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Donor Stories

  • HelenSue's annual gift will  live on…forever!
    HelenSue's annual gift will live on…forever!
    The first time I had the pleasure of speaking with HelenSue Lewis Parrish '56, I knew we would quickly develop a meaningful relationship.
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  • Giving Back to Help Others In The Way She Was Helped
    Giving Back to Help Others In The Way She Was Helped
    In the fall of her junior year at Cornell, Beth Homberg Bull '90 was afraid she might have to leave college due to an unexpected family financial emergency...
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  • Edwards Choose Cole Library, Where They Met, for Estate Gift
    Edwards Choose Cole Library, Where They Met, for Estate Gift
    As a Cornell student Dave Edwards '87 studied in Cole Library, often until closing time. Val Stahl Edwards '87 worked at the circulation desk.
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  • Gratitude leads to gift for Cornell students
    Gratitude leads to gift for Cornell students
    Craig Kuehl '66, a longtime New Yorker who has lived on four continents, describes himself as "a naive 17-year-old kid from a small Iowa town" when he arrived at Cornell College in 1962.
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  • Seeking Community Through Cornell
    Seeking Community Through Cornell
    When Becky Brown '75 first stepped onto campus, she knew she'd found what she had been searching for--and she never really left it behind.
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  • Siblings Create Endowment to Honor Parents
    Siblings Create Endowment to Honor Parents
    Susan Even '74 may have started a trend that led her sister and brother to attend Cornell College. But long before she set foot on campus, her parents had paved the way for the siblings to be first-generation college students.
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  • Changing Students' Lives Through Travel
    Changing Students' Lives Through Travel
    Seeing the world has the power to impact your perspective on life, cultures and the world around you. For Cornell College alumnus Gary Menges '59, this has certainly been true.
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  • Couple's Generosity and Gratitude Benefit Cornell
    Couple's Generosity and Gratitude Benefit Cornell
    Students who choose small liberal arts colleges, such as Cornell, receive an education and experience that will forever shape their lives.
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  • Cornell Experiences Led to Generous Gifts
    Cornell Experiences Led to Generous Gifts
    John Wright liked everything about his Cornell College experience. He enjoyed his classes and the activities he was involved in, including working on the student newspaper.
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  • A Foundation for Success
    A Foundation for Success
    Lon '69 and Carol '70 Mishler appreciate what Cornell did for them--and invest in the college to make sure current and future students benefit as well.
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  • An Alum Gives Back So Others Can Achieve
    An Alum Gives Back So Others Can Achieve
    Tom Sears, a 1956 Cornell College graduate, had been feeling insecure among classmates from Ivy Leagues schools and other outstanding universities as he began his Masters program at Boston University.
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Gift Examples

  • Bequests
    Joe 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 Charity
    Joanne and her late husband Hal had been longtime supporters of our organization. Recently, Joanne's children encouraged...
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  • Fixed Income for Retirement
    After working for decades as a pediatrician in a small town, Patricia is ready to retire.
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  • Tax-Free Sale
    Howard 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 Bypassed
    Peter 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 Annuity
    Many 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 Gift
    Pat and Shelly were recently married. They both had been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
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  • Sale and Unitrust
    Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well.
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  • The Retirement Unitrust
    Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she and her husband Bill inherited the farm.
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  • Property Turns Into Income
    Miranda 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 Annuity
    Luis 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 Sale
    Susan 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 Gifts
    As 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 Cornell College and makes regular gifts to support our work.
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  • Transferable on Death (TOD) Gifts
    Harold and Jeanne married after meeting at an event Cornell College held for our donors. They wanted to leave a legacy gift...
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  • A Bequest to Further Good Work
    Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.
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  • Deferred Gift Annuity
    Several 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 Estate
    Jonathan 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 Taxes
    Thomas 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 Future
    Luke 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 Trust
    While 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 Future
    Ron and Kathy worked for many years building their nest egg for retirement.
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  • Bequest of Insurance
    Marla 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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