Giving for educational purposes is a popular choice. It's second only to religious donations. According to Giving USA, Americans donated $41.3 billion to educational institutions in 2012. That is a 7-percent increase from the previous year.
May Jean Wolff and her husband Lou have been part of the Fort Lauderdale community since the 1950s. As Lou's career as an architect flourished, the two wanted to give back. They started by donating money for scholarships to Broward College.
Eventually, they formed a charitable family foundation and continued their focus on giving toward education. The idea behind their giving is to help deserving students get started and continue their academic careers.
May Jean doesn't know how many students and Lou have helped through the years, and while they have met some of those they have helped, it is a rare occasion. WLRN's Sunshine Economy arranged, with the help of Broward College, for May Jean to meet one recipient, Thamara Jean of Miramar.
Thamara is in the honors program at Broward College and was getting straight A's through the fall midterms. The $400 Wolff scholarship helped buy her textbooks, allowing her to take honors classes. Thamara hopes to study pediatric nursing at the University of Pennsylvania.
Listen to her encounter with the May Jean below.
