Dave Wolff grew up in Saranac Lake. Even after high school, when college and career led him to other places, he never really left. Though they lived in Connecticut for much of their married life, he and his wife Holly had been coming to the Adirondacks for over thirty years before making it their permanent home in 2013. Holly notes with a wink that Dave managed to keep black fly season a secret for most of those years. Their home on Kiwassa Lake is on a lovely Adirondack property that once belonged to Dave’s parents.
Dave can’t help but to smile while musing on the perks of small-town life: “People stop to let you cross the street even when there isn’t a crosswalk, and the UPS driver stops in the middle of town to let you know he has a package for you.” He also points out, “We love living here because it’s a place where we can make a difference through both our volunteer service and our philanthropy, a tradition we inherited from both our families.”
In 2018, Dave and Holly established the Kiwassa Fund, a Donor Advised Fund, to carry out their philanthropy. Just as the lake it is named after joins forces with other waters to become a powerful river flowing into the region’s largest lake, the Wolffs' fund is one of nearly 300 at the Foundation whose collective volume, mass, and energy power local philanthropy.
Holly and Dave appreciate how this type of fund provides multiple benefits. For instance, they can initiate a grant at any time from the Kiwassa Fund through an online portal. No check-writing or mailing on their part; no credit card fees for the nonprofit receiving their gift. Plus, they can see their giving records whenever they need to. Their fund’s structure allows them to contribute additional dollars to it when it makes sense for tax and financial purposes, and they can consequently grant from their fund at opportune times for the nonprofits they support.
“It was the best way to do our giving to all the causes we’re passionate about – and have the guidance of foundation staff behind us,” Holly observes. “Over time, we have seen Adirondack Foundation at work and have realized the depth of their understanding of community issues, as well as the impact of their efforts.”
We love living here because it's a place where we can make a difference through both our volunteer service and our philanthropy, a tradition we inherited from both our families.”
As a former Trustee and an officer at the foundation, Holly has had an insider’s view as she helped to grow the reach and outcomes of the foundation – especially the Generous Acts and Birth to Three Alliance programs, which are close to her heart. Dave initially came to understand the foundation when he set up an endowment fund to benefit The Olympic Museum in Lake Placid to honor his father’s contributions to the region’s Olympic efforts. “Based on these experiences, setting up the Kiwassa Fund seemed like a natural next step for us,” says Dave.
Their fund is also a legacy vehicle. Via their bequest, the Kiwassa Fund will receive gifts that will enable it to keep giving after their lifetimes. “I would also say that we see our kids as our greatest legacy,” Holly says. “They currently direct a portion of the fund’s grants every year, and we take heart knowing they’ll continue this tradition of family giving long after we’re gone.”
Paraphrasing a quotation from Anna Quindlen, Holly shares a maxim she and Dave live by: If you don’t do good, doing well is not enough. With strong family giving traditions, a devotion to their community, and an active donor advised fund, they have taken doing good to exceptional levels.
