“You’re going to have a legacy of some kind when you leave this world,” Max Johnson said.

That realization led Max and his wife, Elizabeth “Lib” Johnson, to begin thinking differently about the future. With no children or grandchildren, the Raleigh couple wanted to make sure the causes that had shaped their lives would continue benefiting others long after they were gone.

The Johnsons knew they wanted to make charitable giving part of their legacy. Taking the first step simply took time. “I’d been putting it off,” Max admitted.

It wasn’t until their attorney walked them through what could happen without an estate plan that the couple decided it was time to act. As they explored their options, they were introduced to the North Carolina Community Foundation, where they found a trusted partner to help carry out their charitable wishes.

“We felt comfortable after we talked with people at NCCF,” Lib said. “We felt we were leaving the money in good, capable hands. And that’s pretty important when you’re not around to look after yourself.”

Working with NCCF gave the Johnsons a way to support the causes they care about while planning for their own future.

Legacy giving allows you to create a charitable fund with the money that remains after a person’s estate is settled. Giving options vary widely, but planned gifts can provide tax savings or be a way for people without heirs to leave a philanthropic legacy.

For Lib, the decision was deeply personal.

After losing both her father and younger brother while she was still a teenager, Lib earned a work scholarship to Furman University and went on to a distinguished career as a history teacher.

“We wanted to leave our money where we felt that it would help somebody who may have had the same kinds of problems that we as children had,” Lib said. “Who’s going to need this, like we needed it at one time?”

Max’s life followed a different path, but it led him to the same conclusion. Growing up in Johnston County, he worked in his family’s grocery store and on his uncle’s farm. He attended Campbell College before transferring to Atlantic Christian College, now Barton College, where he graduated with a business degree. After serving six years in the Army National Guard, Max began a 31-year career with Colgate-Palmolive.

Later in life, he and Lib found themselves asking not only what they had built over a lifetime, but what they wanted it to accomplish.

“We like the idea that we continue giving money after we’re gone. We wanted something set up that could continue on a perpetual basis.”

Max Johnson, NCCF donor

Their planned gifts will support many of the causes that have been important to them throughout their lives, including education, churches and other charitable organizations they have long supported.

As Max says, everyone leaves a legacy. For him and Lib, the important part was deciding what they wanted theirs to be.