Van Egghen Family Fund
Est. in 2021 as a donor advised fund by Robert and Eleanor Van Egghen.
Robert Van Egghen is no stranger to volunteering and giving back to our Valley. Bob, as he’s affectionately known, has been lending his time and talent to this community for more than 20 years, serving on several boards of directors, advisory committees, and councils for nonprofits throughout the entire Valley. Bob just says he’s making up for lost time.
“I don’t think I did my fair share to help while growing up,” Bob said. “Now, I spend five nights a week on Zoom, helping various community organizations. I think it’s wonderful.”
Bob was bitten by the volunteer bug after he was appointed to several area nonprofits, including the Valley Community Foundation’s (VCF) advisory council and TEAM, Inc.’s board of directors. He’s also the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Valley chapter of the Salvation Army.
“I just fell in love with what all these great organizations do,” Bob said. “Their work is near and dear to my heart. My wife, Elly, keeps asking me why I volunteer so much. I tell her if everyone did a tiny bit, no one would have to do a lot.”
In 2019, Bob and Elly decided to create a build-a-fund at VCF. This type of fund allows anyone to contribute over time with the intent of making it a permanent fund. This past year, they met the fund minimum and now can start recommending grants.
Bob said he’s been thinking about creating a family fund for some time and VCF was the perfect organization to steward and manage it.
“I love the way things are going at VCF and the phenomenal synergy they have through their connection with The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven,” Bob said. “I know our philanthropic wishes will be honored.”
Bob has even recruited his 95-year-old father to participate by supporting the fund through his estate planning.
“I’m not the thriftiest person in the world, but it’s been easy and painless to reach this goal,” Bob said. “That’s one of the reasons why I found this type of fund attractive. We can build something that involves the entire family and truly create a Van Egghen legacy.”
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