Joseph and Carrie Wells

The International Design Conference at the Aspen Institute united Carrie and Joe Wells in the summer of 1987. After their one-year long-distance relationship between Aspen and Newport Beach, California, where Carrie ran her own graphic design company, the Wells married and began their life together in Aspen. Carrie has been a real estate agent since 1991 and Joe, a trained architect raised in Atlanta, is currently a land-use planning consultant.

Introduced to Aspen Community Foundation through friends, the Wells have found that establishing a Donor Advised Fund in 2005 has helped “to simplify the entire giving process in our busy lives. The Community Foundation takes care of the entire administrative process and, as there are so many local nonprofits, the Foundation helps us focus in on the areas we are most passionate about.” Overcoming cancer in her early twenties, Carrie is very drawn to nonprofits fulfilling local healthcare and wellness needs. Indicative of their creative talents, the Wells also are patrons of the arts in Aspen as “the arts are so enjoyable for everyone, and the history of these organizations in Aspen is what distinguishes Aspen from all the other resort areas in the West.”

“You always feel better when you give than when you receive,” Carrie says. “Giving is part of our value system.” Referring to their daughter and son who inspire the Wells’ philanthropy of nonprofits serving children, Joe continues, “We want our kids to feel a connection to the community’s needs, not only through providing financial assistance but through volunteering and participation. It all starts from the community, and if we had to rely on our national resources in many areas, we just wouldn’t see any traction made. We’d much rather give back directly to the community and see the fruits of our gifts.”