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Shaping the Future of Healthcare in the Pacific Northwest

Legacy Scholarship: Honoring Our Trailblazers

The Legacy Scholarship celebrates the lasting contributions of trailblazers in the osteopathic medical profession—those whose leadership, vision, and dedication have shaped the field and inspired future generations.

Each Legacy Scholarship is awarded in honor of individuals or groups who have made a significant impact on osteopathic medicine. These scholarships not only provide meaningful financial support to osteopathic medical students but also carry forward the values and spirit of those who helped build the profession.

By investing in tomorrow’s physicians, the Legacy Scholarship ensures that the legacy of these pioneers continues to thrive through the work of compassionate, community-minded DOs.

Honoring the past. Empowering the future.

Meet Our Honorees

We are proud to honor the extraordinary individuals whose vision and dedication have left a lasting legacy in osteopathic medicine. Each Legacy Scholarship tells the story of a trailblazer whose values and contributions live on through the next generation of DOs.

Doc E.L. Burnham

Since 2004, the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation has awarded tuition assistance scholarships in memory of the beloved Doc E.L. Burnham. His family and friends initially raised over $10,000 to ensure that a $1,000 scholarship would be awarded annually in his name. Inspired by Doc Burnham’s daily mantra—“Oh, what a wonderful day!”—the Wonderful World Scholarship Fund was created. Thanks to generous donors, this fund has grown significantly, allowing the Foundation to award a $10,000 scholarship every year for over a decade, supporting osteopathic medical students in achieving their dreams.

Henry Floyd, Jr., D.O.

In 2002, family and friends established the Floyd Henry Jr., D.O. Scholarship Endowment Fund in memory of a truly exceptional physician. “No one stood taller in the osteopathic profession than Floyd E. Henry Jr., D.O. I’ve never known a doctor more respected by his patients and peers.”

— William Chambers, Former President of Eastmoreland Hospital. Dr. Henry’s legacy of compassion, clinical excellence, and leadership continues to inspire future DOs. Through this scholarship, his commitment to the profession lives on.

Genie Willis, D.O.

In 2006, B.E. “Genie” Willis, D.O., launched the Northwest Osteopathic Women’s Scholarship Fund with a clear vision: to support and uplift female osteopathic medical students. Each year, this fund awards a $10,000 scholarship to a deserving woman from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington, helping her pursue a career in osteopathic medicine and carry forward Dr. Willis’s legacy of empowerment and advocacy.

Shirley Carpenter

The Shirley Carpenter Endowed Scholarship Fund celebrates the remarkable impact Shirley Carpenter had on osteopathic medicine throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond. With the support of the Montana Osteopathic Medical Association and generous community donors, this fund provides an annual scholarship to an osteopathic medical student from Montana, continuing Shirley’s inspiring legacy of service and dedication to the profession.”

Interested in creating a Legacy Scholarship? Please Contact Us.

Phone: 971-491-5566
Email: jforsythe@nwosteo.org

Countdown to Future Healers Giving Month (October 1, 2025)

Future Healers Giving Day: The Future Is Brighter — But There’s More to Do

Thanks to your incredible support, we exceeded our Giving Day goal and raised $11,555 — 115% of our $10,000 goal! With the Board Match, your generosity helped us raise over $20,000 to empower future osteopathic physicians across the Northwest.

This was a huge win — but the work doesn’t stop here. There are still more communities to serve, more students to support, and more stories to write. Your continued support fuels scholarships, strengthens access to care, and shapes a healthier future for us all.

Join us in the next chapter. Give today.

We Did It — and We’re Just Getting Started!

Your Gift Makes a Difference in Our Communities

Donate Now — Keep the Momentum Going

Other Ways to Give

Qualified Charitable Distribution

If you are 70 ½ years or older and have a traditional IRA, you are eligible to make a tax-free donation directly from your IRA to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation called a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). These gifts are tax-free and can be a smarter way to support NWOF this year.

For those aged 72 and older, Qualified Charitable Distributions can count towards your required minimum distribution, allowing you to use your IRA to support the NWOF in our mission.

