Pictured above: Jeff and Rachel stand in front of their church, DeWitt Community Church. | Photo by: Ben Cleeton
For Rachel and Jeff Roney, giving touches every part of their lives – as individuals, parents, professionals and parishioners. Motivated to give by faith, family and life experiences, they feel it’s important to model for others how everyone can have an impact.
Born in Bethlehem, PA, Rachel grew up knowing she wanted to pursue a helping profession. Though she considered careers in medicine, physical therapy and law, a management development program at Chase Manhattan Bank introduced her to the world of finance.
Now having worked in the field of finance for more than 36 years, Rachel knows that financial planning, like philanthropy, is about more than just money. It’s about helping people. She has worked within both her business and personal networks to increase awareness of supporting charities and organizations. Rachel has personally offered to match her colleagues’ donations to charities that they support as well as routinely organizes group volunteer activities to inspire greater giving – in all its forms – in and beyond the workplace.
Jeff, a native of Syracuse and licensed Real Estate professional with Keller Williams Syracuse, is also a proponent of giving back and getting involved at work and in the community. Each May, he and his colleagues participate in an annual day of service called RED Day – which stands for “Renew. Energize. Donate.” – and Jeff is a consistent supporter of KW Cares, which provides relief for Keller Williams employees and their families during times of sudden hardship.
“Growing up, we didn’t have an abundance of financial resources but regardless of that, I never felt that there wasn’t enough to go around,” said Jeff. “My parents always said, ‘There is always enough to put another setting at the dinner table. Share what you have.’”
“Philanthropy is not just for the rich; giving encompasses more than just monetary contributions,” added Rachel. “People can also give with their time, love, hearts, stories, songs and prayers.”
Rachel and Jeff continue to gain inspiration from everyone around them, including the fellow families at Dewitt Community Church who help in myriad ways – weeding the garden, arranging Thanksgiving baskets, serving at the Samaritan Center, supporting Build a Bed workshops – and their two children as they pursue careers and causes of their own. Serving as a central gathering place for their family, Rachel and Jeff have each held a series of volunteer leadership roles at the church. Rachel is also active in the church choir, which provides music each week in worship services.
“We all care about things,” said Rachel. “What do you care about beyond just getting through the day? Find what you care about and find a way to contribute in your own unique way.”
When Rachel learned about the option to establish a donor-advised fund at the Community Foundation, it made lots of sense to her. She and Jeff were able to contribute a lump sum in 2020 to start their fund, for which they received an immediate tax deduction, and now they are free to request distributions out of their fund to support the charities of their choice whenever they wish. They appreciate the flexibility their fund provides, as well as the focus on local impact.
“I wasn’t born in Syracuse, but this is my home,” said Rachel. “To be able to have philanthropy stay local is really important to me.”
“I think we all have a ticket to this concert called life and we don’t know how long the concert’s going to last,” added Jeff. “As human beings, we have a responsibility to make it a better place while we’re here and also pay it forward for future generations. That is what hopefully we’re all trying to do to some degree.”
It is with those goals in mind that Rachel and Jeff made arrangements to grow their fund with an eventual legacy gift, thus extending their support of the community and causes they hold dear – like their church, music, youth and education – beyond their lifetimes.
“Money is good for the good that money can do,” said Jeff. “There are many ways to contribute.”
