Left: Bridget Chase; Right: Walter Hutcheson, left, and brother Henry, right, are among nine cousins under the age of 26 who are fulfilling their late aunt’s philanthropic wishes through
a donor-advised fund at MaineCF.
From involving teenagers in donor-advised funds to bequeathing money for life lessons in philanthropy, community-minded Maine people are passing their giving spirit to the next generation.
Walter and Henry Hutcheson’s guide is their late aunt Bridget Chase of Portland, who left a generous charitable legacy. Growing up in Dover, New Hampshire, the brothers frequently visited their beloved aunt – a “friendly kid at heart who was always up for fun and making fond memories,” said Walter, a 26-year-old outdoor educator.
After Chase died in 2017 at the age of 58 from complications of childhood cancer, the brothers learned more about their aunt as the generous, civic-minded community member she was. During her career, Chase worked as a fundraiser at several Maine nonprofit organizations, including Sisters of Mercy, Maine Public Broadcasting, and The Nature Conservancy of Maine. Chase asked her friend Vicki Loring to help settle her estate by establishing a fund to support causes important to her, and involve her nine nephews and niece in the charitable distribution of the assets.
“Before she died, she said she would like her nephews and niece to be involved with philanthropy as they grow up,” Loring said. Chase’s hope was that philanthropy would become one of their basic values as it had been for her throughout her life.
Loring established the Mary Bridget Chase Fund at the Maine Community Foundation in 2017 as a way for friends and family to donate in Chase’s memory and as the recipient for her estate assets. Jennifer Southard, vice president of donor services at MaineCF, assisted Loring with a plan to support the family in fulfilling Chase’s wishes, and provides ongoing support to the family as they identify the recipients of their philanthropic endeavors.
In 2021, Walter reviewed nonprofit organizations that aligned with both his and his aunt’s interests. Through that process, he identified and recommended the Somali Bantu Community Association (SBCA) in Lewiston to his cousins as the first organization to benefit from the Fund.
The organization was in the process of buying land in Gray where its community could continue the Somali Bantu tradition of sustainable farming. The donation was enthusiastically supported by all the cousins and they agreed to contribute the remaining balance required to complete the purchase.
“It was important for me to connect her legacy with land and natural spaces,” he said. “That is where I have Bridget imprinted in my mind, so part of this farmland has her in it.”
This year, 24-year-old engineer Henry Hutcheson plans to recommend that the cousins donate to arts organizations. “My goal is to focus on the arts as healing in the Portland area,” he said. “It’s something that the community – and everybody – needs right now.” While the brothers and their cousins have not lived in Maine, their aunt’s strong connection to her community has inspired them to give within the state.
Each of Chase’s nephews and niece plans to recommend a donation that meets her goals of philanthropic support over the coming years. If Chase’s goal were to instill philanthropic values in her young nephews and niece, “there is no doubt that they are off to a great start on their way to accomplishing everything their aunt had hoped for,” said Loring.
While Walter said he doesn’t anticipate having such a large sum to give again, he is inspired to support local organizations. “I plan to give back to the community in whatever way I can and through my work on a daily basis,” he said.
Other photo: The niece and nephews of Mary Bridget Chase will carry her philanthropy forward with grants through the Maine Community Foundation.