Thanks to the Legacy IRA Act, the annual qualified charitable distribution (QCD) is now indexed for direct gifts to charity. In 2024, this amount is $105,000. Individuals age 70½ or older are permitted to make distributions from their IRA directly to charity and avoid reporting of the income.

Benefits

  • It’s a tax-efficient way to make an impact. Because the distribution isn’t taxable income, it’s effectively a charitable deduction.
  • You can direct your gift to a specific fund or purpose within the American Osteopathic Foundation
  • The distribution can count towards your annual required minimum distribution (RMD) for those 72 and older.
  • It’s a special opportunity for individuals aged 70½ and older to give up to $105,000 annually to support the mission of the NWOF.
To learn more, contact the Foundation (971) 491-5566 or jforsythe@nwosteo.org.

Stocks, Bonds & Mutual Funds

When you gift stocks and other securities, you make an outsized impact without taking money directly out of your bank account. Plus, neither you nor the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation will be taxed on the gains for appreciated assets you donate.

Benefits

  • You may receive immediate income tax savings.
  • You may be able to avoid capital gains tax on appreciated stock.
  • When you give appreciated stocks directly to charity, your gift can be up to 20% larger because you avoid the taxes you’d incur from selling and donating the cash.
  • Donations of appreciated securities may be designated for a specific fund or purpose in the Foundation’s mission.
To learn more about gifting securities to the NWOF please contact Foundation (971) 491-5566 or jforsythe@nwosteo.org.

Donor Advised Funds

You can make a grant from your existing donor advised fund to make a difference and support the future of the Osteopathic community today.

A donor advised fund, or DAF, is like a charitable investment account for the sole purpose of supporting charitable organizations you care about, like the NWOF. When you contribute cash, securities, or other assets to a donor advised fund, you are generally eligible to take an immediate tax deduction. Then those funds can be invested for tax-free growth, and you can recommend grants to virtually any IRS-qualified public charity.

Use Your Fund to Make a Gift Now

Donors may recommend grants at any time to qualified U.S. charities. Typically, a grant check accompanying a letter will be sent to the recipient organization. The letter is personalized per the donor’s instructions and can also have a special purpose noted, such as “In honor of” or “In memory of …

Create a Legacy Gift

The final distribution of contributions remaining in your donor advised fund after your lifetime can be designated when you create or update your fund. By simply completing the beneficiary designation form assigned to your fund, you can name successor advisors to your fund or a specific charity(ies) to receive a portion of your fund balance.

To learn more about gifting through your DAF to the NWOF please contact Foundation (971) 491-5566 or jforsythe@nwosteo.org.

Life Insurance

When the original purpose for a life insurance policy no longer applies, you can donate your policy to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation to support the continuation of the Osteopathic profession.

Benefits

  • When you transfer ownership of a life insurance policy, you can receive an immediate income tax deduction for the cash value of the policy.
  • If you make your premium payments on the gifted policy directly to the NWOF, we will forward them to the insurance company, and you may be eligible for a charitable deduction for your payments.
Donating life insurance allows you to make a significant and meaningful gift today without affecting your cash flow during your lifetime. To learn more about gifting a life insurance contract to the NWOF, contact the Foundation at (971) 491-5566 or jforsythe@nwosteo.org.

Will or Trust

A charitable bequest through your will or revocable trust is an easy and flexible way to help us in our mission to support the Osteopathic community. Your will or trust gives you peace of mind knowing your loved ones are taken care of, your assets are distributed accurately, and your gift reflects your personal values. By including a bequest to the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation in your estate plan, you ensure you’re leaving a lasting impact that will sustain our work into the future.

Benefits

  • You retain control of your assets throughout your lifetime.
  • You retain flexibility with the ability to modify your bequest as your circumstances change.
  • You can customize how to make your gift by specifying a specific dollar amount, or a particular asset (such as stock or real estate) or name the NWOF as a remainder/residual beneficiary of your estate by leaving a percentage of whatever remains of your estate after all specific bequests are paid.

To learn more, contact the Foundation at (971) 491-5566 or jforsythe@nwosteo.org.

Your ongoing support helps us empower the next generation of physicians & ensures a healthier future for all in our community.