Committed to Community, Together
David and Marylu Mesa’s journey of giving is deeply rooted in family values and a shared commitment to community. Both native Californians, they saw generosity modeled early on by their parents. “It was just the way we grew up,” says Marylu.
David was raised in San Juan Bautista and built a decades-long finance career in local government, including the Counties of Monterey, San Benito, and Napa. Marylu, originally from Palo Alto, earned her BA from UC Berkeley and two master’s degrees to support her calling as an ESL instructor at Gonzales High School and Hartnell College. The couple met at a community wine tasting class and have been learning and giving together ever since.
Their giving journey began with service. David was honored in 2012 by being selected as one of six Jefferson Award Nominees for his contributions and service on the boards of Pajaro Valley Health Trust and Girls Inc., and for his service with the United Way Tax Assistance program. Marylu served on the boards of Soroptimist International of Salinas, the Arts Council for Monterey County and Girls Inc. She has also been active in Delta Kappa Gamma, a professional society of women educators, at the local, regional and state level. Together, they were recently recognized by Girls Inc. for their lasting impact.
Giving is part of who we are. When you see the impact it makes, it just feels good.”
A Thoughtful Approach to Tax-Wise Giving
When they were financially able to give more generously, they opened a donor advised fund and received an immediate tax deduction. “It made it easy to organize our giving and support the causes we care about, especially youth and education,” explains David. They found additional value in donating appreciated stock, maximizing tax benefits while expanding their charitable reach.
In 2016, the Mesas began giving through their IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)—a strategy that allows individuals aged 70½ and older to make pre-tax gifts directly from their retirement accounts to qualified nonprofits. “We paid taxes the first year before we donated to the nonprofits. Then we discovered the QCD and discovered it was a win-win—we are not taxed on the distribution before the gift, and the nonprofit receives the full amount,” says David.
Strategic Giving, Meaningful Impact
Their philanthropic strategy continues to evolve. Longtime supporters of Monterey County Gives!, the Mesas now use their IRA QCD to make a single year-end gift, distributed among their favorite participating nonprofits—who also receive a partial match from the campaign. “We love learning about new organizations through MC Gives!” Marylu says.
Whether through board service, donor advised fund giving, or IRA gifts, David and Marylu are thoughtful, engaged philanthropists who model the power of careful gift planning.
Their advice? Give what you can, however you can, whether time, talent or treasure. “There’s always a way to make a difference,” says David.