A conversation between generations: how legacy giving builds stronger communities

Jennifer Belmont
CEO
45 South Community Foundation
3 July 2025

I grew up in a small town called Bar Harbor, on the coast of Maine. It’s one of those places that feels like it came from a storybook - pink granite cliffs, salty air, and a thick morning fog that rolls in just like in the movies. As a kid, I thought the beauty around me was just… there. I never questioned how the places I loved came to be.

But years later, I realised something: so much of what I cherished had been because of philanthropy.

Take Acadia National Park, for example. My wild, beautiful backyard wasn’t created by the government. It was built one parcel at a time by individuals who donated their land to protect it for future generations. The same goes for the 40 miles of hand-built carriage trails I used to hike, bike, and ski. I was literally moving through someone else’s generosity—and I didn’t even know it.

Even the library where I fell in love with books was a gift. The YMCA, YWCA, the town green, the theatre… all built because someone cared enough to leave something behind.

And though I never met those people, I’ve felt their presence all my life.

Their gifts whispered to me: This is for you. This is your community. Make it count. Carry it forward. Add your own chapter.

Legacy giving is a conversation.

That’s what legacy giving is, really - it’s a conversation between generations. It’s not just about assets or tax planning. It’s about meaning about taking what you love, what you value, and choosing to leave it behind in a way that lasts.

Now, living in Queenstown, I’m reminded every day of that same quiet power. We live in a place of incredible beauty and incredible generosity. People here show up. They care. They give their time, their skills, and their hearts.

That’s the kind of community where legacy matters.

That’s why I started the community foundation - to help people shape their giving in a way that reflects their values and supports the future of this place we all love. Whether it’s a gift in your will or a fund you create during your lifetime, legacy giving allows your care to live on.

It starts with a story.

When I sit with donors, we don’t begin with numbers—we start with stories.

What do you care most about? What shaped you? Who are you thinking of when you dream about the future?

Maybe it’s a scholarship for students who need a break. Perhaps it’s preserving our trails, supporting the arts, or ensuring families have access to good food and safe housing. Whatever it is, we work together to make a plan that reflects you.

And here’s the most magical part: one day, someone will walk through your gift.

They might not know your name, but they’ll feel your presence. They’ll feel supported. They’ll feel seen.

They might say: “Someone thought of me, before I even arrived.”

What’s your conversation going to be with future generations?

Will they hear you in the spaces you helped build?
Will they feel your love for this place in the programmes you supported?
Will they carry your values forward because you took the time to plant something that would grow?

That’s the kind of legacy I want to help people create.

You don’t have to change the whole world. You just have to care deeply about one small corner of it — and choose to leave something behind that matters.

If that speaks to you, I’d love to talk. Not about wealth. About meaning. About how your story can continue, long after you’re gone.

Because legacy isn’t just a gift, it’s a message. A promise. A conversation that never ends.