James Ingold has made St. Jude his legacy

James Ingold remembers sitting next to a family on their first day at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® and seeing them go “from 100 percent panic and concern to comfort and hope in one minute” as the woman who worked the admissions desk explained the St. Jude no-bill policy. 

Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.

He was there with a close family friend whose son had begun treatment for cancer in 2004. That was the year James went from being a casual St. Jude supporter to a passionate champion for the mission.

Since then, he and his wife, Martha, have helped raise more than $2.5 million for St. Jude, in part, from a regular letter the CPA sends to his fellow supporters.

If you think about how much it costs to run St. Jude for a single day, it’s a daunting number that runs into the millions, said James. So, the Illinois accountant encourages his donors to think about giving to St. Jude to cover operating costs in small increments of several seconds or one minute — he tabulates the numbers for them.

“You wouldn’t believe the checks I started getting for those weird amounts: $317, $633, $959, $3,800,” said James. “An investment in one child’s most important minute. And it really worked.” 

This focus on charitable giving led James and Martha to name St. Jude as a primary beneficiary of their estate. As members of the Danny Thomas - St. Jude Society, a group of dedicated supporters who have included St. Jude in their estate plans, they take part in special St. Jude events and have their name inscribed on the St. Jude Legacy Wall. They’re in good health and plan to stay that way, but they know the importance of planning ahead.

James advises all his accounting clients to make their estate plans. It’s never too soon, he said. “If you’re worried about how your money will be distributed without a will, it’s time to start thinking about it,” advised James. 

James stresses the importance of making any charitable wishes known. 

Of course, he’d love everyone to make a charitable plan for St. Jude, but he asks each client to look into their own hearts for guidance — and put in on paper.

While it isn’t strictly necessary, James believes sharing charitable giving plans with family is wise. “It avoids questions after you’re gone and lets your family know how important that charity is to you,” he said. 

It also helps the family know where memorial gifts should be directed.

For all his focus on numbers, James cherishes the stories of all the St. Jude families he’s met throughout the years.

Last year, at a St. Jude Walk/Run event, he met a young boy and his mom who was soon to celebrate his No More Chemo party at St. Jude. 

“There are times you can’t help tearing up a bit, and that was one of those moments,” he later wrote to his audience of St. Jude donors

Wanna talk about legacy? It looks like a little boy’s smile.

“Folks, it doesn’t get any better that.”

October is National Estate Planning Awareness Month. To learn more about how you can include St. Jude in your estate plan, click here: Planned giving - St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital