Dr. Richard Butler, Professor Emeritus of Economics at Trinity University, LiftFund legacy donor, staple of the San Antonio community, and avid philanthropy enthusiast, recently sat down to discuss his support for LiftFund's mission and what it means for his legacy.
āI never set out to be an economist. I never set out to be an opera conductor. I never set out to be the dean of a business school. I never set out to get a bill through the Texas Legislature. Iāve done all those things,ā said Dr. Butler.
Butler, a longtime advocate for sustainable solutions to poverty, says he first learned about LiftFund from former students who went on to work for the nonprofit. After connecting with the organization to give students an opportunity to solve a real-world business problem, Butler says he's never looked back.
"[LiftFund Founder Janie Barrera] used to have a saying: 'If you give a person a fish, you feed them for a day.' Most of our anti-poverty efforts are giving people a fish. The other part of that saying is, 'If you teach them to fish, they can eat for a lifetime.' But Janie's third part was, 'I want them to own the pond.'"
Butler sees "owning the pond" as a way to end generational poverty by uplifting local communities through the power of entrepreneurship and employment while restoring dignity to people who may not be able to qualify for a loan from traditional financial institutions.
"It's a hand up, not a handoutāthat's very appealing. The dignity partāpeople don't get that a lot in the policy world. The dignity part is really important," he continued.
As an Alumni Engagement Coordinator at Trinity University, Butler is well aware of the power that giving can have.
"I've been seeing charity and philanthropy through a whole new lens. Charity is the $100 bucks you give to the Red Cross every year because it's the right thing to do," Butler said. "Philanthropy is, 'I want to change the world.' There's an impact I want to have that I can't achieve by myself, so I'm looking for an organization that can help make it happen."
Butler believes that LiftFund's leadership, history of serving entrepreneurs, vision for the future, and unique position in the market make it an ideal organization to include in his estate plan.
"We've also left a quite significant planned gift for when we go, so that our impact is eternal. It's really not very hard, you know," he continued. "There are lots of folks who need ways to carry out their business vision and bring a lot of other people along in the process. And I would argue that's something a lot of people ought to get excited about."
If you or a financial advisor want to learn more about legacy and estate planning with LiftFund, contact Chief Advancement Officer VerĆ³nica Figoli at VFigoli@liftfund.com or at 210-291-0664. As always, consult your attorney or financial advisor about what's right for your estate plans.
