Charitable Giving Through a Donor-Advised Fund

Ben and Marie Rosenberg

For Ben Rosenberg and his wife Marie, charitable giving is more than just passion; it is a priority. And, when Ben’s business partner and long-time friend Jim was diagnosed with Stage IV pancreatic cancer in May 2020, just three months after he retired, Ben wanted to honor Jim in the best way he could—by donating to the Lustgarten Foundation to support the most life-saving research possible.

Jim’s pancreatic cancer was discovered during routine testing to monitor a liver condition he had dealt with years prior but had since recovered from. Instead of a celebratory retirement trip to Greece with his wife Mary Jane and the Rosenbergs, he had to process this devastating diagnosis, immediately start chemotherapy, and ensure his affairs were in order for Mary Jane and their family. Jim, 73, remained optimistic he would beat the disease; however, he passed away in August 2020, only three months after his diagnosis.

In 2021, Ben and Marie started donating $10,000 annually to the Lustgarten Foundation in memory of Jim. They were grateful for, and encouraged by, Lustgarten’s commitment to funding the most promising and impactful research—research that didn’t come soon enough for Jim but would hopefully benefit thousands of future patients and their families. “Research is multi-layered. We’re not just looking for a cure; we are interested in an early detection test and more treatment options,” Ben shared.

Ben attended the Foundation’s inaugural scientific symposium, Seeing Beyond, in 2023. “Listening to the doctors and researchers talking to their colleagues and leading fascinating presentations gave me lots of hope and made me feel like breakthroughs are close,” Ben remarked. “I was especially inspired hearing about the Foundation’s work using artificial intelligence and data to identify certain symptoms and markers indicating someone is on the verge of getting pancreatic cancer. These are such exciting times for research!”

Ben felt driven to do even more to support Lustgarten and was fortunate to have the connections to do so, thanks to his position as the former owner of a New York-based computer software company. He decided to leverage his network of high-net-worth friends and former colleagues working in the computer industry on the West Coast to raise awareness and research funding for the Foundation. Ben started by asking a friend who works at Microsoft to make a sizable donation to Lustgarten, and in return, Ben donated to a charity of his friend’s choice. This became a win-win situation for Ben and his friend, and now Ben plans to ask others to donate to Lustgarten, and he will reciprocate by contributing to a charity they care deeply about. “I hope my friends and colleagues recognize how meaningful Lustgarten’s work is and will continue to donate way beyond their first contribution.”

To date, Ben and Marie have donated $145,000 to the Foundation, and they are advocates of contributing through their Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)—a tax-advantaged charitable giving account that helps to augment giving capacity and streamline philanthropy. DAFs are long-term investment vehicles that are simple to use, the funds can be easily transferred to the account holder’s nonprofit of choice, and there are no tangible financial benefits for the account holder. Through a DAF account, donors contribute cash, securities, or other illiquid assets, invest in the market, and then distribute cash gifts to nonprofits. “Marie and I invest securities in our DAF annually, and then they appreciate each year, and we give more and more money away to causes that resonate with us, including those focused on healthcare, children, or military veterans.”

“Marie and I appreciate that the Lustgarten Foundation has been around for a long time, and that pancreatic cancer has come so far because of the extensive research the Foundation supports. Now, we need more people to donate to this research, so we can help to make sure more people survive this disease,” Ben continued. “It is so important to contribute to something you believe in and where you can do the most good. For Marie and me, the Lustgarten Foundation meets those criteria.”