Keith Williamson’s commitment to community service began early on in his career, long before returning to his hometown, St. Louis. His first introduction to United Way came through an employee giving campaign at a company in Connecticut. This small meaningful step to give opened the door to deeper involvement.
“I’ve seen the support – nonmonetary as well as monetary – that United Way staff and volunteers provide to member agencies, not to mention the critical support that it provides directly to individuals through resources like our 211 Referral line,” said Keith. “United Way’s role is often behind the scenes, but its impact in situations like last year’s tornado response is profound.”
Keith lives by the biblical principle that to whom much is given, much will be required, and as his relationship with United Way deepened, he began looking for more ways to strengthen his impact and support.
Making a difference through DAF
A Donor Advised Fund (DAF) is a charitable giving account created exclusively to support the causes you care about. Through United Way of Greater St. Louis (UWGSL) you can now contribute cash, securities, or other assets like stocks, real estate, land, business, and more to a strong DAF and make a significant investment in our community.
When Keith returned to St. Louis nearly 20 years ago, he was eager to continue the community service efforts he began in Connecticut. He joined UWGSL’s Board and Leadership Giving Societies which he found was a great way to connect with like-minded individuals who are interested in giving back to the St. Louis community.
Learning more about our efforts to help over 1 million people throughout 16 counties in Missouri and Illinois every year resonated with his values and beliefs and made him want to take his support to the next level.
Keith saw DAF as a unique opportunity to contribute to United Way. He noted that donating appreciated stock is widely known to be a tax‑efficient way to give.
“Donating the stock to a DAF makes the process easier. United Way designed it so that it offers cost and other advantages relative to alternate DAF offerings.”
Building a legacy of giving
For Keith, the benefits of a DAF extend beyond convenience, they help him cultivate a legacy of giving. He has already begun involving his daughter in their giving decisions, hoping she will continue his strong commitment to the St. Louis community.
“A nice feature of United Way’s DAF is that you can name a ‘secondary advisor’ – in my case my daughter – who can participate in the grant-recommendation and investment-selection process,” said Keith. “Given all that is going on in the world, it is so important that we encourage those in the next generation to take on their civic and philanthropic responsibilities.”
Keith says partnering with UWGSL by opening a DAF makes giving simpler – helping people create lasting, positive change. A DAF becomes part of a collective effort to address our community’s most pressing needs, making you a true partner in regional change.
“Supporting charitable organizations is an important responsibility, but it shouldn’t be painful,” said Keith. “If you already have a DAF with someone else, I’d encourage you to transfer all or part of the funds to United Way’s DAF because our United Way has a deep understanding of the needs of our community.”
Take action now:
- Learn more about UWGSL’s Donor Advised Funds.
- Share this story with family and friends.
