Welcome to the AVK Legacy Fund, established in 2021 to honor the life of Ann Vallely Kooi, our brilliant and inspiring mother, grandmother, sister and friend, whose passion for giving back and being of service to others put principle into practice, improving the lives of the people both in her community and abroad.  

About Ann: A graduate of Boston’s Newton-Wellesley School of Nursing, Ann made an impact on countless people’s lives—through the care she gave patients and clients as head RN in the ICU of Phoenix’s Good Samaritan Hospital, during her work in the ER of the Valley’s key trauma centers, and throughout the dazzling career she embarked upon when she brought her healthcare expertise to the legal realm—not to mention, beyond that, through her volunteer work for Recording for the Blind and finally, upon retirement, at Hospice of the Valley’s Gardiner Home, where she lovingly cared for people living with dementia.  

Ann was passionate about her volunteer work, and thanks to the combined experience of her career path and personal life—helping her sister to care for their mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease—she was perfectly prepared for the job. “I retired and was looking for something to do with the skills I had to apply,” she explained in an interview for a magazine profile on volunteers, “My ex-husband had died at a Hospice of the Valley palliative care unit and I was impressed with the care given there. I wanted to give back.”  

Inspiration: Ann’s dedication to service inspired her children to honor her legacy in the same spirit. As they considered how best to do this, they remembered the suggestion of Nicholas Kristof, in a 2011 New York Times column, to shift the priorities of giving, which had long ago inspired them to commemorate Mother’s Day with a donation in Ann’s name to the Kibera School for Girls in Kenya, a country for which Ann had developed a great love during her multiple visits. Their mother was so moved by the gesture that she mentioned it again with fondness in the days before her passing.

Mission: The AVK Legacy Fund aims to offer meaningful ways to honor loved ones through gifts that make a lasting impact, presenting an alternative to the gifts traditionally exchanged on holidays, birthdays, and special occasions (such as flowers and material goods). 

To continue Ann’s mission of giving and caring, we’ve established this fund to support a range of causes to which Ann was committed during her lifetime:

• Advancing the health, education and rights of women and girls around the world 
• Providing compassionate care for families and individuals living with dementia
• Furthering wildlife conservation efforts and animal welfare initiatives

Ann was the light of our family; everyone looked up to her and admired her quiet grace. Please join us as we continue her legacy. Your tax deductible donation to the AVK Legacy Fund will make a difference and transform lives. Thank you. 

Fund Administrators

• Kathryn MacLeod

• Brian MacLeoad

Donate Two Ways

By Mail:

AVK Legacy Fund
CharitySmith Nonprofit Foundation

13100 Filly Lane | Truckee | California | 96161

Online:

Use credit card by clicking the link below.

The above Memorial Fund is established as a division of Charitysmith Nonprofit Foundation (EIN 87-0636433). All donations are tax deductible in accordance with federal tax law. Receipts for tax purposes are sent via US Mail within two weeks of donation. Please consider asking if your employer participates in a gift-matching program. If so, your donation may be matched by your employer.

For questions regarding your donation or this memorial fund please contact CharitySmith.