Forever Blue Circle
We express our sincere gratitude to donors who have already provided for the future of FFA through a bequest in your will, trust, or by designating FFA as a beneficiary of your financial account. In appreciation, we would like to send you a custom gift made by an FFA member as part of their supervised agricultural experience. Visit FFA.org/MyPlannedGift to receive your handmade token of appreciation.
Why I Give: Donor Invests in Meaningful Opportunities for FFA
By Nicole Ward Beckley
Edna Morris
Though she was never an FFA member, Edna Morris knows impact when she sees it.
Over the years, Morris has been an executive leader and served as president of several food service and restaurant groups, including Red Lobster and the James Beard Foundation. She is also chair of Tractor Supply Company’s board of directors.
When contemplating her personal charitable options, Morris makes investments that create meaningful impact. She worked with National FFA to align her giving plan “in a way that truly reinforced what mattered to me and to FFA,” she says. As a result, the Edna Morris and David Forrester Endowment was created to support participation in leadership conferences for members of Rutherfordton-Spindale Central High School FFA in her North Carolina hometown.
“The primary reasons I [give to FFA] are because of the opportunities this well-run organization provides to build confidence, broaden exposure, inspire dreams, and develop friendships and leadership skills that will matter, whatever one chooses to do in life and wherever one chooses to do it,” Morris says.
In turn, she encourages others to do the same. While much of her career has been spent with large corporations that provide philanthropic support, she believes it is equally important for individuals to give to organizations they care about and that share similar values.
“Pick up the phone. Start the conversation. Explore different giving alternatives. Your heart, your mind and the whole world will be better because of it. Mine certainly is because of giving to FFA.”
Feeling Inspired?
You, too, can make a lasting impact on FFA members and support your passions through planned giving. To learn more, please contact Matthew Wyman at 317-376-9088 or mwyman@ffa.org.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.