Because of the Generosity of Others — Bequest

When asked "why do you give?" I could easily say it is due to the academic rigor, small class sizes, and unique support system Lawrence offers, but that would be a truly incomplete response. Although the benefits associated with attending Lawrence are meaningful, my motivation to give does not stem from them. The opportunities presented to me while at Lawrence were only possible because of the generosity of others. I was able to attend and remain enrolled because alumni invested in my education through financial giving, and in turn, it is my responsibility to pay it forward.

After the birth of our first baby, we made the decision to move forward with estate planning, and ultimately to include Lawrence within that plan. I had always considered estate planning to be for people with significant assets, expected to be faced with a complicated process, and believed including an organization like Lawrence University would have to come at some sort of loss to my children. After meeting with an estate lawyer, we came to realize all of our assumptions were false. Estate planning does not have to be complicated, it is not only for those with significant assets, and including Lawrence in our plans did not have to come at any sort of loss to our children. Ultimately we chose to set up a family trust to secure our children's futures, and included Lawrence as a secondary charitable beneficiary. Joining Legacy Circle in this way not only helped us provide security for our children, but gave us the chance to continue paying it forward.