During the last seven years of the university’s $4 billion Lead by Example campaign, the Texas A&M Foundation has received 999 planned gifts totaling more than $830 million. Each of these gifts, which range from the relatively straightforward bequest to the more advanced charitable remainder trust, is unique to the donor and, importantly, suited to their specific financial needs and personal interests.

Simply put, the impact of planned gifts to the campaign—and to Texas A&M’s future—cannot be understated. The current campaign total stands at $3.42 billion as of March 1, 2019, with planned gifts accounting for 24 percent of that total. By committing planned gifts, donors are creating ways to provide for loved ones, receive tax benefits, generate potential retirement income and support Texas A&M, all at the same time.

These seven donor testimonials and the accompanying information are intended to showcase the power of planned giving along with the many ways you can give after-lifetime gifts. As you read the following stories, the message that we hope resonates is that gift planning is an easy and deeply rewarding way to act on the part of Texas A&M that is part of you. You can direct your generosity with a sense of joy and achievement, secure in the knowledge that generations of Aggies will benefit and that your generosity will last forever. You can use your gift to sustain certain programs or facilities, establish endowments or launch major new initiatives.  

2012: Millers’ Gift Benefits Petroleum Engineering

“We want to help students who are hard-working and deserving,” Steve said. Their endowment will support educational programs within the petroleum engineering department and establish a memorial scholarship for petroleum majors in honor of one of Steve’s mentors: the late William D. Von Gonten, former petroleum engineering department head. During his undergraduate years, while struggling academically, Von Gonten encouraged Steve. “He told me I needed to buckle down, apply myself and live up to my potential,” Steve said. “My grades weren’t great, but he believed I could do better. And I did!

“If gifts like these are appropriate for your budget, it’s a unique and easy way to give back,” he added. “We hope the gift provides support and encouragement for students down the road.”

2013: "Aggie Bob" Gives Back to the Corps of Cadets

After graduating from Texas A&M University, the late Bob English ’46 started a business selling car batteries before eventually transitioning into automotive paints. When his business encountered trouble in the 1970s, he began offering $1 to any customer who could share a new Aggie joke as a way to attract folks to the store. The gimmick earned him the nickname “Aggie Bob,” which stuck with him until his passing in 2011.

English Color and Supply Inc. eventually expanded to 39 locations and provided Bob and his late wife Marijo with a way to give back to Texas A&M. The couple had already supported programs through scholarships and other gifts but decided to make a planned gift to expand their impact further.

In 2006, they created a charitable gift annuity to support the Corps of Cadets, an organization that deeply impacted Bob’s life. Since Marijo passed away in 2012, their gift has created several Corps of Cadets 21st Century Scholarships, which are reserved for cadets who demonstrate outstanding leadership skills. Nick Farrell ’22, a current recipient and engineering major, said, “This scholarship allows me to worry less about finding ways to pay for college and gives me more time to develop as a student and give back to the community.”

A charitable gift annuity is ideal for individuals looking for a secure source of fixed payments both now and into the future. In exchange for cash or publicly traded securities, the Texas A&M Foundation agrees to pay one or two designated people a fixed amount annually for life. When the gift annuity terminates, the Foundation uses the remainder for the purposes designated by the donor.

2014: HONORARY AGGIE PAYS TRIBUTE TO AEROSPACE ENGINEER HUSBAND

Elizabeth Bradford didn’t receive a degree from Texas A&M University, but she’s as devoted to the school as anyone. “I’ve been around Aggies all my life, and I firmly believe Texas A&M is the most wonderful place in the world,” she said.

Bradford grew up 78 miles from Aggieland in Temple, Texas, where in the early 1960s, she attended Aggie football games and Bonfire with friends. She continued her involvement with the university after marrying her husband, Lewis Bradford, and gained a deep appreciation for the school’s culture.

Lewis earned aerospace engineering degrees at Abilene Christian University and Pepperdine University, but upon his passing, Elizabeth felt it was most appropriate to give to Texas A&M in his name. “We always thought this school stood for so much and achieved so much good,” Bradford said. “Plus, its aerospace program is one of the nation’s best.”

In 2014, Bradford created an IRA beneficiary designation gift to establish an aerospace engineering scholarship. She can continue to use her account while knowing that after her lifetime, her gift will give back to the university that inspired her throughout her life.

