In a recent interview, I was asked to share what I believe is the greatest part of my role at the Texas A&M Foundation. When you’re part of a team that accomplishes so many remarkable things, that may seem like a hard question—but truthfully, my response was as simple as it is profound. The most incredible thing about leading the Foundation is helping create new opportunities every day.
Similarly, I believe the greatest part of planning estate gifts is the ability to create new opportunities for future generations. Based on their own experiences and passions, our planned giving donors can personalize their support to lend a helping hand to Aggies who will follow in their footsteps. As models of success in their professions, it’s one thing to leave big shoes to fill—it’s another to ensure they’re always in racing condition for the next in line.
This generous act of preparing the way through purposeful philanthropy is a common theme throughout this issue of Heritage. Another topic we explore is the power of giving through a bequest, a gift left in a will or living trust, and the very method my own family chose when we planned our gift. Year after year, this method tops the charts in estate giving popularity because it achieves two important things: the satisfaction of supporting Aggies’ unique passions in a flexible way, and the monumental impact guaranteed to occur after your lifetime.
For instance, one example in this issue shows how an endowed gift left via a bequest nearly 25 years ago has grown nearly double in value and supported more than 130 students (and counting) since it was established. As generations thrive from the support of gifts like these, it’s encouraging to witness the good works of Aggies being carried forward in perpetuity. It also serves as an important reminder for our donors that while they’re sowing seeds for trees they’ll never stand under, their passion, spirit and legacy will be rooted in Aggieland forever.
When you live by the mission of building a brighter future for Texas A&M University one relationship at a time, it’s a privilege to work with donors like ours. Creating new opportunities is the greatest joy of my role, but the honor doesn’t exist without the generous visionaries who make them reality.
Thanks for all you do.
Tyson Voelkel ’96
President & CEO
Texas A&M Foundation
