Advancing Cedarville
Cedarville Magazine
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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
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
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
