Double Blessings: UGM financial partners share the joy of giving

“We very much like to have our money matched any time we can.” – Houston Scrudder

During COVID, longtime UGM partners Houston Scrudder and Alene Alexander-Scrudder reached out with an offer we couldn’t refuse: Jeff Bezos had offered to match any $5,000 COVID-related gift, and the Scrudders were eager to connect us to individuals willing to contribute. UGM was glad to accept the partnership which launched an exciting new relationship with Houston and Alene.
That year, UGM was one of the largest recipients of Bezos’ grant in the region, and since then, Houston and Alene have had a hand in bringing in a total of nearly $400,000 in gifts through matching campaigns alone. They are also UGM Legacy Partners who have designated a portion of their estate to UGM in their will.  

Houston and Alene are passionate about sharing the joy of giving

“We made a commitment that we would use the maximum out of our retirement accounts to give gifts, and we very much like to have our money matched any time we can. We want more people to have the joy of giving.” - Houston

“We want more people

    to have the joy of giving.”

Since the 1970s, Houston Scrudder has been a leader in financial planning services. And his interest in financial stewardship started even before that. “My grandfather was a Presbyterian minister, my dad was a deacon. The first time I got an allowance, I was instructed that 10 percent went to God, and it started there.” 

But Houston’s career officially began when he had to return home from duty in the Vietnam War where he had sustained a serious injury. During his lengthy recovery, he got an unexpected job offer. “A fellow from my mom and dad’s church asked me if I wanted to work for them. It turns out, they are the very first financial planning firm in America. That was 1969, and in 1970, I gave my first seminar about financial planning. I was in the business for 52 years.” In 1979, he co-founded Quantum Financial Planning Services from which he retired in 2021.

During those years, he became aware of UGM’s longstanding success in the community and started giving a gift every December for Christmas meals. “[At Quantum] We told our clients it was in their honor. So, we have some clients now who give directly to UGM. Any way we can get people involved, we’re glad to see that happen.”

“Any way we can get people

involved, we’re glad to

see that happen.”

Alene and Houston met later in life, but discovered that they shared this philosophy. Together, they are leaders in generosity in every sphere of influence the Lord has given them. 

Being generous doesn’t have to be difficult: advice from Houston and Alene

Contribute to matching campaigns when you can. “Any time your gift will be doubled, try to take advantage of that. If you have just $25 to give, let it become $50. If you have $2,500, make it $5,000. The way I see it, it’s almost a no-brainer.”

Share your experience. “You don’t have to share how much you’re giving to any particular organization, but by all means, tell your friends and colleagues about your choice to give—especially if there’s a match they can get involved in, too. There is so much joy to be had in supporting the ministries doing the work that is close to your heart.”

Give directly from your IRA. “You can give from your IRA, and it’s really a benefit to you to do that. It's simple to get a checkbook from you IRA account. For Alene and myself, once a month we write a check to someone, a non-profit. There’s no complicated phone calls or middleman. You just write the check.”

About IRA gifts, Houston adds, “Last summer, a client and I had dinner together, and he told me, ‘We gave twice as much last year than we’d ever given before, and we gave twice as much this year as the year before.’ It was all because he had the checkbook in his hand.” 

Beyond generosity, Houston and Alene give to see lives change

In addition to driving an incredible amount of support toward homeless and recovery services at Union Gospel Mission, Houston and Alene are hard at work in other parts of our community. Alene is the executive director at Embrace Washington, a provider of foster care services and education, and Houston is an advocate for the legal rights of veterans and their spouses. 

Although Houston and Alene are widely involved across the region, they say that UGM is particularly close to their heart. Houston says, “There’s no excuse for anybody going hungry or unsheltered in Spokane today. There are plenty of providers offering food and shelter, but UGM goes beyond that; they change lives.” 

“There are plenty of providers

offering food and shelter, but

UGM goes beyond that; they

change lives." - Houston Scrudder