had been a star pupil in Natalie’s AP English class, helped her get everything in order. And Dorcas made a suggestion that Natalie did not even realize was a possibility: Natalie could make a stipulation in her estate plan to create a scholarship fund at the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation to help New Hampshire students afford college.

“I never dreamed I could do this type of thing,” Natalie said. “When I would hear about legacy giving, I thought of very well-to-do people. But here I can do this, and I am a retired schoolteacher!”

“You don’t have to be a Rockefeller,” Dorcas agreed.

The Murphy-Miller Scholarship Fund honors Natalie’s parents. It will be funded through a bequest from her estate and managed by the Foundation’s Student Aid program. The fund will provide scholarships to students from Newfound Regional High School in Bristol, NH, where Natalie spent her entire career. Scholarships will be awarded through the Foundation’s online application process.

“I spent my life teaching wonderful students and I loved my school and my entire experience there,” Natalie said. “I truly believe education unlocks doors, and there were so many students who had fabulous potential but didn’t necessarily have the means to further their educations.” Her scholarship will help.

Each year, dozens of generous people create “memoranda of understanding” with the Foundation to establish funds, via their estates, for a variety of purposes. Most donors, of course, also give during their lifetimes and such legacy giving complements and extends that generosity.

Mark Otis and Ellen Ratner Otis have made plans for a field-of-interest fund that will support food security, women’s health and efforts to combat domestic violence and homelessness. Mark, who grew up in Manchester, retired from a career in civil engineering, and Ellen has worked in nonprofit communications and radio production.

“We have limited funds,” Ellen said, “but this just energizes us.”

Mark and Ellen wanted to make sure their legacy was stewarded in such a way that the funds would always support the issues they care about. Through the field-of-interest fund, the Foundation carries out those wishes. Their legacy gift will continue the giving that they have been doing all along.

“Nobody should be homeless in New Hampshire, nobody should have trouble getting food,” Mark said. “It’s a disgrace.”

Creating the legacy fund, Ellen said, gave the couple “a sense of empowerment — and also makes you feel like you are part of something bigger.” In the community foundation model, thousands of charitable legacies are pooled together to meet community needs.

Carol (who asked that only her first name be used) is a retired librarian. She received a Foundation scholarship when she was studying for her master’s degree in library science — a degree which helped her to advance her career.

Her fund at the Foundation will support women who are studying at community colleges, which she called “transformational” institutions. She wants to help with the often-unseen expenses that can make it difficult for women to get the education that will help them and their families to thrive. Her fund will support organizations that help with things like students’ school supplies, transportation costs and food.

“I am a happily single person with no heirs,” Carol said. “If I can help other women, why not? The opportunity to provide support to other women was motivational to me.”

She urges others to consider their legacies when doing their financial planning.

“I got enormous peace of mind having my will in order,” she said, “and knowing that the Foundation is going to carry out my wishes.”