Charitable Gift Annuity: Ben Fuller

A legacy gift often reflects an individual's circumstance and passion. For Benjamin A. G. Fuller of Cushing, Maine, a family inheritance led him to establish a charitable gift annuity at the Maine Community Foundation - and support his passion for maritime history.

The annuity will provide income to Ben and his wife, Leslie, during their lifetime, and then become a charitable endowment for cultural programs in Maine. He considers this endowment a way of giving back to his family's home state.

Ben is an avid sailor, kayaker, and aficionado of wooden boats, holds a Coast Guard license, and has taught seamanship courses at the WoodenBoat School. He has also been involved in the Traditional Small Craft Association.

As the Richard Saltonstall, Jr. Curator at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, he knows how difficult it can be to find permanent support for a cultural institution. "It's supporting something that does not necessarily have immediate measurable payback like human services," he notes.

Setting up a bequest, Ben explains, represents a decision "to do something the results of which you won't see." You might say it takes special faith to invest in the future.