A Tionesta Life. A Lasting Local Legacy.
A new Pennsylvania law will allow approximately $170,000 from the estate of a Tionesta resident to remain local, creating a permanent source of support for the community they called home.
Bridge Builders Community Foundations will receive the funds as a result of Act 50 of 2025, formerly House Bill 1176, which changed Pennsylvania’s intestate succession law. When someone passes away without a will and without eligible heirs, qualifying assets can now pass to an endowed community fund serving the area where that person lived rather than ultimately reverting to the Commonwealth.
For BBCF, this is more than a change in state law. It is a very real example of what keeping local assets local can mean for a community.
The circumstances are bittersweet. This was not a charitable gift the individual had the opportunity to intentionally plan. But BBCF is grateful for the opportunity to honor this Tionesta resident by carefully stewarding their estate in a way that can benefit Forest County for generations to come.
Keeping Local Assets Local
Before Act 50, if a Pennsylvania resident died without a will and no eligible heirs could be identified, the Commonwealth came after eligible relatives in the state’s order of succession. Act 50 added qualifying endowed community funds ahead of the Commonwealth, prioritizing funds serving the decedent’s municipality, school district and county.
That means assets that might otherwise have left a community can instead become a permanent charitable resource within it.
As Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association (PACFA) President Mike Batchelor explained:
“Act 50 changes Pennsylvania intestate law and procedures. PA residents who passed with assets, and no heirs, were previously subject to a 100% death tax, with all funds reverting to Harrisburg.
“Now, these funds stay local and will permanently benefit local charities through grants from community foundations like Bridge Builders.”
For BBCF, the approximately $170,000 from this Tionesta estate will be endowed, allowing the principal to be invested while supporting charitable causes in the community over time.
A life lived here can continue making a difference here.
The Result of Community Foundations Working Together
Act 50 did not happen overnight.
Its passage followed years of collaboration and advocacy among community foundations across Pennsylvania through PACFA, along with the Registers of Wills and Clerks of Orphans’ Court Association of Pennsylvania and state legislators. The shared goal was to create a better way to keep community resources connected to the places where they originated.
BBCF was proud to be part of that effort alongside fellow PACFA members.
“This is a great example of what PA community foundations can do when they act collectively,” Batchelor said.
And that collective work is now gaining attention beyond Pennsylvania.
The Council on Foundations recently featured BBCF in an article examining how Pennsylvania community foundations of different sizes and from different parts of the state have worked together to advocate around issues affecting their communities. The article specifically highlighted the Forest County estate as a tangible example of the impact of Act 50.
BBCF President & CEO Trenton Moulin also shared perspective on what the experience has taught him about collaboration:
“We’re all facing the same issues, just at different scales. That overlap is much greater than I ever anticipated.”
The Council on Foundations story highlights something BBCF has seen firsthand: a community foundation serving rural Northwest Pennsylvania may look very different from one serving Pittsburgh, Philadelphia or another part of the state, but many of the challenges facing their communities overlap. Working together gives those organizations a stronger collective voice and creates opportunities for change that can ultimately be felt at the local level.
Read the full Council on Foundations article →
What This Means for Forest County
Now, the impact of that statewide work is coming home to Forest County.
Approximately $170,000 that could once have left the area will instead become a lasting community resource. Through BBCF, those dollars can support charitable needs and opportunities locally not just once, but year after year.
It is an outcome BBCF is grateful to help steward, and one that honors the life of the Tionesta resident whose estate made it possible.
But this story also carries an important reminder.
Your Legacy Can Be Intentional
Act 50 provides a meaningful local outcome when someone passes away without a will or eligible heirs. But you do not have to leave your own legacy to chance.
Thoughtful estate planning gives you the opportunity to decide what happens to the assets you have worked to build throughout your life. In addition to providing for the people you care about, you can choose to support a nonprofit, establish a scholarship, strengthen your hometown, address a community need or create a fund that continues supporting a cause important to you for generations.
BBCF can work alongside you and your professional advisors to explore charitable giving options that reflect your values and the legacy you want to leave.
You do not need to have all of the answers before starting that conversation. Sometimes it simply begins by asking: What matters to me, and how would I like to make a difference?
Your estate will leave a legacy. Thoughtful planning gives you the opportunity to help shape what that legacy will be.
To learn more about legacy giving or establishing a fund through Bridge Builders Community Foundations, contact BBCF at (814) 677-8687 or connect with our team online.