2015: SKINNERS DONATE FAMILY LAND

“This gift allowed us to get the most value out of the land while preserving its legacy,” Skinner said. “We’re keeping our family legacy alive through the scholarships our gift will create for future students and the payments it will provide for my family, even through my daughter’s lifetime.”

A charitable remainder unitrust can be funded with real estate, stock or cash. Once established, the trust provides its owners and their designated beneficiaries payments for a specified term of years. After that period is over, the Foundation uses the remainder to fulfill the owner’s intentions. In the Skinners’ case, the gift will create scholarships for students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as well as a high-impact learning endowment to support lectures, internships, study abroad and similar experiences for Aggies in the college.

“The gift planning officers at the Foundation were incredibly helpful during this process,” Skinner said. “Everyone has their own way of giving back, but we believe in education as the key to success and in Texas A&M’s ability to provide success for students.”

2016: Couple Supports First-Generation Students, Lecture Series

Though neither of them attended Texas A&M University, Jane and Jerry Kingsley consider themselves Aggies. After experiencing Aggieland through their daughters, Marlee ’07 ’14 and Tara ’10, the Kingsleys decided to support future students by establishing a planned gift using their investment accounts.

The couple’s gift will fund two Regents’ Scholarships for first-generation college students and support the Memorial Student Center Wiley Lecture Series. “Regents’ Scholarships help worthy individuals advance themselves without accruing crippling debt and can help low-income families break the cycle of poverty,” Jerry said. “The Wiley Lecture Series benefits both Texas A&M students and the Bryan-College Station community by exposing residents to influential speakers. Since we moved to Aggieland after retirement, we have enjoyed attending Wiley events and learning from thought-provoking topics on national and foreign policy issues.”

To create a gift using investment accounts, the donor simply names the Texas A&M Foundation as beneficiary of the account(s) on the investment firm’s transfer-on-death form. After the holder’s lifetime, the funds are transferred to the Foundation and used to the donor’s specification.   

“Texas A&M gave our daughters a strong education, taught them how to be servant leaders and pushed them to be better people,” Jane said. “Even though Jerry and I didn’t attend Texas A&M, we’re proud to support a university that promotes those values.”

2017: Cushing Library Receives Boost for Texas History Collections

Ken Kellar ’65 has enjoyed a 15-year career at Corpus Christi Electric Company, a family-owned and operated business that—thanks to its success and solid reputation—has provided him and his wife Amanda many blessings over the years.

In the spirit of giving back, the Kellars set up an IRA charitable rollover to honor the family behind Corpus Christi Electric. Their gift supports the Chapman Texas History Endowment, which was established by the company’s late former president Floyd Chapman and his wife Louise to support the acquisition of Texas history materials for Cushing Memorial Library and Archives.

For individuals 70½ or older, an IRA charitable rollover can help lower the income and taxes from IRA withdrawals. Benefits include the ability to avoid taxes on transfers of up to $100,000 from your IRA; satisfy your required minimum distribution for the year; reduce your taxable income, even if you do not itemize deductions; and make a gift that is not subject to the deduction limits on charitable gifts.

“Texas A&M gave me the skills to work and compete and reinforced in me the value of sharing my good fortune with others,” Kellar said. “Using the IRA rollover was a good choice because gifts became tax neutral in our estate plan. Without the IRA rollover, future payments would have taxable consequences.”

2018: Kauths Support Stevenson Center         

When Melissa and John Kauth ’77 met with an attorney to discuss their wills, they struggled to decide how to settle their assets. They were given an insightful piece of advice that ultimately benefited the university and a cause they cherished: “Give to something you love.”

“We both adore dogs, and I immediately thought of Texas A&M and the Stevenson Companion Animal Life-Care Center,” said Melissa. “The animals at the Stevenson Center are cared for with professional expertise and profound love.” The Stevenson Center is a unique retirement home for pets whose owners can no longer care for them. It also provides veterinary students with invaluable hands-on experience, but will need funding for expansions, upgrades and new equipment in the future.

A charitable bequest is one of the easiest ways to leave a lasting impact at Texas A&M. A bequest allows you to retain assets during your lifetime and lessen the burden of taxes on your family. Because the Kauths don’t have children, they won’t have a taxable estate. “Bequests have the potential for financial benefits,” added John, “but our gift to the Stevenson Center benefits us emotionally.”