Donor Impact Stories

Hall uses her donor-advised fund to honor her mother

“My mother was a tireless champion of education and community improvement,” says Michelle.  “She has always been an inspiration for me and now for my four daughters as well.”It’s hard to overstate the effect Margarita De Nocochea had on Calexico, California. An unceasing advocate for impoverished children and education, “Mrs. D” mobilized her community to help save the historic Carnegie Library, worked as a high school librarian to nurture the college dreams of thousands of students and for decades actively supported San Diego State University.

Her daughter Michelle Hall wanted to honor her mother’s memory by continuing her generous tradition. Through the donor-advised fund she and her husband, Houston, established with us, she is furthering many community projects that her mother would have supported, from college scholarships to library improvements to a community swimming pool.

Michelle’s daughter even penned her college application essay about her grandmother’s kind and giving spirit. So in addition to the countless lives made better by “The Grand Lady of Calexico,” Michelle has the satisfaction of knowing that her mother’s legacy is alive and well in the hearts of her children.

Michelle and Houston Hall opened their donor-advised fund with CFT as a more straight forward tax-wise alternative to continuing to manage their own private foundation.