Donor Stories
Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.
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A Legacy of Opportunity for Saint Mary’s StudentsSaint Mary’s had a transformational impact on Gretchen Flicker, Class of 1993. As she moved through her career in investment management, she stayed deeply connected to her alma mater. Today, her commitment includes a financial gift to ensure future generations of women can have the same opportunity she had.
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A Meaningful and Lasting LegacyAs a tribute to their daughter Kristin Wiggins Reich '91, Jerry and Mary Lou Wiggins established the Kristin Wiggins Reich '91 Endowed Scholarship to assist students majoring in education with financial need.
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Inspiring a Philanthropic Spirit from Generation to GenerationSusan Scherer Calandra '72 is grateful for her father's influence to attend Saint Mary's, and to instill a philanthropic spirit. Shaped by her transformative experiences and instilled with her father's belief in higher education, Calandra has been a supporter of Saint Mary’s with gifts of her time, talent, and treasure, having served as a College trustee for 11 years...
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Honoring an Everlasting Love with an Everlasting GiftOn a blind date in 1951, Rosemarie "Rody" Oppenheim Dilenschneider '54 and John "Jack" Dilenschneider, a Notre Dame student, began an everlasting love. Jack's planned gift in her honor ensures her legacy at Saint Mary's continues.
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Passion-fueled Future Giving: Establishing a LegacyPeggy Thompson '72 and her husband, Wade, have created a life of adventure, varied interests, and generosity. Today, though, the couple are in what Peggy describes as a "deep, committed relationship with retirement."
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Looking ForwardLiving in Holy Cross Hall with 350 other freshmen. 10:30 p.m. weekday and 11:30 p.m. weekend curfews. Required permission to wear slacks to Notre Dame football games. Starvation corner at dinner. These are just a few of the memories fondly recalled by Sally Blackley Clemmer '68.
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Paying it forwardLike many accomplished alumnae, Renee Schultz '92 has been inspired to give back to Saint Mary's College to help the next generation of women enjoy the kind of success she has achieved.
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Maximizing Support through Thoughtful Stock GiftsBig philanthropic dreams require creative thinking! This strategy led Donna DeCrane Panzica '78 and her husband Tim to establish an endowed fund at Saint Mary’s College by thinking beyond cash.
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Alumna and Longtime Staff Member Creatively Gives BackAs a dedicated Saint Mary's staff member for more than thirty years, Addie Stefanac Cashore '70 assisted alumnae and friends of Saint Mary's in countless ways. As her June 2020 retirement approached, Addie reflected on how she wanted to honor her own legacy at Saint Mary's.
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Alumna honors parents with gifts from her IRAMany Saint Mary's donors are taking advantage of creative ways to make gifts through their retirement plans. One such alumna is Loreli Trippel '67, who is starting an endowed scholarship through gifts from her retirement plan.
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BequestsJoe and Anna have been faithful supporters of our organization. They believe it is important to help further our mission.
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Using a Beneficiary Designation to Make a Gift to CharityJoanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged...
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Fixed Income for RetirementAfter working for decades as a pediatrician in a small town, Patricia is ready to retire.
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Reduce Your Taxes with an IRA Rollover GiftMargaret was a retired librarian. She volunteered at her favorite charity several times a week and also made several donations to the charity each year.
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Tax-Free SaleHoward and Lynn were both age 55 when they purchased some vacant land a few miles outside of town. They thought real estate would be a good investment that could be sold later for a profit.
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Capital Gains Tax BypassedPeter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities and built a sizable portfolio.
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Peace of Mind Gift AnnuityMany years ago, Clara bought a home. Since she was very pleased with her home, she bought stock in the company that built the home.
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Endowment GiftPat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
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Sale and UnitrustGene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well.
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The Retirement UnitrustMary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm.
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An Easy Way to Help Our Work with Your IRADaniel was a retired businessman who volunteered for our organization. When we decided to add a new program, he was excited to help in a significant way.
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Property Turns Into IncomeMiranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
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Flexible Deferred Gift AnnuityLuis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially in value.
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Part Gift and Part SaleSusan and Kevin bought a vacant lot along Lake Michigan many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their family could spend their summers along the lake.
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Current GiftsAs is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
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Gift of a Bank Account When No Longer Needed (POD)Keith has been a faithful supporter of Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, IN and makes regular gifts to support our work.
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Transferable on Death (TOD) GiftsHarold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event Saint Mary's College Notre Dame, IN held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift...
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Deferred Gift AnnuitySeveral years ago, Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock.
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What Will You Do with Your Unspent Retirement Savings?Michael and Kelly were retired engineers with two adult children. They owned a home, some stocks, and IRAs.
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Gift Annuity for Real EstateJonathan purchased his home many years ago for $80,000. The home is now worth $420,000. Jonathan wants to sell his home and buy a condo for $130,000.
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A Bequest to Save TaxesThomas was a widower who had a great love for our organization. As an individual who had directly benefited from our work, Thomas wanted to thank us with a gift from his estate.
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Leading for the FutureLuke and Cynthia spent many years volunteering and supporting their favorite charity. They wanted to give back in a way that would help fulfill its mission.
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Give it Twice TrustWhile visiting her favorite charity's website, June came across the idea of a give it twice trust. She contacted the charity for more information.
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Providing for Our Children's FutureRon and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement.
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IRA Rollover: A Gift with Substantial BenefitsMark was a retired attorney with a significant IRA and substantial income from investments. He had made IRA rollover gifts to his favorite charity several times in recent years.
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Bequest of InsuranceMarla and Wayne purchased a life insurance policy many years ago to create security for their children's future.
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Testamentary Charitable Remainder Unitrust: Have Your Cake and Eat it Too!We have all heard the saying "You can't have your cake and eat it too." This phrase describes a situation where we want two good things at the same time when that isn't possible.
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Avoiding Tax on a Business SaleAlbert was the founder and sole shareholder of a small technology company that he started 30 years ago. At 65 years of age, he began thinking about selling the business.
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Using Blended Gifts to Reach Your Charitable Giving GoalsJay and his wife Amy wanted to support our organization with a significant gift of $100,000. They wanted to spread this gift out over several years but also wanted to make a gift of $25,000 this year.
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Gifts of Mineral InterestsWalter and May recently retired and moved south to a new retirement community. They still own their 250-acre ranch.
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Gift for a Loved One with Special NeedsRichard is a successful business owner. His younger brother, Robert, was born with special needs. For the past 10 years, Richard has supported Robert, including paying the costs for Robert's adult care facility.
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