April 2002 Stories

Planning for a Secure Future

Leland Svarverud Jr. ’50 and his wife, Nelda, are a perfect example of how charitable intentions and financial planning can go hand in hand.

After raising three sons, the Svarveruds retired on a small farm west of Roseburg. In the fall of 2001, Leland and Nelda made a gift that “fit into our plans just right.” They contributed $60,000 to Willamette in exchange for a charitable gift annuity. The annuity pays the Svarveruds $4,500 annually – 7.5 percent of $60,000 -– throughout their lives.

Leland always considered himself “lucky” to have received a Willamette education, which served him well through his 14 years as Douglas County assessor. (And without his Willamette education, he might never have met Nelda, who was the chief tax collector for Douglas County!) Nelda and Leland firmly believe that “the best investment you can make is in education” and they take great pride in knowing their gift will support future generations of Willamette students in perpetuity.

The Svarveruds also reaped substantial tax savings from their gift. They received an income tax deduction of more than $22,000 in 2001. And by gifting appreciated stock, the Svarveruds avoided capital gain tax on $27,000 of appreciation. Also, more than $1,500 of their $4,500 annual annuity payments is tax-free.

Gift annuity rates are determined by your age at the time of the gift, and your rate could be as high as 12 percent. For more information, contact Steve Brier, director of planned giving, at 503-370-6022 or at
sbrier@willamette.edu. Or log onto www.willamette.edu/support/planned_giving.

Remembering Willamette

Douglas Gordenier ’54 has not forgotten the education and training he received during his four years at Willamette.

An economics major, Gordenier graduated from Willamette to pursue a business career in Southern Oregon. His success in the business world led to his desire to give something back to the University.

With a gift of $250,000, Gordenier established The Gordenier Family Scholarship Fund. This endowed scholarship fund will award annual scholarships to junior or senior economics majors in the College of Liberal Arts or to students of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management. “I felt I had good business training at Willamette,” said Gordenier. “I had the opportunity to take advantage of the training I received and am happy to help someone else.”

Annual earnings from the gift will provide financial support for three to five students each year, beginning in fall 2002. Preference will be given to students from Southern Oregon who have financial need and demonstrate a combination of academic success, leadership and meritorious achievement in extra curricular activities.

“The Gordenier Family Scholarship fund is the best example of a targeted effort to strengthen the proud Willamette tradition of making it possible for financially needy students to not only enroll at the University, but to persevere through graduation,” said Jim Eddy, director of Financial Aid.

Telefund Connects Students, Alumni

Each year over $200,000 is raised for Willamette University one phone call at a time.

While this may seem like an inefficient way to raise funds, in reality Willamette’s Telefund is a crucial element of the Annual Fund, providing an invaluable link between alumni and current students.

During the fall and spring semesters, 12 students arrive to work every Monday through Thursday evening at the University Call Center. Working from eastern to western time zones, they call alumni and parents all over the nation.

While the purpose of their calls is ultimately to ask for financial support of Willamette, the conversations these students have with alumni are much more than a simple solicitation. Telefund is also an opportunity to reconnect alumni with the Willamette community. Each caller is trained to answer questions, update alumni on campus activities, record information for The Scene’s class notes and verify all alumni contact information.

“Talking to alumni can be wonderful,” says Kate McClendon ’05, a freshman caller. “It’s enjoyable to share experiences at Willamette, to talk about how much has changed, to hear where Willamette graduates are and how they have achieved success. My favorite calls are not necessarily my largest donations, but those where alumni are eager to talk about Willamette and their fond memories.”

Each year the Annual Fund benefits hundreds of students in countless ways. From technology, research opportunities, financial aid and scholarships to basics such as campus safety and electricity, every student at Willamette is touched by alumni contributions. Each time a gift is given through Telefund, inevitably the very student on the phone benefits.

“There is no one on campus who is better suited to ask our alumni for support than our own students,” says Corrina Hawkins, assistant director of annual giving. “These students feel the effects of alumni giving and understand the importance of University support more than anyone. They are our best ambassadors.”

Willamette Receives $500,000 Grant

A recent grant will help fund an archivist position to assist faculty, students, friends and alumni locate priceless archives.

Willamette University received a $500,000 grant from the Meyer Memorial Trust to help build the endowment for the Mark O. Hatfield Library Archivist. This gift brings Willamette halfway to its endowment goal of $2 million. Annual earnings from the fund will be used to support a full-time archivist, a half-time staff position, material costs and archives-sponsored programs.

“The Meyer gift takes us a big step closer to our goal,” said Pat Alley, director of foundation relations and government grants. “The University has wanted someone for a long time who could organize the Mark O. Hatfield Library Archives for faculty, students and the public.”

