SACRAMENTO, Calif., March 14, 2013 - The Sacramento Region Community Foundation announced that Robert Lew of Planning & Financial Advisors in San Francisco and Kent W. Silvester of Boutin Jones, Inc. are the recipients of the second annual Don Poole Award for significant contributions to the Foundation's mission of growing philanthropy in our region. According to Ruth Blank, CEO, "the selection of Robert Lew and Kent Silvester as the 2013 Don Poole awardees was a natural, given the respect they have earned from their peers and clients for their long standing commitment to educating clients and colleagues about charitable giving. Their work has elevated philanthropy in our region and will lead to a stronger community for all through the gifts their clients have made."

Robert Lew is a nationally recognized speaker, known for his unique approaches to ever-changing tax legislation as it relates to charitable giving and an early advocate of values-based philanthropy. He has also been instrumental in the development of the Yolo Community Foundation and its affiliation with the Sacramento Region Community Foundation.

Kent W. Silvester began working with Don Poole early in his career and is recognized by his peers for carrying forward Don's approach to philanthropy through his technical expertise and his view that charitable giving is an important part of estate planning. Kent has spoken on numerous charitable topics to share his knowledge of charitable planning with colleagues, and he has been instrumental in the creation of numerous charitable funds at the Foundation.

Don Poole, a veteran estate planning attorney and former Community Foundation board member, spent 38 years at McDonough, Holland & Allen. Don died in 2009, leaving an inspiring legacy for fellow advisors. Don's practice included creating plans for large and small estates that require sophisticated charitable giving techniques. He believed that it is vital for estate planners to ask about the clients' charitable intent and to help them reach their goals while achieving favorable tax status. As Don often stated to clients, "I am going to get you to part with your money and you will like it because the IRS loses and your family wins."

The Community Foundation also announced that seven local advisors received its 2013 Bridge Builder award for their roles in encouraging donors to achieve their charitable objectives through the foundation. Because of the honorees' efforts, a number of funds with extremely diverse charitable purposes were brought to the Foundation, offering support for community efforts such as:

• Scholarships to help future teachers earn degrees in special needs education;
• Funding to start an endowment for the Sacramento Gay Men's Chorus;
• Dedicated support for vital Yolo County nonprofits;
• Funding for emerging artists and art forms;
• Support for Chinese American historical, cultural and educational programs; and
• Funding for neo-natal care and support services.