A Fresh Twist on Giving

Serendipity certainly played a part in connecting Earlham alumni Richard and Sandy Nakamura with the College’s vice president for institutional advancement, Kim Tanner. Sandy came across a charitable giving article that Kim wrote for an issue of Connections.

“In it, Kim talked about how to make an annual fund gift to Earlham through an IRA, while reaping personal tax benefits,” Richard ’68 explains. That prompted the couple to reach out to her and learn more.

Adds Sandy ’67, “Kim’s easy-to-understand article got us thinking seriously about this method of giving. It’s within our budget and feasible for average people. We’re grateful that she walked us through the process.”

“Donors at all levels have found IRA gifts to be beneficial for both Earlham and the donor,” Kim says.

“In the last few years, we have seen an amazing increase in our donors giving through their IRAs, and it has been critical to the Earlham Fund’s success.” Kim adds: “If you are 70½ or older, it is as simple as writing a check directly from your IRA account or asking your administrator to send it to Earlham. Your required minimum distribution will then be tax-free!”

Richard and Sandy, who met at Earlham, retired from rewarding careers at the National Institutes of Health and in library science, respectively, and they enthusiastically praise the gifts their Earlham education afforded them. “Earlham’s strength in science and Quaker values have served me well,” explains Richard, while Sandy declares that study abroad in Germany and Japan enriched her immeasurably.

Earlham graduates also run in the family, and include cousins, the couple’s son Daniel and his spouse, Erin—and, hopefully, their grandchildren. “We value Earlham, and are delighted to support its students and programs in this way,” says Richard.