2023 Annual Report: Building Legacy
Building Legacy:
Embracing the Community, Building Pride
WHEN JILL JEREB AND GARY DODSON DREAM ABOUT THE FUTURE, they hope for a community where people are welcomed and celebrated as their authentic selves. They enjoy happy stories, beautiful sights, and helping others. They see the potential for a better community when people come together toward common goals instead of dividing based on their differences.
Jill Jereb and Gary Dodson, pictured here at the Rinard Orchid Greenhouse at Ball State University.
“You have to embrace a lot of people to have a good outcome,” explains Jill, “You have to trust them, and rely on them and help them when they need it.”
Jill and Gary are world travelers. Together, they have visited more than 40 countries, claiming Borneo and New Zealand as their top picks. Domestically, they have been working to visit all the national parks. Their time spent in new places and their childhoods spent in Miami and Knoxville, respectively, have made Jill and Gary appreciate people as unique individuals and the qualities, skills, and gifts they can bring to create a better community.
Jill and Gary dream of a future where authenticity is valued, and differences are seen as assets. They shared, “We are fortunate to live in a democratic nation founded on principles emphasizing equal rights for all citizens, but the reality is that certain groups of people in our society continue to face overt discrimination. All people are worthy of the same rights regardless of their race, religious beliefs, sexual identification, or any other ‘categorization’.”
To help create that future they dream about, Jill and Gary have created the Jill Jereb and Gary Dodson Fund, a fund to benefit Muncie Outreach. The fund, which is currently a future fund at The Community Foundation, will be established with a gift from the couple’s estate.
Jill shares the experience of her older brother as a key motivator for her and Gary’s commitment to Muncie Outreach. Jill grew up with her family in Miami in a blue collar neighborhood where people helped one another. While they made do, financial resources were tight. Love and relationships were abundant.
Their neighborhood was diverse. In many houses, both parents held jobs. Jill’s mom stayed home and regularly opened their door to the kids in the neighborhood. Jill shared fond memories of her and her brother coming home from school to a house full of neighbor kids eating kumquats, mangoes, oranges, and avocados from the trees around the neighborhood, blanket forts that took up the whole living room, and so much laughter.
While their house was filled with love, Jill’s brother struggled to fit in outside the home. Jill described him as smart – he was valedictorian of his class. He was a fabulous tennis player and downhill skier. He loved nature, hiking, and white-water rafting. And he had a great sense of humor. He suffered from ankylosing spondylitis, a disease that causes inflammation of the joints and ligaments of the spine and limits movement. Today, he would have identified as part of the LGBTQ+ community, but he grew up in a time and community where being different was taboo. This caused him to live in fear. He never had the opportunity to live as his authentic self.
“You have to embrace a lot of people to have a good outcome. You have to trust them, and rely on them and help them when they need it.”
Jill and Gary envision a future where people don’t have to live in fear of discrimination, mistreatment, or bullying. They lead with caring hearts. Through volunteer work, advocacy, and support across the community, they look for opportunities to help those who may be overlooked by others.
While they firmly believe all oppressed groups deserve support and attention, Jill and Gary feel particularly motivated by unjust treatment of members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Today, Jill and Gary support Muncie Outreach directly with their time and financial resources. The couple has also created a future fund at The Community Foundation that will continue their work with Muncie Outreach and fulfill their desire to ensure support continues beyond their lifetimes. A highlight of their participation with this group has been their attendance at Muncie Pride events.
“We’re inspired because the Pride Festival went great. There was lots of positive energy, and it was wonderfully joyful there,” said Jill. “It gives you hope.”
Jill and Gary give today to make a difference. They are also planning for the future.
Planned Gifts
Planning for a gift to be made after you are gone creates a legacy in the community. The Community Foundation can work with you and your professional advisor to ensure your plan is realized. Making a planned gift can be simple.
Simple Bequests - You can designate a gift or a portion of your estate to one or more funds at the Community Foundation in your will.
Named Beneficiary - Name The Community Foundation as the beneficiary on an investment account (IRA) or any bank account or certificate of deposit
Life Insurance - Rather than cancel life insurance policies that you no longer need, consider naming The Community Foundation as the beneficiary or donate the policies outright to the Foundation.
Everlasting
This story was featured in Everlasting, the Foundation’s 2023 Annual Report. Read the full report to hear about how we’ve built upon the work of the leaders before us to be representative, responsive, and relevant today. We tell stories of impactful grantmaking, generous donors, and more.
Make a Difference
Caring, giving donors are key to developing an enduring source of charitable assets to benefit our community today, tomorrow, and always.