Donor Stories
Saifuddin Vagh
A few years ago Frioz and Jabeen Vagh began thinking about a way to formalize their philanthropy.
Jabeen's father and Firoz's mother had recently passed and the two felt the time had come to think about their legacy. Both had been raised by generous families in India.
Growing up, Firoz saw his father, Saifuddin, extend a helping hand to many people in the community. Family, friends, and even casual acquaintances seemed to be aware of Mr. Vagh's generosity.
After his passing, the family learned his generosity was far more extensive than they ever knew - letters of condolence arrived from people wanting to share moving stories of what Mr. Vagh had done for them. Never mentioning it to his family or bragging to his friends, Vagh had quietly arranged to help educate scores of deserving students in his community who could not thank him enough.
After their parents' deaths, while working for a local accounting firm, Jabeen was assigned to the annual audit for the Community Foundation. She saw first-hand the many ways Foundation donors had chosen to give back. Jabeen talked with Firoz about honoring the memory of their parents by helping the underserved in their community.
As an accountant, Jabeen's knowledge of tax benefits led her to the idea of gifting a rental home she and Firoz owned. A gift of appreciated real estate would allow them to avoid capital gains tax while providing the Foundation with a valuable asset.
The Foundation sold the home donated by the Vaghs; the Vagh/Zavery Fund was established with the proceeds to provide seed money to benefit Muslim Community Services, a nonprofit organization that facilitates services to Muslims who use the Islamic Center, and all members of the larger community surrounding the Center.
Services offered include: medical and dental referral service, wellness and family counseling, food and clothing, legal services and youth programs.
