Dave and Liz Nyitray

Building a Legacy of Generosity

Dave and Liz Nyitray have been committed to giving their time, talent, and treasure throughout their lives.

At a young age, both Dave and Liz were taught the importance of giving back to their community. “We grew up believing that whatever we have is a blessing, and we should use that to bless others,” Liz said.

The two met during the first week of the first semester at Hope College. Dave, a Holland native and Holland Christian graduate, studied political science and business; Liz, originally from Manistee, was quickly drawn to social work. Dave and Liz understood that giving their time and talent was just as beneficial, if not more, than their money. So, the two volunteered together and individually for several community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, American Cancer Society, and Dance Marathon.

After graduating from Hope, Liz took her passion and talent to Africa, where she spent a year volunteering at Sheltering Wings orphanage in Burkina Faso. Dave thought he wanted to positively impact the world through a career in Washington, D.C., but after a six- month internship, realized it wasn’t the right fit for him.

He returned to the Holland area and was fortunate to work for Development Strategies, where he was a fundraising consultant for numerous nonprofit organizations. This allowed him to see every aspect of how nonprofits engaged in the community and, ultimately, is what hooked him into a career in the nonprofit sector.

Dave’s primary method of giving back to his community is through his work as development director at the Outdoor Discover Center. “Going to work every day, knowing that what I do contributes to everyone’s well-being, that’s really fulfilling,” he explained.

Liz gives her time and talent helping children and families through the adoption process at Bethany Christian Services, where she is a social worker. “It is filled with highs and lows,” Liz said, “but I know that working with children and families is where I’m supposed to be.”

Dave also serves on several nonprofit boards including Community Action House and Lakeshore Nonprofit Alliance, and they both volunteer at their church, Madison Square Christian Reformed Church.

Liz shared that they “want to continue their tradition of generosity in the way that they live and raise their son, Noah.” One of these ways was by contributing to the future success of their community through their estate plans.

In 2017, the Nyitrays joined more than 175 individuals and couples as members of CFHZ’s Bridge Builder Society by making an estate gift commitment to our Community’s Endowment here at CFHZ.

“We aren’t going to be alive forever and we won’t always know what issues come up in the community, but supporting institutions like the Community Foundation is a way to make sure that we continue to support needs that we might not even know of today.” Dave said.

Another aspect of CFHZ that resonates with them is the donor service work. “Working with donors is a big part of the work I do at the Outdoor Discovery Center” Dave explained. “One of the things that really made sense to me is the way CFHZ helps make giving easy to support the community.”

When the changes to the tax law came in effect, the Nyitrays knew they could turn to the expertise of the Community Foundation. By taking advantage of the foundation’s recommended double-up strategy, Dave and Liz can contribute two years’ worth of giving at once into a newly established Donor Advised Fund, and then continue to make gifts out of the fund to their chosen nonprofit organizations spread out over the two years. This allows them to receive the full tax deduction for their gifts since they will be able to itemize their deductions every other year while still being consistent supporters of the organizations they love.

To learn more about Donor Advised Funds, visit www.cfhz.org/daf

Originally featured in the Community Foundation’s 2018 Spring Newsletter. While this was written by CFHZ’s Communications Associate Lina Pierson in 2018, we believe that stories of generosity are timeless and always relevant.