Great Planned Giving Story: Do you know who your donors are?

Grace Groner was exceptionally restrained with her money.

Her clothes came from rummage sales. She never owned a car. She lived in a one-bedroom house.

She was orphaned while quite young, and came of age during the Depression. Thus, her character was naturally frugal.

She had very fond memories of her college days. So she set up a small scholarship program for her alma mater, Lake Forest College. She told them she planned to contribute more upon her death. But no one guessed it would be such a huge gift from one living so modestly.

When she passed away in January, at the age of 100, her attorney informed the college president what that gift added up to. Groner's estate was worth $7 million.

Here's the college president's reaction:



I'm glad that the college was stewarding her lifetime gifts; clearly, they knew her and had the opportunity to thank her while she was alive. I can just imagine that Grace derived some pleasure out of knowing the secret surprise that they'd receive upon her death.

She worked as a secretary for Abbott Laboratories for 43 years. In 1935, she bought 3 shares of Abbott stock for $180. Those three shares are the asset that blossomed into $7 million.

The millions should generate more than $300,000 a year for the college. The money will help dozens of Lake Forest students pursue internships and study-abroad programs that they may not have had the chance to take advantage without Groner’s hefty donation.

Aside from the $7 million donation, she also left her small house to the college, which will house scholarship winners who benefitted from her donation.

But this story is one to add to the host of others told through the years: you never know which of your donors has the capacity to make a transformative gift to your institution. That's why it's incredibly important to be nice to ALL of your donors. Thanking the "little old lady" who sends in $5 twice a year is just as important as fussing over the six- and seven-figure donors. Fundraising basics 101, I know, but one of those fundamentals that is all-too-easily forgotten. Stories like this one provide a reminder.

A generous spirit; a life well-lived. Thank you, Grace Groner.

Two Men, Remembered

Eighteen years ago this Thursday, on February 26, 1991, San Francisco State President Robert A. Corrigan stood at a podium and announced that two men who died of AIDS had established grants for gays at three Bay Area universities.

Thomas Markowski died in 1987 at the age of 29. James Leach died in 1989 at the age of 32. Had they lived, they would be 52 and 53 now. Theirs is a typical story of what San Francisco and the world lost to the epidemic of AIDS in the 1980's and beyond.

They met in Houston in 1981. They moved to San Francisco in 1982, seeking career opportunities and a more active gay community. The San Francisco Bay area gave them a chance to succeed financially and to live openly as gay lovers. As both men became ill with AIDS, they decided to give something back after their deaths to the community they loved. They wanted to create a scholarship fund to give other gays and lesbians (and now bisexuals and transgenders) the opportunity to educate themselves.

They felt strongly that it was very hard for gays and lesbians to get ahead in business because you either had to be in the closet or would not get promotions. They wanted to make higher education available so gays and lesbians could get into leadership positions and make sure that being gay or lesbian wasn't an obstacle to getting ahead.

The gift was made possible from the proceeds of life insurance policies and real estate investment. (They owned a small apartment house in San Francisco that they renovated.) The fund started at $200,000 ... but can you imagine how many self-identified gay students have been helped through the years? I'm guessing somewhere in the neighborhood of 250 or so.

In many respects, a classic planned gift:

• a gift of a lifetime,
• a gift where the impact extends far beyond the lifespan of the donors,
• a gift that makes a transformational difference for a cause related to the donors' values
• a gift for which the donors are remembered

And yet, I can't help but think how remarkable it was for them to have had the foresight to do something like that. Now, years and years later, students can still apply for scholarships at San Francisco State, UC Berkeley, or Stanford. This year's deadline is April 15.

I am moved by this story. I did not know either of these men. I wish I had known them. They were contemporaries of mine. I would have been honored to call them friends.