Written by Sarah Ikemoto, Development Manager
Amy Sanders first became acquainted with Population Connection, then Zero Population Growth, through one of CEO John Seager’s presentations in the San Francisco Bay Area. At the time, she was seeking out an organization to support through her office’s corporate giving. Since that presentation, Amy became a dedicated member of Population Connection, and we are honored that she joined our ZPG Society by including us in her estate plans.
Growing up in Wisconsin, Amy spent much of her time outdoors, where she developed a deep passion for nature and the joy it brings. Amy witnessed the effects of unchecked local population growth, watching natural spaces grow smaller as time progressed. “Everything is so built up compared to how it was,” she said. “Everything is now just a giant suburb.”
Amy was excited by John Seager’s presentation and how it reflected her values regarding the effects of population change. “I’m a huge conservation buff as well and I already found my niche there. We were just missing the big picture.” She continued, “We can talk about global warming, water shortages, and fires, but the bottom line is: We’re missing the point. With John, I felt I found someone who got it and was passionate about it. I thought, here’s a group that I trust.”
In addition to her giving, Amy is also a dedicated volunteer. She has volunteered to distribute information at local festivals and the Civic Center. Her passion becomes evident in the way she can banter with attendees, develop camaraderie with her fellow volunteers, and work diligently to improve her local community. Not to be boxed in, Amy, a retired CPA and banker, trains her dog, Farley, to run agility courses, attends Population Connection’s webinars, participates in neighborhood town halls and walks at least a marathon every week with Farley.
A true CPA, Amy extensively researched her options for planned giving when establishing her estate. In her case, she explained that “Typically money stays in the family. I don’t have children myself but I do have a niece and nephew.” Amy adopted a new vision of how she could use some of her resources to benefit her family; she chose to invest in the future of her family with her decision to include Population Connection in her estate plans. Amy shared, “My legacy, my money, can work for me past my lifetime. It’s important to me.”
Amy emphasizes that there is still a long way to go towards achieving population stabilization and remedying the related issues facing our planet such as accessing health care, combating global warming, and conserving nature. Yet, she is hopeful and believes that Population Connection’s work moves things in the right direction. “We’re starting to see some change; I’ll put money on it.”