California Genealogical Society blog: Why I Chose to Contribute to the Capital Campaign: Bob Grant

Bob Grant has published Sorting some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia, currently a 16-part series of works. He's here at his desk with one of the parts ready for publication.
Photo courtesy of Bob Grant.

The California Genealogical Society's Capital Campaign kicked off this past February with a goal of raising $1.2 million dollars. The goal was created to coincide with the beginning of our 120th Anniversary in 2018. A committee chaired by Chris Pattillo was created to lead this effort. Chris also has the considerable help and talent of both Jane Lindsey and Sandy Fryer to ensure that the campaign will be a huge success.

The money raised from the Capital Campaign will help ensure that our society will remain a leader in genealogy and give us the necessary financial cushion to weather various storms in the future.

I hope you enjoy our second in a series of blog posts entitled, Why I Chose to Contribute to the Capital Campaign. This month we’re focusing on life member and donor, Bob Grant.

Bob has given generously of his time and money for over 45 years to California Genealogical Society (CGS). He has served as legal counsel and has been a wonderful sounding board over various issues that have confronted our society. Bob feels strongly that he should support CGS and it’s mission. He knows that our society contributes both to our local community and collective history of California.

We are lucky to have such an interesting and diverse group of members. Bob is no exception. His current genealogical project has him extending, Sorting Some of the Wrights of Southern Virginia, to additional Wright families about whom he has collected data over the years. Currently there are 16 published parts, with number 17 in the works. As Bob said, “There are a lot of Wrights in Virginia!”

Here are a few questions that I asked him on why he chose to financially support our society:

By contributing to the Capital Campaign, what do you hope to accomplish? I hope to keep the California Genealogical Society and Library as an active resource for all genealogists everywhere and to help educate newcomers to this fun and interesting activity.

You have many organizations to choose from when considering a donation, what made you choose us? We support many charitable organizations and try to find those, which will make effective and efficient use of our contributions. I am very confident that the Society will do that.

How does donating to CGS extend your personal legacy or the legacy of California genealogical research? The Society has one of the libraries to which I donate copies of the genealogical books that I have been writing. I hope other researchers interested in the same family lines will find those books of value to their research in the same way that I have found books produced by other genealogists, who preceded me, to be helpful to my research. And while my children do not currently have the same interest in genealogy that I do, both live in the Bay Area. Someday, I hope the future might generate another member of the family who discovers genealogy to be as fascinating as I do.

How did CGS' genealogical resources help your research efforts? When I first began my research, I had no idea how to proceed. The library became a resource to which I could turn. The staff was not only welcoming to me, but also knowledgeable and helpful in directing me to records and sources. That made my visits enjoyable and productive. I am still researching some 45 years later.

What would you say to those contemplating a donation to the Capital Campaign? We have all benefited from those who went before us and but for their contributions, could not do what we do today. We are like our family trees, part of a long line of transmission, and contributions to the campaign are one effective way to continue that legacy for our future generations.

If a donation to the Capital Campaign sounds daunting, then consider becoming a Life Member of the society. Did you know that 100% of the Life Membership fee ($1200 that can either be paid at once or over a 5-year installment plan) is invested in mutual funds and provides long-term support for CGS?

The interest from these funds is used to cover unanticipated expenses and helps secure that the Society will remain viable in the years to come. Rather than calculating a return on a Life Membership, we encourage you to think of this as donation with benefits.

Have questions? Please send either Chris or Jane an email to discuss what's best for you.

We are thankful for our dedicated and visionary members like Bob who have stepped forward and made the pledge towards creating a more sustainable and prosperous future for CGS. Please act now to preserve the heritage that you've worked so hard to discover. We're counting on you.

Thank you for considering how you can help ensure that The California Genealogical Society will remain a financially strong leader in the field of genealogy.