One of the major goals of the archivist is to make the historical documents more readily accessible to a large public audience through programmatic uses, exchanges with other libraries and digitization of materials to appear on an archival Web site. “When fully established, the Mark O. Hatfield Library Archives will be an educational resource that holds the promise of becoming an invaluable research center for students and faculty, civic leaders, visiting scholars and the general public,” said President M. Lee Pelton.

Willamette alumnus Senator Mark O. Hatfield ’43 placed his archives at Willamette University in 1986, the year the Mark O. Hatfield Library opened. His archives include memorabilia from his career – such as plaques, medallions, honorary degrees and keys to cities – as well as papers from his career as a faculty member at Willamette through his serving as Oregon governor and U.S. senator. The papers include speeches, files on legislative issues and campaign materials. “It’s an enormously important collection for the University, the region and the nation,” said University Librarian Larry Oberg. “I don’t think we can overestimate the importance of the Meyer gift.”

IN THEIR OWN WORDS: The First Recipients of the Trustee Scholarship Share Their Thoughts on Endowed Scholarships

“Receiving the Trustee Scholarship enabled me to attend Willamette University, an opportunity that would have been impossible without the scholarship. The rising tuition rates of private universities prevent many excellent students from attending…I believe that scholarships encourage students to be more focused and study harder.”
– Jacen Greene-Powell ’05, Carlotta, Calif.

“Scholarships are a lasting legacy, giving others the opportunity to achieve goals they otherwise could not have. Scholarships encourage students to transcend their own financial situations and chase after their dreams.”
– Travis Ward ’05, Bend, Ore.

“The world in which we live is one of uncertainty and promise.‑In this frame, the simplest acts of generosity and compassion mean the most.‑Like ripples in a pond, the effect is ever widening…Rest assured in that what‑is given will go far further than you could have possibly predicted.”
– Christopher Parisi ’05, Milwaukee, Wis.

The Trustee Scholarship is one of Willamette’s most competitive scholarships – requiring a minimum 3.85 g.p.a. and a 1400 SAT or 32 ACT score. This endowed scholarship awards $18,000 per year for a maximum of four years.

Hallie Ford Museum Receives $1 Million Endowment

Providing young students with greater access and exposure to art was a compelling reason for Maribeth (Wilson) Collins to endow a new education curator position at the Hallie Ford Museum with a $1 million gift.

According to John Olbrantz, the museum’s director, one of the primary responsibilities of the education curator is to develop educational partnerships between the museum and K-12 schools. “One of my goals is to make our exhibitions more accessible to art and social studies students in Salem-area schools,” says Olbrantz. “The education curator will work with teachers so they can use our collections to create a teaching experience that is useful and instructive for their students.”

As an example, Olbrantz cites how a history class, which has a Native American history component, would benefit from exposure to the museum’s Native American art collection. “What better way to bring to life what they are learning in the classroom than to have them experience real Native American art and artifacts.”

“I think it is wonderful that John Olbrantz is trying to bring more school children into the museum so they can experience its exhibits,” echoes an exuberant Collins.

But the duties of the education curator won’t end with educational outreach. He or she will also be responsible for recruiting and training volunteer staff as well as helping design and coordinate programs for the museum’s special exhibitions. Olbrantz notes, “This person will bring a whole new level of interpretation and focus to our exhibits, which I think is very exciting.”

Olbrantz is especially grateful for Collins’ support, and calls her, “The most amazing donor I have ever met.” Olbrantz says the outpouring of support for the museum “has allowed us to do things in just four years that have taken other institutions decades to accomplish.”

A Patron of the Arts

Though she did not receive her degree from Willamette, Maribeth (Wilson) Collins is a Bearcat through and through. As president of the Collins Foundation, a non-profit organization created by her late husband, Truman Collins ’22, Collins has embodied the Willamette ideal of service, dedicating her life to the enrichment of Oregon’s religious, educational, cultural and scientific communities. For Willamette alone, the foundation has provided over $12 million to improve the University’s facilities and programs.

But beyond her work through the foundation, Collins has made enhancing the fine arts at Willamette a personal crusade. Her support was instrumental for the construction of both the Mary Stuart Rogers Music Center and the Hallie Ford Museum of Art. She helped endow the museum’s directorship position and has given generously to the University’s Art Acquisition Fund. With the recent endowment of the education curator position for the museum, nearly half of Collins’ lifetime giving to Willamette has gone toward the arts. Asked to explain her dedication to the arts, Collins says, “I think the arts are so important to a school like Willamette because they promote understanding and compassion.” Spoken like a true Bearcat.