Donor Comments

Why Donors Give

Donors give to DCF for many different reasons. They range from honoring the memory of a friend or family member to supporting a specific cause in perpetuity. Others seek to support DCF’s operations and to help others in the community.

• One donor said, “I chose to contribute to the foundation to obtain a better return for my charity than by placing my charitable gift in another form of investment.” Another donor established an endowment for a senior citizen apartment complex to support a need for senior housing in Dearborn County.

• The Dr. Leslie M. Baker Memorial Scholarship Fund is specifically designed to help students seeking a post-secondary education in medicine or nursing. The fund was established by a young physician, Dr. Steven Gerke, and the family of the late Dr. Baker. During Dr. Gerke’s college years, he had received financial aid anonymously. Dr. Gerke learned a few years later that Dr. Baker was the individual that had anonymously provided financial support for his education. He also learned that Baker had helped untold other Dearborn County students. The families of Dr. Gerke and Dr. Baker were all so moved by Dr. Baker’s philanthropy that they started the memorial scholarship fund.