Mary White

I am so pleased that I was able to meet several goals recently when friends at OBU assisted me in setting up a charitable gift annuity. The gift annuity is providing a lifetime income for me, and because my gift annuity was funded through my transfer of appreciated stock, I am receiving a significant tax break. With the ups and downs of the stock market, I am grateful, at the age of 90, for the security of a guaranteed 12 percent annual return on my investment in the gift annuity.

Of course, I am also happy that my gift annuity will eventually fund a chair in teacher education at OBU in my name. My friend, Laura Sipes, who passed away a number of years ago, would be so pleased to know of this legacy, since it is because of Laura that I first became interested in OBU. Laura was an OBU alumna, and she wanted me to know about OBU. She persuaded me to begin giving annual support to OBU. Over the past few years, I have funded two other gift annuities benefitting OBU, also.

Having spent more than 40 years as a kindergarten teacher, I am impressed with the educational excellence and ethical integrity at OBU. I want to continue to impact the future of education, and my investment in OBU will do that. Just as my friend and teacher colleague, Laura, encouraged me to support OBU, I would encourage others to extend their stewardship to continue the work of this fine institution.