This is a donor advised fund, which allows the donor to make gifts to public charities in the United States whenever they wish, be it monthly, annually, or over several years.
Donor advised funds may be invested, endowed, or act as a “charitable checking” account. These funds help donors meet their philanthropic goals in Pasadena and beyond, offering flexible giving options with simplified administration.
Both Lynn and Carl Cooper were born and raised in the Los Angeles area. Lynn studied art in Vienna, Austria and returned to Los Angeles to teach art and raise two daughters. Lynn continues to pursue her own work and her beautiful pen and ink and watercolor drawings appear in many Southern California collections under her professional name of Lynn Van Dam. Carl and Lynn have both supported local arts organizations, including the Pasadena Symphony Association where Carl serves on the board of directors. Lynn was the 2018 president of the Women’s Committee, which organizes the annual Holiday Look In home tour.
For Carl and Lynn, helping arts and cultural organizations in the Pasadena community is a top priority. To be most effective, they decided to partner with the Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF). They set up a Donor Advised Fund from which they make gifts to organizations they want to support now. Next, they created The Carl W. and Lynn Cooper Endowment, designed to benefit and support arts and culture organizations and education programs in the future. These organizations will benefit from the earnings and appreciation of the endowment fund over time. In this way, the Coopers are looking out for both the immediate and future needs of organizations they wish to help.