Digna Schade van Westrum
included the foundation
in her will
'I was lucky that there was a lot of attention for classical music at home when I was young. My father was a church organist and I took lessons on our grand piano from the age of four. After a concert in 2005, I read a brochure about The Netherlands Musical Instruments Foundation. I thought their mission was great, so I decided to become a donor on the spot.'
Not long after that, I attended the International Chamber Music Festival where a young woman told me that she worked for The Netherlands Musical Instruments Foundation during an introduction round. That woman was Manon Veenendaal, the current director of the foundation. When it was my turn to talk to her, I introduced myself as a donor to the foundation. The ice was broken immediately.
‘“The foundationreally feels like family”’
‘After that, my relationship with the foundation became increasingly close. As a volunteer, I was a hostess during various concerts and until the corona pandemic I was a regular at their office in Amsterdam. I even cleaned out the archive in the attic. I would regularly walk downstairs and shout: 'Look at all the beautiful things I've found again!'
I am not exaggerating when I say that The Netherlands Musical Instruments Foundation really feels like family. That is why I have included the foundation in my will. Together with two other charities that I also care about: Museum Catharijneconvent in Utrecht and Erfgoedvereniging Heemschut in Amsterdam. I always emphasize that it is important to include charities in your will. That way you know for sure that something happens with your legacy that you fully support.’
More on leaving a legacy
Digna frequently helps at our lunchbreak concerts