Planned Giving

Home » Giving » Planned Giving

Planning the future. Giving possibility.

Your planned gifts can have an enormous impact on the future of Wheaton College and our students—an impact that will last for generations. A planned gift can benefit both you and Wheaton, during your lifetime and in the future. By including the college in your financial plans, you become a member of the Wheaton College Founders Society.

Learn more about the Founders Society and explore planned giving at Wheaton.

My gift. My way.

Susan Glazer '67

“Wheaton was a very homogeneous community when I attended and graduated in 1967. There were only a few non-white or foreign students. Even fewer students studied abroad and most were from the northeastern part of the U.S., like me. The Wheaton community did not have the opportunity to learn about other parts of the U.S. or other countries, cultures and communities in other parts of the world.

Although there was much to learn at Wheaton at that time, I felt there was something missing—being able to interact with students who had a different range of experiences.

Since then, Wheaton has changed for the better. The number of students from other countries and cultures and first-generation students has increased dramatically. Wheaton’s programs to embrace and promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) on campus are impressive.

I chose to pledge to establish an endowed internship fund for experiential learning. This way, I can give back to Wheaton and help enhance the recent, successful efforts to broaden student exposure to the world and build leadership skills for all students. I am funding this pledge with annual gifts from the required minimum distribution (RMD) of my IRA.”

Linda Morrison Zug ’69

“In 1969, I graduated from Wheaton with deep gratitude for the opportunity to earn a college degree, an opportunity that my parents had not been afforded. I was also aware that without the scholarship Wheaton had awarded me, it would not have been possible. For that reason, I have given something to Wheaton every year since, even in the early years when my gifts were very small. In 2011, when our financial situation was more secure, I established an Endowed Trustee Scholarship Fund, which has been a source of great satisfaction, particularly when I have received information on the current recipient. What a delight it has been occasionally to get an email thanking me for my contribution. It is difficult to express to them from this distant perspective how much that college degree has been worth, not only in preparing me to be a public school French teacher, but also to be an educated citizen of the world. What I learned at Wheaton has informed and enriched every aspect of my life as I parent, grandparent, work for and contribute to non-profits, respond to political and social issues, and enrich my inner life. My annual gifts to Wheaton have increased and are now granted through a Donor Advised Fund. I am glad to be able to give back to an institution that has meant so much to me.”

Priscilla Carey '74, Wheaton College Trustee

“I was raised in a family which valued giving and I have raised my own children and grandchildren in a similar way. I have donated to Wheaton and the Wheaton Fund every year since I graduated in 1974 which began as my way of saying thank you Wheaton for helping make me who I am today.

Including Wheaton in my will with both a bequest and as a beneficiary of an IRA is a culmination of the giving, a way to say I want Wheaton to continue to do for others what it did for me. It is also important to me for my family to know and share in my love for Wheaton and see that there are some things worth doing in life—I’m glad I can demonstrate these feelings in my bequest.”

I was lucky to have found this amazing college that will always be a part of me. My giving makes me really happy!”

Nicholas Helldorfer Cicchinelli ’14

“My time at Wheaton was transformative. I gained new ways to see the world, new lenses of analysis to understand it and new languages to describe it. I was guided and encouraged by advisors and mentors who lit the way for me to pursue my passions and put my values into action. I met the people who would become my best friends and chosen family. In a time of competing priorities and urgent, intersecting and seemingly intractable crises, my Wheaton education and community are two renewable resources I turn to every day to help cope with problems, contribute to innovative and inclusive solutions, and sustain the radical joy required to keep going. I am proud to carry that legacy forward for future generations by giving to sustainability and scholarships now and naming Wheaton as a beneficiary in my planned giving. It’s never too early
to plan for life abundantly.”

Susan Stampler Paresky ’68

“Perhaps unusual for most alumni, I have ‘attended’ Wheaton several times—as a student, as a bride in Cole chapel, and as a staff member, a trustee and recipient of an alumni award and honorary degree. These experiences helped shape my thinking and approach to life’s complexities and gave me the tools to succeed and grow. My husband, Joe, and I want to see Wheaton prosper into the future. So, we established a charitable gift annuity a few years ago and another one just recently. We are able to reap the benefits, financially as well as emotionally, knowing that the funds provided now will help students and the college for many years to come. All of our philanthropic support is crucial to the college’s ability to provide excellence in an increasingly competitive environment.”

Former senior vice president and chief philanthropy officer, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and former Wheaton College Trustee

Susan Anthony Wilson ’71

“Wheaton changed the trajectory of my life, starting with the generous scholarship that I received. I loved the campus from the beginning and I treasure the friendships I developed that are still ongoing. What continues to impress me about Wheaton is its holistic approach to education—the rigorous academics, the arts, the makerspaces and plentiful extracurriculars. Thanks to the education I received, I was well prepared to pursue other great opportunities, including graduate school at Cornell University. My entire career has been centered on financial aid at Massachusetts Institute of Technology [MIT]. So, I am passionate about the importance of scholarships, and that led me to create a named Wheaton Fund scholarship and to include Wheaton in my estate planning. I have eight grandchildren, and if every one of them went to Wheaton, I would be very happy. You can go anywhere with a Wheaton education.”

