Giving to Its Greatest Potential

Nancy Goodman '77, a longtime donor to Pace and this year's featured speaker at the Edward J. Mortola Heritage Society Annual Luncheon, has supported programs at the University ranging from the Annual Fund and scholarships to the Mobile App Contest. She sees planned giving as a wonderful opportunity for donors to make a difference at an institution they value.

"When I looked at my estate planning, I realized that the money that I would leave to my son from my IRA would be subject to both income taxes and estate taxes," she explains. "I thought, 'Well that's a really inefficient use of my money!' I, like many people, had not wanted to make a planned gift, thinking that I might need that money at the end of my life and did not want to be locked into something I could not get out of. But when I talked to the Director of Planned Giving at Pace, I learned that making Pace a partial beneficiary of my IRA still gave me plenty of financial flexibility and could be an important part of my overall financial strategy."

As a result, Nancy named Pace as an IRA beneficiary. "I realized that having been financially responsible my whole life, I wasn't going to die having spent my last dime," she shares. "I wanted the pleasure of knowing that I was helping an organization that I valued. I encourage anyone who has a relationship with Pace to take the money that's going to be taxed at the end of their life anyway, and give it to where its full value can be realized." Nancy further stresses the point that anyone has the power to make a meaningful planned gift. "I'm not rich," she volunteers. "But you don't have to be a billionaire to make a difference."