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Profile of Giving: Cliff & Frieda Schroder
Spring 2008 -- “Sometimes people look around and say, ‘Somebody ought to do something.’ And sometimes you realize you’re the person who ought to do it,” says Frieda Schroder, who lives outside Mountain Home with her husband, Cliff. Looking at the Schroders’ involvement over the past few decades, it’s clear they often see something that needs doing, and often they are the ones to do it. Both Cliff and Frieda have served on advisory boards and volunteered for several non-profit organizations. Recently the Schroders, who have been Conservancy members since 1988, started a recycling program for the gym to which they belong, and they helped Mountain Home’s mayor secure funding to plant 2,000 trees in the fast-growing city. While their interests are wide, a common thread throughout their years of philanthropic involvement has been conservation. When the couple lived near Memphis during Cliff’s 25-year career with FedEx and Frieda’s 34-year career with the Bell System, they were founding members of the Wolfe River Conservancy. Frieda, who grew up near Bryant and spent time at her grandparents’ central Arkansas farm, says her family was outdoors a lot. When she and Cliff, a Bauxite native, were newlyweds, they spent their vacations hiking and camping at Lake Ouachita. “We don’t have any children, and when we started planning our estate, we talked about how we could do the most good for the most people,” Cliff says. “We just felt like nature has been such an important part of our lives. These special places need to be here for everyone, and we had concerns about the outdoor resources that will be available for future generations.” The Schroders decided to leave most of their estate to The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas. “We were attracted to the Conservancy’s non-confrontational approach when working with a lot of different people, agencies and organizations,” Cliff says. “We’re not rich people. We wanted to get the most bang for the bucks we will be leaving.” Another factor in their decision was the Conservancy’s involvement with water conservation issues. “We are both very interested in the Extraordinary Resource Waterbody laws that protect Arkansas’ most pristine streams,” Frieda says. “Water rights and access issues will become heated debates if we don’t take action now,” Cliff says. “It’s already happening in Arizona along the Colorado River. The laws for water rights and usage need to be established now, when there’s a controlled, calm environment. I’m pleased to see the Conservancy working with many partners to take these steps in Arkansas now.” Frieda adds there was an emotional factor in her decision. “Nature is such a restorative source in my life. It restores my sanity and my spirit, and it nurtures my body. I feel as though I should give back to nature. I really think we’re here to be good stewards of our world.” |
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