LAURA: It’s a fun story! During my sophomore year, I became an AMC sweetheart. While sweethearts usually interact with members, our paths never really crossed. But one day, our friend, Jacob Robinson ’11, told me, “There’s this guy that’s been asking about you.” It was Ben. We went on a date, and soon after, we attended every AMC event together!
BEN: Throughout my career, I’ve worked extensively with estate plans. We never really know the timeline of our lives, so it’s important to be prepared. As Laura and I built our plan, we knew we wanted to give back what we’ve been entrusted with, so we planned with our charitable goals in mind.
LAURA: Not only did it bring us together, but AMC also creates strong leaders who care about service. We care deeply about student affairs and wanted our gift to reflect that.
BEN: I was a Maroon Coat and a Texas A&M Foundation student worker, so I was very comfortable using the Foundation as our giving vehicle. The staff guided us through the process, and I couldn’t speak more highly about how easy it was to tailor our gift to our goals.
BEN: DAFs are very flexible. During our lifetime, we’ll contribute regularly to the fund, receive immediate tax deductions, and then direct the funds to the cause of our choice when we’re ready. We decided to name the Foundation as a beneficiary of the fund so that after our lifetimes, it will continue accomplishing our charitable goals.
BEN: Planning ahead isn’t reserved for people at a certain stage in life. Without a plan, an emergency could become a tremendous burden for your beneficiary. Document your priorities and wishes while you can, especially if charitable giving is important to you.
