“Why Don’t We Do Something Now?”

Jerry ’63 and Jannie Miller ’65 Dusseau are what you might consider alumni “superstars.” After graduating, they have remained avid volunteers and committed donors across a wide span of initiatives, with a particular focus on student support, recruitment and international student needs.

Both Jannie and Jerry express their appreciation for Earlham’s core values—such as respect, social justice, and diversity. “What Earlham does, bringing together students from all over the world and from all over the United States, is really important to understanding how you can engage with others throughout your lifetime,” Jannie explains. “Earlham is more diverse today, and much more global than when we were students…I think it’s also one of the reasons that we feel so strongly about scholarships for students and opportunities for faculty to engage with students. We understand that when you come from such diverse backgrounds, there’s going to be needs that we might not have experienced when we were in college.”

Jerry agrees, saying, “I think that diversity is really part of a true liberal arts education…I think another value that’s important for me is Earlham’s long-term concern and support for students. Students are really a primary focus of why Earlham exists.”

When thinking back on her own time as a student, Jannie shares, “The whole Earlham experience was so dramatic and impactful for a teenager who grew up on a farm in a very conservative part of Ohio. It was just eye-opening. It changed my thinking, but it also opened me up to the idea that one can always change, and that you can experience change in a positive way throughout your life.”

For his part, Jerry shares that facing change and challenges as a student was also a positive personal lesson. “One of the things [Jannie and I] learned is to enjoy and embrace change in a variety of different ways…Going through Earlham, I was pretty focused on what I wanted to do. When that didn’t work out a number of years later, I felt that I was still prepared to begin exploring other options… that it was going to be an adventure, but also an opportunity to really become more introspective into what I genuinely wanted, what my real aptitudes were.”

He adds, “It reminds me of the saying on the Earlham Hall fireplace—something we’ve read 6,427 times: ‘They gathered sticks, and kindled a fire and left it burning.’ When I had to start going through various changes, that became a very meaningful statement.”

Jerry and Jannie have contributed to Earlham through annual and endowed scholarships, direct student aid, campaign gifts, Earlham Day donations and even by spearheading fundraising efforts among classmates. Additionally, they’ve chosen to provide for Earlham in their estate plans in several ways, including documenting their bequest, creating a charitable gift annuity and setting up a donor advised fund through their trust.

Jannie describes the initial moment that began their planned giving journey—a spark of an idea that eventually led to starting a charitable gift annuity. “One day when we were out hiking, we looked at each other and said, ‘Rather than Earlham getting something when we die, why don’t we do something now?’ And so, we started thinking about planned giving.”

“Planned giving is a really important opportunity to not only plan for your own life, but also for the life of the College,” Jerry says. “We realize that there’s always going to be immediate financial need for the school. Thinking long-term, we also want Earlham to be there in the future, and to be there in a financially viable way. Giving through long-term processes, annuities and other types of gifts, are ways to do that and to support an institution that we love. Paying it forward for future generations is our privilege and joy.”

Jannie’s own personal experiences of working in fundraising at another college during a capital campaign gave her some additional insight. “That’s where I saw the impact of planned giving and what it meant to that college,” she says. “Although we were aware of planned giving, we didn’t personally put it into place until financially it was more viable—and also after we had this ‘Aha moment! Let’s do something now, rather than something happening after we’re no longer here.’”

In addition to helping meet Earlham’s needs, setting up an annuity with the College has also provided a way for Jannie and Jerry to offer future financial support to their nephew. The idea came from a friend and former Earlham faculty member, who suggested considering an annuity as an alternative to the more traditional route of leaving an inheritance through their will. “That has given us reassurance and confidence that he will have some income every month,” Jannie says. “It’s something he can count on.”

With so many different options for planned giving on the table, Jannie and Jerry began by speaking with an Institutional Advancement staff member for guidance while taking an exploratory approach. “Go back and forth,” Jannie advises, “Learn about the different planned giving options, the possible timeframes when you’d want to start an annuity, the amounts you’d want to contribute. For us, it was an iterative process—and that was important—and Earlham was very much there to answer questions.”

In a nutshell? Jannie summarizes their advice as “seek out information, become educated and then be comfortable with what you decide to do.” Great words of wisdom from alums who embody Earlham’s spirit of generosity on many levels!

Create a Lasting Legacy

We are ready to help you discover which giving options best fit your charitable goals, so your values can empower our students for years to come. Please contact Gail Connerley at 765-983-1439 or gailc@earlham.edu to get started!