St. Marys Native’s Planning Will Benefit Organizations for Years to Come

Sometimes the greatest gifts are those that continue helping others long after they are given.

Although Gustave W. “Gus” Wolf spent much of his life away from St. Marys, he never forgot the community that helped shape him. Through careful planning, he created a permanent source of support for the people and charities that meant the most to him.

The Elk County Community Foundation is honored to announce the first annual distributions from the Wolf Family Community Fund, a designated endowed fund established through Gus’ gift. By naming the Foundation as the beneficiary of his IRA and documenting his charitable intentions years in advance, Gus ensured the organizations he selected would receive annual support for years to come.

This year, the Wolf Family Community Fund distributed $20,863.79. While each organization serves a different mission, together they reflect the values that guided Gus throughout his life—supporting youth, healthcare, seniors, individuals with disabilities, and children in need. Because the fund is endowed, these annual distributions will continue according to Gus’ wishes.

Organizations designated by Gus to receive annual distributions include:

• Boys & Girls Club of St. Marys
• Dickinson Center, Inc.
• Oak Manor, Inc.
• Penn Highlands Healthcare at Home
• Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center
• Special Olympics of Elk and Cameron Counties
• St. Joseph’s Indian School
• St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• St. Labre Indian School
• St. Marys Little League
• St. Marys Senior Center

Born and raised in St. Marys, Gus graduated from St. Vincent College before earning his master’s degree from Penn State University. During his career, he served as a German teacher, a Special Needs Counselor, and later as a Nursing Home Ombudsman for Allegheny County. His desire to help others is reflected in the fund he established to benefit the organizations he believed in.

Years before his passing, Gus worked with the Community Foundation to establish the Wolf Family Community Fund and signed a Memorandum of Understanding outlining exactly how he wanted his gift to be distributed. By documenting those instructions in advance, he provided the Foundation with the guidance needed to faithfully carry out his wishes. Today, that preparation allows his charitable giving to continue exactly as he intended.

“Every fund has a story, and every donor has a vision for the good they hope to accomplish,” said Tiffany Boschert, Executive Director of the Elk County Community Foundation. “Our responsibility is to honor those wishes. Gus clearly communicated what mattered most to him, and it is a privilege to see his generosity continue through the organizations he chose to support.”

Boschert hopes Gus’ story encourages others to think about how they would like to be remembered through charitable giving.

“In Gus’ case, he named the Community Foundation as the beneficiary of his IRA and took the time to document exactly how he wanted his gift to be used,” Boschert said. “Because those conversations happened in advance, we were able to carry out his wishes without uncertainty.”

“Whether someone chooses to give through a will, trust, beneficiary designation on a retirement account or life insurance policy, charitable bequest, or another planned giving option, we encourage them to meet with us early in the process. Those conversations allow us to understand what matters most to each donor and ensure their charitable intentions are carried out exactly as they planned.”