My 50th Reunion Class Gift Donation Story

By Mary Lou Brecht Johnson

It was my husband who startled me with a remarkable “Aha!” moment about a year ago.

Having recently updated our wills in a trust that specifies how our money will be distributed when we are both gone, Duane boldly suggested that we start making major donations to our favorite charities while we are living rather than waiting until death, so we can see the benefits of our gifts.

I haven’t been a generous charitable giver over all these years. Though my heart has always been strong for Ohio Wesleyan, I mostly let the Annual Fund campaign letters and phone calls go unanswered, or I made token gifts. My 45th reunion gift was only $450. Until my husband encouraged me to think about making a major gift for my 50th reunion, I probably was going to remain at a token level of giving, such as $500. A $5,000 gift would have seemed like a reach.

When I saw clearly on our financial spreadsheet that I could give to Ohio Wesleyan in my 50th reunion year a substantial amount from my retirement account—an amount which incidentally will be less than the amount of my first Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) at age 72—and not harm our living or travel plans, I decided to make that sizeable gift now.

I thought that a gift of $25,000 would be fitting for my 50th reunion. To check this out further, I opened my iPhone calculator, divided $25,000 by 50, and saw that the resulting number was a modest $500 per year. If I had given $500 a year to the Annual Fund each year after graduation, I would have given $25,000 by our 50th reunion in May 2023. Since I didn’t do that before, I am grateful and thrilled that I can and will now.

There’s a major benefit from having our financial advisor send the funds for my donation directly from my retirement account to the university. I will not have to pay any income taxes on what is known as a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). Beginning at age 70 ½, one can make a QCD gift from an IRA.

If my story inspires you to take a closer look at your own situation and your thoughts about charitable giving at this stage of life, I am pleased. While contributing time and effort to our 50th Reunion Planning Committee, I have had many opportunities to think about how my adult life has been influenced by my experiences at Ohio Wesleyan. I am grateful for the social, emotional, and academic gifts the university gave me over my four years in the OWU community. Now I am thankful that I can pay it forward via our Class of ’73 Annual Fund Gift for our 50th Reunion.

Share your gift commitment online or through our printable class form!