Local Santa Barbaran Dennis Forster, Financial Advisor CFP®, has a unique way of recognizing each one of his six grandchildren’s 11th birthdays—by giving them a birthday packet of information that includes travel brochures and an invitation letter to join him on a one-on-one adventure during his/her 12th birthday year.
The personal letter from “grandpa” invites the birthday-celebrating grandchild to cull through the enticing travel brochures and narrow down their choice of trip to three. Once three choices have been identified, the grandchild tells grandpa where they want to go, why they want to go there and what they would like to do on the trip. Most importantly, they share what they think they will learn on the once-in-a-lifetime trip.
When asked why he makes this special invitation to his grandchildren, Forster said, “The more value you add to your relationships, the more cherished you become. My job is to make the world a better place and to help my grandchildren make the world a better place, too.”
As a long-time Santa Barbara community member, Forster understands the importance of creating a legacy and that a good investment means a good outcome. And a worthwhile investment doesn’t just need to be financial, it can be an investment of time.
Forster is well-known for his involvement in the local community through leadership roles as past board president of the Jaycees, Santa Barbara Newcomers, Santa Barbara Ski Club, and the Marian Medical Foundation. He also has served on committees of the United Way of Santa Barbara, the SB Bowl, YMCA, and the Santa Barbara Council of Self-Esteem. He is a current honorary member of the Rotary Club of Goleta and a member of Hospice of Santa Barbara’s philanthropic Shining Light Society and Legacy Society.
“Investing time into my grandchildren and my community reaps rewards,” Forster said. “Plus, I like adventures and I want my grandkids to know that adventures aren’t that complicated to have. You just need to make reservations and go. And it doesn’t have to be to somewhere far and exotic. It can be a trip to Disneyland or your local zoo. The most important thing is to spend one-on-one time with your grandchildren.”
Forster admits that it was his father’s alcoholism that affirmed in him the importance of being a good father.
“I wanted to have a better relationship with my two boys and now my six grandchildren and also have some fun with them,” he said.
Having fun is just what Forster has had. He has traveled to Costa Rica with his eldest grandson, Gavin, and Zion, Bryce, Lake Powell and Las Vegas with Simon. With Julia he went to Ecuador, and hiked, biked and kayaked the Galapagos Islands. Surfing lessons and snorkeling were on the agenda when he went to Hawaii with Grace. Hiking the 15th-century Inca citadel Machu Picchu made for lifetime memories with Jeffrey; and with Jeffrey’s sister, Samantha, Dennis went to Australia.
For a born-and-bred Michigander, getting the travel bug was something Forster grew into as he aged. So was the life change he made when he moved to California at the age of 38 with his two young sons and now deceased wife Patty. Always the planner (which explains the Certified Financial Planner after his name), Forster constructed a timeline for his life at the age of 38 and realized that he didn’t want to finish his family’s lives in Michigan. So, he packed them up and moved them to California where he founded a financial services company in downtown Santa Barbara.
Forethought and planning changed his life, a way of life Forster hopes to pass on to his grandchildren. While traveling with each grandchild, he has them draw a similar timeline to the one he drew at 38. A 10-inch line is marked into 1-inch, 10-year increments. Forster then discusses with each of them their own timeline, such as when they’re going to college, getting married, retiring, etc.
The timeline is a critical tool for looking at one’s life. Forster adds, “It shows how small the percentage of your life is education but how much it impacts the rest of life. As teenagers, if you don’t have a date on Saturday night, you think life is going to be over. I want them to know that life is a journey, that there are difficulties, but if you have a plan, you always see the hope ahead.”
In his Tuesdays with Morrie-style of life’s wisdom, Forster also gives each child a small amount each year to donate to nonprofits. They can split the donation into lesser amounts (no less than $100) and give it to one or more nonprofits, but each grandchild must indicate why they have chosen that organization and how they will support it.
“It’s imperative to support the nonprofit services of the community,” Forster added.
It’s why he is a Legacy Society supporter of Hospice, meaning Forster has included Hospice of Santa Barbara in his estate plans.
“It was the many ways that I have seen Hospice help loved ones in my life that has encouraged my giving,” Forster said. He also cited the grief support for bereaved children in schools and the way Hospice therapists helped Santa Barbara residents suffering from natural disasters.
Forster has used his financial experience to make tax-wise gifts to Hospice and other nonprofit organizations. His gifts will come in the form of IRAs with designated beneficiaries.
As the need for the support of grieving children and adults increases in the community, Forster and his partner, Cynder Sinclair, (who is also a Hospice of Santa Barbara Legacy Society member), are thrilled to know that, because of each of their careful planning, they will leave a legacy of support for those who are grieving and facing life-threatening illnesses.
“The fact that Hospice of Santa Barbara offers their services for free is remarkable,” Forster said. “Cynder and I both feel that it is imperative to support this growing need. We are fortunate to be able to do so.”
The need for increased hospice services in the next 15 years in the Santa Barbara community is staggering. According to the SB County population growth estimates, there will be an estimated 122% increase in residents aged 65 and over between 2015-2040, which amounts to an additional 40,000 people. By 2040, the anticipated need for Hospice services will nearly double.
Forster is doing his part to effect change, one plan at a time—with his grandchildren, Hospice of Santa Barbara, and other nonprofits in the community.
And, as if that’s not enough, Forster takes his “giving back to the world” one extra step. When meeting a new person, Forster ends the discussion by handing them a business card that says You’re Awesome.
Forster, a man of plans, actions and positivity, serves to remind that “it’s up to all of us to make this world a better place.”
