My wife and I contribute to our alma maters every year. Very small amounts, but something. Also, we have taken out several charitable gift annuities with these schools. I'm closer to one of my universities, because they took a chance on me and accepted me for graduate school when I had very poor grades. And they later let me switch to a different graduate degree program where I was happier and did well there.
I've dealt with their director of planned giving, and he's been instrumental in getting me to see a lawyer to develop my wife and my estate plan. He knows I've included their school in this plan, but I've told him several times don't expect much of anything: Not only am I small potatoes, but if there's any major or debilitating illnesses that my wife/I sustain or or some other life changing event, there likely won't be anything left.
No matter. He comes out from the East Coast about once a year, and visits some of the alumni. I'm one and we have lunch. Early this year the Univerity President came out (California is warm in winter!) with an assistant, and I was invited to have breakfast with the two of them. We had a nice conversation, but again, I was somewhat embarrased that anyone, let alone the University President, would want to spend any time with me -- I really am a very, very small insignificant contribution guy. Maybe it's just that there aren't many graduates at all who contribute, so being small but consistent gets attention. Or maybe there are only a few of us grads out here that can be visited in winter. haha
In a discussion, the director of planned giving said to make sure my estate plan specifies clearly where I want the money (if there is any) to go - general fund, specific department, tuition assistance, etc. He knows I'm interested in several departments -- health care training for elderly and research on exercise and aging being one. (He even set up a video conference for me with the director of that department.) I tell him (director of planned giving) that I don't trust any college administrators though: I suspect the administrators would say to the department head, "Well good that you got $xx from an alumnus,. What we're going to do though is that next year your budget is $yyy, so we're going to reduce your budgeted funds by $xx or a portion of that."
Anyway, that's my story. |
