Curtis and Carolyn Farrar aim to meet ever-changing community needs with family fund
Curtis Farrar remembers that his mother always used to say “the more you give in this life, the more you will receive.”
Growing up in rural Virginia, his home was the place people of all ages came to eat when their cupboards were empty; his mother was a great cook and could make a meal out of seemingly nothing.
This selfless generosity molded Curtis as he attended Mercersburg Academy, a preparatory school in Pennsylvania, under a scholarship from the A Better Chance Program, and then went on to Dartmouth College.
It was in college that he met his wife, Carolyn, who shared his passion for philanthropy and community.
Now living in Springfield, the couple has become heavily involved in community giving, contributing to various funds at the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln for many years. To create a more unified approach to their contributions, the family decided to establish the Curtis and Carolyn Farrar Family Fund.
The Farrars chose to designate their fund as “unrestricted,” which means the Community Foundation is able to support a variety of causes in the name of the fund. The fund will also help them meet the minimum distributions required by their IRAs, in addition to providing assistance to local causes.
“We hope that the fund will be more impactful in addressing the needs in the community,” Carolyn said.
Like Curtis, Carolyn also grew up in the South – more specifically, Atlanta in the 1960s and 70s. Her family attended the Ebenezer Baptist Church pastored by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his father, the Rev. “Daddy” King Sr., in “the shadow of the civil rights movement.”
Her parents were both educated with advanced degrees, so “I learned firsthand the importance of supporting the social and educational needs of your community,” she said. While Curtis was attending Dartmouth, Carolyn was a student at Middlebury College less than two hours away.
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Today, Carolyn is a retired educator and currently serves as president of the board of directors of the Springfield and Central Illinois African American History Museum. Curtis is retired from working in various state of Illinois government agencies.
Because on their own life experiences, the Farrars are passionate about helping to fund families in need and expanding educational opportunities for minority students.
“While we have always supported individual charitable organizations that address these needs, we hope that by increasing our giving through our family fund with the Community Foundation, our contributions will be more impactful,” Carolyn said.
The couple is also thrilled about the chance to involve their children in philanthropy and grant-making. The fund will serve as a vehicle for their sons, Christopher in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Corey in Tracy, California, to contribute to the community where they were born and raised.
The generosity modeled for both Curtis and Carolyn as young children continues to be passed on to new generations and will deeply impact the community for years to come through their newly established fund.
“We fervently believe that the Community Foundation recognizes the divergent needs of the Springfield community and is positioned to direct resources to individuals and organizations to make this city a better place to live and work,” Curtis said.
For more information on establishing an unrestricted fund, or how to contribute to the Curtis and Carolyn Farrar Family Fund, please contact the Community Foundation at 217.789.4431 or visit CFLL.org.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Farrars aim to meet ever-changing community needs with family fund
