Extending Values through Legacy Planning

October 12, 2021

Susan Bunzel, a CCF Sartori Circle member, began to partner with the California Community Foundation (CCF) when she received an inheritance from her mother. She decided to extend the impact of her mother’s legacy by establishing a charitable fund from which she supported various organizations she valued most. From her recent passing in 2021, Susan’s thoughtful planning will leverage the reach and impact of her fund with CCF in two meaningful ways. First, through her legacy plans, she created a legacy fund that will support select organizations addressing the needs of early childhood education in perpetuity. She also took advantage of CCF’s family philanthropy services creating individual charitable funds for her children, which will enable them to support charities that address their own values and philanthropic concerns.

Susan Bunzel was raised in an environment in which important values were instilled through her parents. She was particularly influenced by her physician mother’s commitment to welcome and treat all of her patients with equal respect, regardless of their class or personal circumstances.

Once Susan’s three children started school, she was free to establish the docent program at the California Museum of Science and Industry (now the California Science Center). In that role, Susan developed her passion for early childhood education. She delighted in providing children of all backgrounds with engaging and exciting learning experiences that they would remember forever. She was particularly pleased to participate on the Museum’s “traveling museum” which provided museum experiences to children in underserved communities in Northern California as well.

After obtaining her MBA at the age of 50, she enjoyed a business career working within the community and administering equal employment programs. Throughout her graduate school and career experiences, she continued to be influenced by individuals who valued providing educational and economic development opportunities for all. In her later years, she focused her energies on board leadership and actively supporting childhood education nonprofits, such as Educating Young Minds (EYM) and the Neighborhood Youth Association (NYA) which provides after-school programming for at-risk youth.

CCF has been honored to partner with Susan, and her family, to facilitate her charitable giving during her lifetime and ensuring that her legacy goals are achieved long into the future. Click here to visit Susan Bunzel’s individual bio page and listen to her story of hope, values and legacy goals.

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