Jonathan Seagle - Bequests

Jonathan Seagle remembers making his first donation to CARE in support of a water project in Ecuador in honor of his parents. He has continued that tradition of honoring different family members through his gifts, often in support of projects in Africa. "I like to give gifts in memory of my family. I like to think that the contributions I make to support the well-being of other people are identified with my relatives."

Jonathan has a preference for supporting water projects in specific geographic areas. He finds that, for a small investment, he can radically improve another person's life. After learning of the genocide in Rwanda, Jonathan has become motivated to support programs in that country. He thought successful water projects would be a good way to bring the country back to life. "In the United States, we take water for granted as a resource. We forget how much harder it is to come by in other parts of the world." Jonathan has now extended his support to neighboring East African countries and recently celebrated his 70th birthday with a gift to support water projects in Kenya.

Because of his continued support of CARE projects, when it came time for Jonathan to address his estate plans, he decided to remember CARE with a gift in his will. When asked why he made such an important pledge to CARE, he said that he believed that since he had consistently given gifts to CARE during his lifetime, it just seemed natural to give a gift after he is gone. "I like the idea of carrying on the legacy I've established during my life time; to show a continuation of support for water projects."