PLANNED GIVING     |     Every Gift Matters 
Recently, a woman approached Concord Hospital Health System to express an interest in making a charitable 
gift. She had some fairly large retirement accounts and wanted to make the hospital a beneficiary.
After conversations with the fundraising team, including Chief Advancement Officer Veronica Rosa, 
the woman learned that making the gift would not change her current lifestyle, as she would still be 
able to receive required minimum contributions and maintain full access to the account during her 
lifetime. Estate attorney Marla Matthews, who has been a member of Concord Hospital Trust’s Major 
and Planned Giving Committee for the past three years, has seen firsthand how planned gifts create 
a powerful cycle of community support, and how accessible this type of giving actually is. Matthews 
and other members of the Committee offer guidance to the planned giving team at Concord Hospital 
Health System (CHHS) and sometimes assist by consulting with community members about ways 
to give. 
Planned gifts offer advantages for both donors and recipients. For donors, there are tax benefits to 
leaving assets to a nonprofit, making them ideal beneficiaries for retirement accounts that would 
otherwise create tax burdens for heirs. Planned gifts also offer flexibility, with options that range 
from simple beneficiary designations to more complex charitable remainder trusts that provide 
income during a donor’s lifetime. For the charitable organization, such as CHHS, expected donations 
create a reliable foundation for long-term community outreach and medical services, which allows 
the hospital to align future gifts with anticipated needs and designate funds for specific upcoming 
projects. And the gifts can come from anyone.
“I’ve seen some fairly significant gifts from people in the community who have been connected with 
the health system in one way or another,” Matthews notes.
Giving can be circular. For example, someone may receive excellent care at Concord Hospital and 
decide to include the hospital in their estate plans. That gift then enables the hospital to continue 
serving the community, potentially helping the next generation of patients. That certainly applies to 
Concord resident Dennis Pope. When his wife was being treated for cancer, Pope was touched by the 
exceptional care she received from the entire staff, which far exceeded his expectations. He felt the 
same support during times he has sought medical services in Concord.
“The professionalism of doctors, nurses, and support staff at the Payson Center for Cancer Care and 
Concord Hospital Urologic Institute deserve recognition and support,” Pope says. “Additionally, the 
[estate planning experts] showed me the positive impact of leaving a legacy. Therefore, I decided to 
give annually to the Concord Hospital Trust and, upon my death, to leave a legacy in my family’s and 
wife’s name that would have a positive impact on others.”
It’s important to note that planned giving isn’t just about money; it’s about values and community 
connection. Whether someone has been a patient, had a family member 
receive care, or simply wants to support health care in the community, a 
planned gift to CHHS can serve as both a personal statement and a practical 
financial decision. One of the biggest misconceptions about planned giving, 
Matthews adds, is that it’s only for the wealthy. 
“You can still be charitable, [regardless of your wealth level],” she explains. 
“There’s no size of your estate that matters. Every gift counts.”
CONCORD HOSPITAL TRUST
6

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.