Fall 2025 Issue

What if your legacy helped future students discover theirs?

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Story By: Brittany Carlson Prokupek ’16

November 13, 2025

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For generations, Central College has been shaped by people who care deeply about its mission — people who walked these pathways, built lifelong connections and chose to make a difference for students they may never meet.

Now, through the Leave A Legacy Challenge, you have the opportunity to do the same — and multiply your impact.

A planned gift is a commitment made today that will support Central in the future — often through a bequest in your will or by naming Central as a beneficiary of your IRA, life insurance policy or trust. These gifts allow you to make a meaningful impact without affecting your current finances. In fact, many people find they can give more through an estate gift than they ever could through an outright gift today.

“Sometimes people tell me, ‘I’d love to make a big gift, but I’m afraid I’ll run out of money,’” says Deb Calderwood, senior planned giving and major gifts officer. “Planned giving takes away that fear. You keep control of your assets during your lifetime and still provide a future gift to Central.”

The Leave A Legacy Challenge offers an additional incentive: When you document your planned gift with Central, you unlock an immediate 10% cash match (up to $10,000) based on your gift’s current estimated value. You can direct the match to any fund or program that matters to you — a scholarship, the arts, Forever Dutch® or another area close to your heart.

For example, let’s say John Smith named Central as a $100,000 beneficiary of his IRA, unlocking the maximum $10,000 match. He then designated his match to go to his mother’s endowed scholarship. Or maybe a couple included Central in their will with a $25,000 bequest, generating a $2,500 match for the art department.

This matching opportunity — made possible by the generosity of Rich ’62 and Mary Roorda Glendening ’62, Emily and Larry Reynen ’71 and the family of Terry Garvin ’72 — is available on a first-come, first-served basis.

“People choose to make a planned gift because they love Central,” Calderwood says. “It’s not about the size of the gift. It’s about being part of something that will outlast you.”

What if your story became part of Central’s story? The difference you make today will do a world of good for Central students for generations to come.