{"id":3847,"date":"2020-11-12T12:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-11-12T12:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/afe.epicenter1.com\/news\/why-support-afe-a-history-of-giving"},"modified":"2024-03-15T21:55:05","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T21:55:05","slug":"why-support-afe-a-history-of-giving","status":"publish","type":"news","link":"https:\/\/endowment.org\/es\/news\/why-support-afe-a-history-of-giving","title":{"rendered":"Why Support AFE \u2013 A History of Giving"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Why

Read About Lee Phillip Bell and Be Inspired<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>

When William and Lee Phillip Bell created their popular daytime drama, \u201cThe Bold and the Beautiful<\/em><\/strong><\/span>,\u201d presumably they sought a name that would lure potential viewers. Unintentionally they selected one that perfectly describes Ms. Bell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

A woman of striking beauty, she and her husband took a bold step and created, co-produced and launched their first daytime drama, \u201cThe Young and the Restl<\/em>ess\u201d in 1973. \u201cThe Bold and the Beautiful\u201d<\/em> followed 14 years later. The Bell\u2019s two successful dramas earned them 18 Emmy Awards and it also enabled them to reside in a mansion whose prior owners included Cary Grant and Howard Hughes. (Since her death this February, the home has been purchased by LeBron James of NBA fame.)<\/span><\/p>

Sadly, Lee Phillip Bell died in February at the age of 91; her husband died in 2005. The American Floral Endowment honors their memories by sharing the story of their successes and generosity \u2013 encouraging others to give as Ms. Bell gave. <\/span><\/p>

In 2008, Lee Phillip Bell established the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant<\/em><\/strong> <\/span>with a gift of $500,000 to the American Floral Endowment (AFE). Her ties to the floral industry stem from her parents who founded \u201cPhillip\u2019s Flowers<\/strong><\/span>,\u201d a very successful retail florist in Chicago. The business continues to be owned and operated by second, third and fourth generation family members. When establishing the grant, Ms. Bell noted, \u201cIt\u2019s a joy to honor James and Helen Phillip by helping people prepare to earn a livelihood in the flower business, which has meant so much to our family.<\/span>\u201d<\/strong><\/span><\/p>

To simply focus on Ms. Bell\u2019s obvious wealth would miss who she truly was.\u00a0 Warm and gracious with an easy smile, she made visitors feel comfortable and glad to be in her presence. This certainly was the case in 2007 when her nephew, Jim Phillip, and I visited her to discuss a possible gift to AFE. Yes, she was \u201cwarm and gracious,\u201d but only a fool would take Lee Bell for granted and she did not suffer fools lightly.\u00a0 One does not acquire such wealth without the savvy to steward it wisely.<\/span><\/p>

So, when we approached her about a gift to honor her parents, she asked numerous questions: How much money does AFE currently invest? Who invests the funds and how? How much is distributed for charitable purposes annually? How does AFE identify scholarship recipients? And the questions went on\u2026 After a thorough vetting, Ms. Bell determined her parents would indeed be honored if she invested in the Endowment. \u00a0Because her gift is endowed, the James and Helen Phillip Floral Design Grant<\/em> will live on in perpetuity, honoring her parents forevermore.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>

Lee Phillip Bell is not alone. Others have been inspired to invest generously in AFE. A former trustee designated 5% of his estate to the Endowment in his will. Asked if his generosity might upset his heirs he responded, \u201cLook, if my heirs cannot get along with 95% of my estate something else is very wrong. The floral industry has provided the means to support our whole family. My heirs will be very happy we expressed our gratitude through this gift.\u201d<\/span><\/p>

The future of our industry depends on advancements through research and the access students can gain through scholarships and grants. But it won\u2019t happen without broad industry support.<\/span><\/p>

The good news is that there are many easy and tax-wise ways to support AFE:<\/strong><\/span><\/p>