NEADS Service Dogs Benefit from a Milton Couple’s Estate

Tim witnessed giving in a new way this year. He was entrusted to decide how to give away an entire estate to charity; this was his mission as trustee. What a joyful experience he found this to be!

Over the years, Tim developed a close relationship with his clients from Milton, Joe and Fran McKeen. Upon their death, they asked him to select the charities their estate would support. He reached out to a philanthropy advisor from Excellence in Giving, LLC to help select the best charities, given the McKeen’s specific interests. Tim wanted to select meaningful gifts to charities and groups that they would want their legacy to support.

Agatha “Fran” McKeen

Fran was a passionate dog lover who often shared how their Bishons brought them comfort in later years, so an organization that supported dogs was a high priority. The Catholic Church was also an important component to their spiritual lives, so they wanted to support the Church in some way. They had no children of their own, but were blessed with nieces and nephews who they wanted to provide for.

Together with the philanthropy advisor, we selected the following charities with the McKeens in mind:

NEADS World Class Service Dogs, Franciscan’s Children’s Hospital, Catholic TV, Mercy Ships, Boston College, Catholic Schools Foundation, and a health support fund for their nieces and nephews.

In the first installment, Tim honored his clients’ charitable intentions to do something meaningful for our four-footed friends. He gave trust money to NEADS, home of world-class service dogs in Princeton, Massachusetts. These funds were used to defray the cost of a new room to integrate dogs into the training facility.

Tim pictured with Mary Casey, Esq., Board member and Gerry DeRoche, CEO, and a dog handler.

These dogs are not just companions – that’s only a part of being a service dog. These wonderful animals pick up your cane and “hand” it to you if you drop it, open automatic doors, provide hearing for the deaf, and courage for shut-in PTSD-disabled vets to venture out. They are impressive and amazing animals. It is an expensive proposition to train service dogs, which is only made possible by generous donors to the program, like the McKeens.

Tim pictured at the ribbon cutting on June 1, 2019, with NEADS supporters, including Congressman Jim McGovern and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito.

The McKeens wanted to leave a permanent mark on the world around them and a lasting legacy for future generations. We were honored to come alongside them to make this happen.

Are you inspired by the idea of supporting your favorite charities? Some of our clients choose to donate a small portion of their estate—1%, 2%, or 5%—to benefit the causes they support. They find their kids don’t miss this small percentage.

If this interests you, talk to us about how to set this up in your plan.

Other clients want to contribute larger charitable gifts. Read up on charitable options in our article, Charitable Trusts: A Win/Win for Everyone.