GARY WAYNE GILBERT
writing the next chapter the key role of legacy giving
J
oseph Coolidge Shaw, S.J., surely believed that the institution he helped found had the potential for greatness. When he established a bequest of his books and the proceeds of his life insurance policy, Fr. Shaw undoubtedly knew he was making a meaningful commitment—one that would benefit generations of future students. His legacy gift sparked a giving tradition that made possible BC’s transformation from a small school in Boston’s South End to a dynamic university with global reach and ambitions. Today’s legacy gifts will have an equally profound effect on the Heights. As part of the Light the World campaign, they will help BC achieve its aim to become the world’s preeminent Catholic university—with an ability to positively contribute to culture and society in a manner that few American schools can match.
The campaign goal is to secure 5,000 legacy gifts—both sizeable and modest—for BC. These commitments may supplement the University’s current-use funding or establish endowed funds that will provide BC with a steady financial resource in perpetuity. Both play a crucial role in Boston College’s future success, because they provide BC with the fiscal strength and security to achieve its long-term goals. “These gifts are also a wonderful opportunity for alumni, parents, and friends to leave their own legacy at BC,” says Debra Hoffman ’79, MBA’88, who recently created a bequest for the University. “Making my gift was easier than I thought, and it enabled me to establish a significant and permanent connection to BC.” Through legacy gifts of all sizes, donors have contributed
legacy gifts at a glance » Simple giving process guided by BC staff » Leave a meaningful legacy at Boston College » Wise philanthropic investment at any age » Multiple giving opportunities Learn more at www.bc.edu/legacygiving.
Legacy gifts of all sizes are integral to the University’s future success and help provide tomorrow’s students with a Boston College experience that has been valued for generations.
to life-changing student formation programming; strengthened faculty teaching and research; funded campus building projects; and enhanced BC’s commitment to its Jesuit, Catholic heritage. In addition, hundreds of BC students have benefited from the more than $5.6 million in legacy gifts given towards scholarships over the past 10 years. Bequests are the most popular type of legacy gift, while beneficiary designations of a retirement plan or life insurance policy provide equally simple ways that many alumni, especially younger graduates, can make a commitment to BC’s future. In many cases, these gifts enable alumni to
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give the gift they’ve always wished to make—because their donation doesn’t affect their current assets, but instead comes through their estate. Other choices, such as charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, are appealing because they offer substantial tax benefits and provide a lifetime income stream. “Establishing a legacy gift for BC was one of the wisest philanthropic decisions my wife and I ever made,” says David Griffith ’68, P’00, ’02, ’06, legacy gifts chair. “It enabled us to look after both our family and BC, which, in so many ways, is part of our family. Our gift will ensure that our life’s work will live on in Boston College.”