The gift of giving
Bill Cater’s spirit keeps Circle K growing
Bill Cater likes to make things happen. A Kiwanian for almost 30 years, he’s also a past New Jersey district governor and now serves as a Circle K International administrator in New Jersey. And he’s making sure his impact on Kiwanis lasts—through philanthropy.
Special to Circle K
Bill is especially fond of Circle K International and they of him. He was the first person in the New Jersey District designated a “certified trainer,” a role he filled for many years. As district governor, he attended Key Club and Circle K district and international conventions—a loyalty that prompted their request that he return as a CKI administrator in 2009–2010 and again in 2011.
Bill’s work with CKI will continue long after he’s retired, thanks to his creation of the Eileen G. Cater Memorial Scholarship, funded by family, friends and his family’s foundation, the Brundage Foundation. It’s named after his late wife (pictured at left), who passed away in 2006. “Eileen had a special affection for Circle K, so a Circle K scholarship was the obvious choice,” Bill says.
There’s no doubt Bill has made an impression on CKI members. And he thrives on seeing young leaders grow. “These young leaders are all over the spectrum in terms of sophistication—some take eight years to graduate from college, others less than four,” Bill says. One painfully shy CKI board member stands out in his memory. As Bill was instructing young people on public speaking, she was so timid she could hardly bear to talk. By the end of the year, she had morphed into a vivacious young woman rising to the challenges of leadership.
Students in New Jersey benefit from diverse activities and the size of the state promotes meeting people from other schools and social networking. But Bill is quite proud of the fact that New Jersey’s Young Professionals Club largely consists of former Circle K members, many from his district and some from out of state. “The big, informal network of Circle K friends seems to go on just about forever,” he boasts.
Giving is in the genes
Bill comes by his passion for giving back honestly: it’s inherited. His is a family of achievers, volunteers and philanthropists. Bill’s grandmother, Edna Brundage, worked in advertising for a famous eastern department store after earning a degree in chemistry in 1916 and went on to run the local Red Cross division during Word War II. Bill’s grandfather was a successful Wall Street businessman who did a lot philanthropically for Dartmouth College, Bill’s alma mater. Bill’s parents were actively involved in a number of charities, as well. “It just comes naturally,” Bill says.
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Eileen Cater's love for Kiwanis
lives on in a scholarship | Perhaps the most influential philanthropic venture on young Bill was the family foundation established by his grandfather in 1955, the Charles E. & Edna T. Brundage Charitable Scientific & Wildlife Conservation Foundation. Currently foundation president, Bill started by driving his grandmother (legally blind later in life) to foundation meetings. He became a trustee and his brother and sister have also served on the board. Funding from the Brundage Foundation helped to make the Eileen G. Cater Memorial Scholarship the largest scholarship awarded in the New Jersey District. |
Early influences endure
Bill himself is no slouch among his family of achievers. In college, he majored in drama, working backstage and performing occasionally. He learned enough about the BASIC computer language, which was being developed at Dartmouth at the time, to land a job in New York City following graduation. He later earned an MBA at Columbia University, worked for General Foods for five years and has been employed by AT&T ever since.
Throughout his life, Kiwanis has given Bill a home to share his time, talents and financial resources. Bill married Debbie Carter in 2007, and the couple was New Jersey’s first Kiwanis International Foundation Founders’ Circle members, which signifies they’ve given more than $25,000 in support. And that’s only one of Bill’s many contributions to the Kiwanis International Foundation. He’s a Hixson Ambassador and has supported every significant foundation endeavor, including the recent, successful New Beginning Campaign, the endowment campaign, the Linda Canaday Scholarship Fund, and the Children’s Fund.
Bill continues to contribute time and resources to Kiwanis’ international and district foundations and his club because he says it’s difficult to make a difference alone, but that significant impact is possible by banding together. Bill just calls his dedication “reciprocity” and says he likes to” instigate” change, in the most positive way.
Join Bill’s quest
It’s easy to make your mark on the future, too. The Kiwanis International Foundation is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Kiwanians such as Bill Cater and friends of the foundation who want to help shape a better future for all the world’s children. Gifts of all sizes are meaningful and deeply appreciated. Support the foundation directly or through a Kiwanis club today!
