About Donor Advised Funds
So many in our community yearn to make a difference. Hundreds
of non-profit organizations carry out programs to meet the endless needs in
our community while donors like Dr. Booker help support these programs.
The Montgomery County Foundation provides the link through which
the desire to make a difference becomes a reality, for both the non-profit organizations
and donors.
The donor advised fund is particularly attractive to donors who
want to be involved in grant making activities. The assets provided by the donor
are managed by the Montgomery County Foundation and the donor receives maximum
tax benefits. Other advantages of a donor advised fund include:
- Participation in advising which charitable organizations will
receive distributions;
- Access to Montgomery County Foundation’s broad knowledge
of the community;
- Ability to make timely gifts without the time consuming and
costly administrative issues.
For information on donor advised funds, or to make a contribution
to the Rashida Edem Booker Memorial Fund, please call the Montgomery County
Foundation at 610-313-9836 or 888-332-3370.
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FUND IN MEMORY OF
RASHIDA EDEM BOOKER
(1976-2002)
A Donor Advised Fund administered
by the Montgomery County Foundation
“They say that good things come
in small packages”
So begins poem written in memory of Rashida
Edem Booker by her sister. The poem continues,
“My baby sister Rashida was small
in stature but large in so many ways.”
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The Rashida Edem Booker Story
 Rashida
was always fighting the odds. At birth, she weighed only 3.5 pounds and spent
the first month of her life in intensive care. At age 13, doctors discovered
that she was born with only one kidney, which was smaller than normal. A renal
transplant was successful, but dialysis became a part of her life. Because of
osteoporosis as a result of dialysis treatments, Rashida was only 4’10’’
when she died at age twenty-six.
Although her dream to become a teacher was never realized, she
never stopped pursuing that goal. Because of her health problems, Rashida was
in her 20’s when she earned her high school diploma. She was still a student
of Early Childhood Education at Community College of Philadelphia when she died.
Rashida’s Father, Dr. Thurman Booker, was determined that,
somehow, Rashida’s dream and her name would live on. In June of 2003,
using the funds he had put aside for Rashida’s education, Dr. Booker established
the Rashida Edem Booker Memorial Donor Advised Fund.
Established through the Montgomery County Foundation, the purpose
of the Memorial Fund is to help sustain programs that provide early education
to youngsters who have learning disabilities through a classroom setting or
recreation program. “Rashida never allowed her disability to dictate her
attitude,” says her father. “She always had a positive outlook.
She was a pillar of strength and an inspiration to her family. Through this
fund, I want the spirit and courage of my daughter to live on.
The Rashida Edem Booker Memorial Donor Advised Fund
Will focus on areas of early childhood education that
relate to Rashida’s own experiences in some way.
This fund will distribute to programs and organizations that
provide:
- Pre-school education for children with learning disabilities;
- Summer camps that include
- activities for children that consider a child’s physical
limitations;
- Library programs that focus on reading exercises designed
to stimulate an appreciation for reading for pre-school children from families
who are not able to provide a foundation for future successful education experiences.
Please contact the Montgomery County Foundation at 610-313-9836
or 888-332-3370 to make a contribution to this fund.
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