(Washington, D.C.) –  Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), the nation’s premier taxpayer watchdog organization, is pleased to announce a record $4.7 million bequest to the J. Peter Grace Legacy Society from the Dawn H. Potter Revocable Trust.  CAGW President Tom Schatz stated, “On behalf of the board of directors and employees of CAGW, it is an honor to receive this gift; we are truly humbled by the generosity of Mrs. Potter.”

A great admirer of Grace Commission chairman and CAGW co-founder J. Peter Grace, Mrs. Potter was a Charter Member of the organization, joining in 1993.  “It was always a great pleasure discussing CAGW’s activities with Mrs. Potter,” said Schatz. “Her sharp intellect and commonsense views on the policy debates in Washington were refreshing and emblematic of so many of the concerned taxpayers who support our organization.  Mrs. Potter’s gift will be an important boost to CAGW’s mission of eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.”   

Mrs. Potter had a strong commitment to philanthropy.  She was a donor to Hillsdale College, endowing the Paul Ermine Potter and Dawn Tibbetts Potter Professor of Politics, and supported several other conservative public policy organizations.

CAGW plans to use Mrs. Potter’s bequest to enhance its public and media outreach activities, including underwriting an annual video series; broaden its impact on state tax and spending issues by funding a new staff position dedicated to state policy work; and endow the Dawn H. Potter Investigative Fellowship, which will spearhead CAGW’s original research into federal waste and mismanagement.        

Established in 1997 by the Grace family, the J. Peter Grace Legacy Society is a living memorial to Peter Grace – and to his vision of a fiscally responsible government that is accountable to taxpayers.  Since its inception, the society has received more than $6 million in gifts.  For more information about the society, please contact CAGW Director of Development Martin Rundle at (202) 467-5315.

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, mismanagement and abuse in government.

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