'It Was a No-Brainer'

One Couple Shares Why an Estate Gift Was an Easy Decision

Ask David and Elizabeth Budd of Denver what they value in life and they are quick to list values that you may also share.

Elizabeth talks about friendship and lasting relationships, working hard, keeping busy, and staying healthy. David adds values like living fully and the beauty of Colorado. He says Colorado is known for its natural beauty, "from the plains to the mountains with all of its diversity of terrain and scenery." He's quick to add that Colorado is also a socially beautiful environment.

"Whenever family come to visit from back East, they always say the people here are so nice," David explains.

It's those shared values that have inspired them to name Colorado Public Radio in their estate plan.

A Trusted Source for News and Music

When they listen to CPR, Elizabeth says they can trust what they hear.

"It's not sensationalized," she says. "It's fact driven."

"You can tell that it's important for the people at CPR to get the full story," David adds.

They also agree they learn more about news in Colorado from CPR than they do from any other news source.

It's not just news programming that reflects their values, though. They think OpenAir is a great idea for finding music that you'd never hear otherwise.

They're also big fans of classical music. "We're season ticket holders and supporters of Opera Colorado and the Colorado Sympony, because it ties into our love for classical music," Elizabeth says. "My love for classical music started early; my grandfather was the chief clarinetist for the Chicago Opera, and I was going to the opera as early as I was on skis-three years old! My interest in music outlasted the skiing."

David continues as an avid skier, cyclist and professional photographer. In addition, Elizabeth works as an editor and enjoys gardening, reading, movies, barre classes and long walks with their two dogs, Archer, a rottweiler, and Gatsby, an English bulldog. Simon the cat tolerates all of this activity.

Why Plan Ahead?

With Elizabeth's father now passed and both of David's parents gone, they realized in the past few years it was time to make a will. Without children, should something happen to both of them, advance planning just made sense.

As they considered their priorities, they immediately thought of Colorado Public Radio as an organization to support with their planning. "It was a no-brainer," Elizabeth says. "We may visit a museum a few times a year, but we use Colorado Public Radio every day."

"It's an information source that is credible," David says. "That makes it trusted, like a lasting friendship."

Giving to Colorado Public Radio has been a priority to the Budds since before they were married, but naming CPR in their estate plan is a way to complement their giving.

"It's not necessarily easy to give $10,000 or $20,000 now, but we can do more with our wills after we're gone," Elizabeth explains.

"If you haven't already put CPR in your will, think about taking that step," she adds. "It's a way to ensure that this keeps going."

"If it's something you value, do it now," David says. "You can't when you're gone."