Cedarville Magazine, Summer 2013

Advancing Cedarville Cedarville Magazine | 27 Dave Bartlett Associate Vice President for Gift Planning At Cedarville since 1995 About 12 years ago, I was working with a farmer and his wife who put their farm into a charitable trust. When she got Alzheimer’s, they moved into assisted living and lived off the income created by the sale of their farm. I went to see him and offered to take him anywhere he wanted to go. He was a grain farmer in the middle of Illinois, nowhere near an ocean. He’d never been to Red Lobster, but he thought he’d give it a try. The value of their gift was more than half a million ... I was more than happy to take him there. We ate there each time I went back to see him. When he wasn’t able to leave the house, I’d get Red Lobster to go and take it to his apartment. I got a call on a Tuesday from his son. His dad had died, would I come to the funeral that Friday? At the graveside service, it was just the son, the son’s wife, and me. We sat there and talked about his dad for almost three hours. I asked if he’d told his mother. “She won’t even know I’m there,” he said. I encouraged him to tell her, and he said he would. The next week, he called to say he’d been to see his mother, and she’d died the next day. Could I be there on Friday for her funeral? That’s what it means to build a lifetime relationship. There’s a reason they call these financial arrangements “trusts.” Contact me about assets you want to turn into income. Or if you’re a farmer and you don’t want to realize capital gain on your farm. Or if you have a Red Lobster in your town. 937-766-7805 bartletd@cedarville.edu Nancy Holmes Voorhies Senior Regional Director for Institutional Relations Serving the central and western United States and Canada; at Cedarville since 2008 In 2010, I made plans to have dinner with an alumna and her parents at a St. Louis, Missouri, Cheesecake Factory. We got so caught up in talking about the daughter’s experience at Cedarville that we didn’t leave the house formore than an hour. We eventually made it to the restaurant and continued our conversation over dinner. Within a fewmonths, the parents made some generous gifts for the Health Sciences Center, and I enjoyed catching up each time I’d call to thank them. When I learned the mother was retiring and directing her final youth choir concert, I surprised the family by showing up to the concert. I wanted to be there to celebrate her years of faithful ministry and investment in young people. I knew in my heart it was the right thing to do. Soon after I was married in 2011, I returned home from two weeks of donor visits. In the pile of mail was an invitation to their daughter’s wedding. It was lovely to share in their special day and also introduce them to my husband. We have since vacationed together and shared many meals — at fabulous restaurants, at home, and even some great leftovers. It’s a joy to connect people with Cedarville and see the way God uniquely connects the dots to bring people into our lives. Contact me about supporting our students and investing in their futures. Next time you’re at The Cheesecake Factory, try the salmon. 937-766-3340 nholmesvoorhies@cedarville.edu Brad Hulls Senior Director of Regional Advancement Serving the northeastern and southeastern United States; at Cedarville since 2005 Several years ago, I arranged to meet an alumni couple in Cocoa Beach, Florida. When I offered to take them out, they surprised me by inviting me to dinner at their home. I spend about two-thirds of my time at work on the road, meeting people on behalf of the University. Their offer of a home-cooked meal was a nice break from my usual rotation of Panera, Bob Evans, and Applebee’s. It’s fairly unusual tomeet donors in their homes, but it actually allows for better conversation without interruptions or background noise. This couple had been thinking about doing something for Cedarville, so we talked over a number of ways they could direct their giving. When I mentioned scholarships, their eyes lit up. He is a medical specialist, so they decided to fund a scholarship that helps students with financial need pursue a career in the medical field. The letters and notes they receive today from their award recipients remind them of their days at Cedarville. I love connecting the right idea with the right people. Contact me about opportunities at Cedarville to give time, talent, and treasure, or if you have interesting food you’d like me to try. 937-766-7881 bhulls@cedarville.edu