Phyllis Teitelbaum and Tony Lunn have supported Save the Children since they married in 1972.

Tony meeting with boys helped by Save the Children near Likhu, Nepal.

Making a World of Difference for Children in Need

Tony Lunn and Phyllis Teitelbaum began their philanthropic efforts in 1972 when they first married. At first, they sponsored a child through Save the Children. They'd always been aware of being among the fortunate of the world and decided they'd use their resources to help children who needed help. Over time they researched how to approach development work and expanded to supporting larger programs with Save the Children.

"Deciding not to have children, we wished to support children's long-term prospects in developing countries," Tony says. "Save the Children encouraged us to visit its programs. We initially thought it would be better to donate the money we would spend instead. But we eventually relented. My goodness, that was worthwhile."

He continues, "There's no better motivation than to see the benefits of what can be done with well-planned programs and then to tell others about them." In 1995, the couple visited El Salvador and was impressed. Villagers told them how Save the Children's program staff had changed their lives. One said, "I used to just go out and hoe my maize. But Save the Children opened my head with ideas for crops that would make more money for me and my family."

Another said, "Before Save the Children, my knees were shaking when I went to a government office. But Save the Children staff taught me how to be confident and tell the government that we needed a school and a teacher. And we got them."

Since that visit, Tony has journeyed to see health, education and livelihoods programming in Bolivia; the Philippines; Nepal; Bhutan; India and Papua, New Guinea.

Tony and Phyllis have extended their long commitment to Save the Children through planned giving. They've made Save the Children the beneficiary of their IRAs and are planning to leave a sizable portion of the rest of their estate as well. They say, "You don't have to have a fortune the size of Warren Buffett's to think about giving a significant amount of your estate to the less advantaged!"

Invest in Children's Futures

Do you have an important person in your life who connected you with Save the Children and ignited your passion for transforming children's lives? You can honor that shared commitment by giving your gift in tribute of your loved one. Contact the Planned Giving team at [email protected] to learn more about celebrating your shared values.

By including a gift to Save the Children in your will or other estate plan, you qualify for membership in the Eglantyne Jebb Society. Learn more about this inspirational group of supporters.