Mark Knoerr: 18 Years of Multifaceted Generosity, Inspired by the Outdoors

Retired architect Mark Knoerr began volunteering for YES nearly two decades ago when its annual fundraising event came around. He was drawn to support as a volunteer and then as a donor because YES’s nature-focused programming struck a chord with him. He’d spent many of his days as a kid on outdoor adventures like hiking, camping, backpacking, skiing, and sailing, and he knew first hand how impactful it could be to have skill development opportunities like these. 

As Mark followed YES’s evolution over the years, he was impressed by YES’s thoughtful growth and stable leadership, as Blanca Hernandez and Eric Aaholm capably built on the original vision that YES’s founder had laid out. Then, hearing stories of young people’s educational success sustained his passion for the cause over the years. He shared: “YES’s rates of students graduating high school and going into secondary education are just amazing. Plus, I see YES participants becoming life-long learners, which is critical to becoming good citizens and environmental stewards.”

When Mark first heard of the project to renovate YES’s Base Camp, he’d recently retired and saw a great opportunity to share the technical skills and expertise he’d built during his decades of designing community-based centers and cultural buildings around the Bay Area. He offered to serve as YES’s pro-bono project manager for its new building, gathering the input of YES participants and staff and then outlining a Request for Proposals that could be shared with local architects. 

Eric Aaholm shared, “We could not have gotten this project off the ground without Mark. He was involved from the beginning, providing wise counsel and filling our knowledge gaps, with an eye towards the best-possible experience for YES participants.”

Mark had always been a yearly donor to YES’s fundraising campaigns. But after seeing the many ways that the Base Camp Campaign would create sustainability for YES and the entire Richmond community, he decided to step up with a significantly larger gift than he’d ever made before. He shared how his thinking evolved: 

“I had put YES in my trust for a future gift a few years back, but I really felt motivated by the current need represented by the Base Camp Campaign. I felt that my minimum required distribution from retirement could be used now to help support the campaign. My mindset was, ‘Why wait? Do it now. Having a plan 20 years from now is great and you should still put YES in your trust, but when a need like this is immediate, it’s important to step up now.’” 

Mark looks forward to continuing his support of YES, both financially and as a volunteer. He says, “I can’t wait to see the new building going up. I can tell you as an architect, it’s thoughtfully designed for current and future programming needs. The location across the street from the park is ideal. It’s a great addition to the Richmond community as a whole, and it feels good to be personally involved.”

YES is tremendously grateful to Mark for his leadership and generosity. 

Note: If you or someone you know are 70½ or older and might be interested in learning more about Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCD), Investopedia has an outline of the basics and a financial advisor could help you dive deeper. In short, QCDs are a way to donate directly from a retirement fund to a cause you care about, while also reducing your tax burden.