Elizabeth Wilson made a huge and lasting impact on the community she cared so much about through establishment of this endowment. Each year the fund produces earnings that support three charities that were close to her heart: Cabin by the Lake which builds handicap accessible cabins in popular campsites so ALL family members including those with mobility issues can enjoy all of what southern California’s nature has to offer; The Elizabeth Hospice for its services that enhance the quality of life for those nearing the end of life and programs help those who will grieve; and Sanford Burnham Medical Research Institute for their world-class, collaborative research that is dedicated to discovering cures for humankind’s many devasting diseases.  

Above and beyond helping these three charities, Elizabeth Wilson also recognized that the needs of her community would evolve and change over time. She cared deeply about her senior citizen friends and disabled neighbors, but she recognized she couldn’t possibly know what new opportunities and innovative plans might present themselves in the future. She asked Legacy Endowment to help continue her legacy of philanthropy by finding and assessing impactful and ever-changing programs that would enrich the lives of these two demographic groups. The Elizabeth Wilson grant is open and accepting application for senior or disabled programs.

Iconic is a word often associated with someone who has become the very symbol of an enduring stature of life accomplishments. It’s a word that that best describes Roy Ansell. The bedrock of such iconic stature starts with Roy’s life, shaped by the 36 years working for Alcoa with decades of international travel providing him a macro-lens of a larger world. It also came from decades of Rotarian service modeling “service above self” and using the 4-Way Test. And, as important, it came from 63 years of marriage to Joyce and bringing up their children, Lindsay, Adrian, and Michelle. Longevity meant everything to Roy.

Roy’s leadership remains an integral part of Legacy Endowment, forged by his fierce commitment to “donor intent” during the Foundation’s formative stage. He believed donors needed a place to position their financial legacy in a way that their wishes would always be carried out in perpetuity. Our community lost Roy Ansell in 2014, but his legacy of donor intention carries on through The Ansell Family Fund, which provides a blanket of support for the community he loved with access to – in perpetuity – grants that support programs/services for veterans and his beloved sport, Rugby.