As someone who has spent his professional life working in philanthropy — and at Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) in particular — Ken Greschak has had the privilege of seeing firsthand what thoughtful, values driven giving can accomplish over time. Recently, he and his wife, Dana DeLuca, decided to formalize something that had long been close to their hearts — dedicating a portion of Ken’s KZCF 401(k) retirement account to the Love Where You Live (LWYL) Arts Fund through a planned gift. Based on current projections, that portion of a single retirement account is expected to total approximately $20,000. Upon realization, it’ll establish the Greschak DeLuca Family Fund for the Arts.
This story is shared not because the gift is extraordinary, but precisely because it’s not.
Like many families, Ken and Dana have accumulated retirement savings across several employers over the course of a career. This 401(k) represents just one of those accounts. They consider themselves people of modest means, and by no conventional definition would their estate be considered “large.” Yet they know that even a relatively modest planned gift — especially when endowed — can create a lasting and meaningful impact. At KZCF, it takes just $5,000 to create a named fund when it supports one of the LWYL field-of-interest areas. Their future gift will exceed that threshold and, over time, will generate annual support for local arts organizations in perpetuity.
That “in perpetuity” element matters deeply to them.
Dana has lived in Kalamazoo essentially her entire life, and Ken has proudly called the community home since 1979. The arts are woven throughout their family story. Dana’s father taught art at Western Michigan University for 30 years, shaping generations of students before his retirement. Their three children have each found their own artistic paths: Mac in the visual arts, Tressa in the performing arts, and Emma in the visual arts as well. Dinner table conversations in their home have often centered on creativity, expression, and the power of the arts to shape how people see and engage with the world.
They have seen how a vibrant arts community contributes to a vibrant community overall. The arts animate downtown spaces, fill stages and galleries, inspire young people, and create places where diverse voices can be heard. Supporting the LWYL Arts Fund felt like a natural extension of their family’s lived experience and shared values.
As a member of the KZCF team, Ken is also one of several employees who choose to support the organization personally — through estate gifts like this one, through Donor Advised Funds, or through other forms of philanthropy. For him, the decision reflects a belief in putting values into action. He believes deeply in KZCF’s mission and in the power of endowment to create permanent community capital. Making this planned gift represents both a personal commitment to the arts and a professional affirmation of the philanthropic model championed by the Foundation.
For professional advisors, the Greschak DeLuca story offers a useful reminder, which is that meaningful legacy giving is not reserved for the ultra wealthy. Many clients — especially those who have lived rich, community-centered lives — care deeply about the causes that shaped them. They may not see themselves as “philanthropists,” and they may assume their estates are too modest to matter. Yet retirement assets, life insurance policies, and other beneficiary designated accounts can be powerful and flexible tools for charitable giving. A percentage designation—as simple as 25% or 50% of a single account—can translate into a named fund and a permanent source of annual support for a cause that reflects a client’s deepest values.
In this case, what may amount to roughly $20,000 someday will become an endowed fund supporting the arts in Kalamazoo forever. Long after Ken and Dana are gone, local artists and arts organizations will continue to benefit. That is an extraordinary return on what feels, in a lifetime, like a very ordinary decision.
Estate gifts don’t have to be large to be transformational, they simply need to be intentional. As advisors, you’re uniquely positioned to help clients connect their financial planning with their lived values. Ken and Dana are grateful to be able to do just that — and to know that, in some small but enduring way, they’re helping ensure that Kalamazoo’s arts community continues to thrive for generations to come.