Retired associate director of student financial aid and resource development at MIT

Jeffrey Banks ’94

“Soon after I graduated in 1994, I updated the beneficiaries of my life insurance policy and added Wheaton. Later on, when the opportunity came to include Wheaton in my first will—leaving part of my legacy to the place that helped me lay the foundation of my life—it was a natural step. I wanted to give back to benefit future Wheaton students, in the same way that those who came before me supported my Wheaton experience. I am in the process of updating my will again, acknowledging the fact that I am about 15 years from retirement. I spent time reflecting on the nearly 32 years I have been connected to Wheaton and the profound impact it has had (and still has) on my life. This reflection included the joyous fact that one of my former students is a first-year student at Wheaton now, three decades after I started my Wheaton journey.”

High school mathematics and special education teacher, Boston Public Schools; Program coordinator and instructional coach, Catapult Learning
Recent Member-at-Large, Alumni Board of Directors; Past Chair, Engagement and Philanthropy Committee, Alumni Board

Linda Gigante ’72

“As a Classics major at Wheaton, I enjoyed the benefits of small classes and gifted professors. I spent my junior year in Rome at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies, where the world of Greek and Roman archaeology opened to me. Advancing my education, I earned graduate degrees in classical archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill and went on to a 35-plus-year professorship in ancient art and humanities at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. The life-changing experiences at Wheaton and in Rome led me and my parents to establish a scholarship to support student travel abroad. A substantial portion of my estate will continue to provide that kind of opportunity. The college had a profound influence on my intellectual and personal growth and laid the foundation for a rewarding career, so I’m happy to contribute to Wheaton’s commitment to high-quality education.”

Professor emerita of ancient art and humanities
University of Louisville, Fine Arts Department

Eric Tomasini '97

“At Wheaton innovative professors taught me to communicate with impact and authenticity, and to recognize (and embrace) differences, opportunities and challenges; academic advisors provided coaching and real-world connections, leading to internships and that critical first job. I have had great career success; possess a love of travel fostered during my junior year abroad at Oxford; and I am married to my best friend [Kathryn ‘Kate’ Klode-Tomasini ’97]—all thanks to Wheaton. I’m including Wheaton in my estate planning so that
students like me (for whom college wouldn’t have been possible without financial aid) can define what an abundant life looks like, and how Wheaton can enable their quest.”

Eric Tomasini ’97
Management consultant, senior director, Huron Consulting Group
Alumni Board of Directors and Board of Trustees

Cora MacPherson Hall '72

“I have chosen to make a bequest to Wheaton as part of my final plans because Wheaton means so much to me. In my case, Wheaton has been a family affair. My mother went to Wheaton as well as two of my sisters, my sister-in-law, and one of my nieces. I can still hear my mother saying after graduation, ‘Always remember your schools in your annual gifting.’ As it turned out, Wheaton was a gift to me. I received a top-notch education, which I came to truly appreciate when I reached graduate school. At Wheaton I majored in Psychology and took a few education courses, which led me to Northeastern University’s Graduate School of Education. That prepared me for my 34 year career in the public schools. I’m so grateful to my father for supporting me with another year+ of school, especially because my sister was just starting out as a freshman at Wheaton when I was a senior!

Wheaton gave me the cultural experiences that I was passionate about, particularly in the music department. And Wheaton exposed me to the world of elementary education through a student teaching experience. At the time of my 50th reunion I was so impressed to learn of new initiatives, programs, and “green” construction at the college. The familiarity of old campus and the beauty of the campus as a whole is comforting and endures. I am forever grateful for my Wheaton education.”

Cora MacPherson Hall ’72
Retired Guidance Counselor

Gifts by Bequest

A Bequest to Wheaton College of any size is significant to Wheaton College’s future. By letting the college know Wheaton is in your estate plans, you will become a valued member of the Founders Society and solidify your legacy to Wheaton.

Estate Gifts

Gifts by Donor Advised Funds (DAF)

A DAF gift or Donor Advised Fund can be a creative way to meet your charitable goals. They can be used to set up recurring gifts or annual gifts while providing you immediate tax income deduction for your gift to Wheaton.

Donor Advised Funds

Gifts Through Your IRA

If you are 70 ½ or over and looking for a tax-smart way to give, you may want to consider what an IRA Charitable gift can do to maximize your donation and meet your minimum distribution requirements.

IRA Gifts

Life Income Gifts

A charitable gift annuity provides fixed payments for life in exchange for a gift of cash or securities to Wheaton College. You can establish a charitable gift annuity with cash or appreciated securities, and receive a fixed income stream for life.

Charitable Gift Annuities

Contact the Office of Gift Planning for personalized assistance:

Suzie Hurd Greenup
Director, Planned Giving
774-265-9321
[email protected]

Brienn Buchanan
Planned Giving Marketing and Stewardship Coordinator
508-285-3555
[email protected]