The Ella Nash Society

Nearly 40 students presented short overviews of their summer research and creative projects to an audience of staff, administrators, and guests over the course of nine weekly luncheons last summer. Students presented work from the humanities, natural-science and social-science divisions. Donors provide research funds and stipends for summer student-faculty research and for the weekly presentations. Visit allegheny.edu/across for more information and consider joining us for lunch one day next year!

“Giving to Allegheny was a simple choice for me. Allegheny had given me so much”

As an Allegheny alumna, Rachel Dingman ’08 says she now has two priorities: Bringing her former classmates together to celebrate Reunion Weekend on campus and providing support for the College.

Rachel had the distinction of being the youngest-ever Timothy Alden Council (TAC) donor at Allegheny, meaning that she donated $1,815 as a new graduate to help boost the College’s programs.

“Giving to Allegheny was a simple choice for me,” she says. “Allegheny had given me so much — from my incredible group of friends to a foundation that has carried me through all of my future education.”

For a young woman busy tending to her career, Rachel continues to devote much of her volunteer time and effort to helping current Allegheny students find academic success and to bringing her former classmates together for landmark reunions.

Rachel graduated from Allegheny in 2008 and returned to the College in 2010 to work in the Admissions Office and as the director of Hillel, a Jewish student organization.

“I spent five amazing years working for Allegheny and figuring out my relationship as an alumna and employee,” says Rachel. “During that time, I served as the co-chair for the first-ever five-year reunion celebrated by a single class. It was incredible to watch our class come together, raise money, and reunite back on campus. I caught the reunion bug quickly, and I am currently co-chairing our 10-year reunion this summer.”

In 2015, Rachel left Allegheny and moved to Israel to pursue an opportunity at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. “I spent two years there and received a certificate in experiential Jewish education. During that time, I continued to support Allegheny by serving as a part-time application reader for the Admissions Office,” she says.

Rachel returned to the United States in May 2017 and is now the assistant director for Penn State Hillel, working at the University Park campus. “I manage our student life team (four professional staff members), work with our student leaders, facilitate a Jewish learning seminar, manage and strategize use of our data, and work with an incredible team to figure out how to serve all of our 4,000 Jewish students on campus,” she says.

But her alma mater is never far from her thoughts, and devoting time to organizing reunions and continuing to support the College financially is part of Rachel’s philanthropic plan.

“I have seen the benefits of donating every day. Giving was never a question — in terms of giving at the TAC level — this was a very practical decision,” says Rachel. “Giving a portion of your salary to the community is a Jewish tradition that I strongly connect to. In the times of the Torah, farmers were required to give 10 percent of the crops they raised to serve their community.

“Allegheny has helped me establish my career and had put me in a place financially that I could give to my community from my salary every month. It was easy to do, financially responsible, and helped me get closer to living out a value that I hold dear,” she says. “I am proud to have been able to give at the level I did, and that I am now able to continue giving at the TAC level.”

The current academic and professional interest in the philanthropic activities of women in the United States might lead one to think that our engagement with charity is a new concept. In fact, we have been sharing our expertise, time, and treasure with our communities and favorite organizations for centuries.

We have historically worked to address poverty and social welfare, the care of children and families, sanitation and medicine, healthcare, the environment, and education. What is new is the growing realization that women are a powerful force for getting.things.done. Women are shaping the world, including Allegheny, as never before through our increased social and political capital, networking, and financial resources. Allegheny is — and has long been — the grateful recipient of women’s beneficence. Alumnae give of their time as class agents, mentors, recruiters, Alumni Council members, trustees and more. In fact, 65 percent of our 1,300-plus active volunteers are women. The Spring 2017 issue of The Ella Nash Society newsletter highlighted alumnae service to Allegheny and provided several options for readers’ engagement through Gator Connect, the College’s online community, where students and alumni connect with the College and one another. (read Supporting Through Service for details.) Alumnae also give generously of their financial resources, as evidenced in scholarships, professorships, internships, buildings, program funds, and the annual operating budget. Gift amounts and service levels vary with time and individual means, yet all advance the College.

Women are shaping the world, including Allegheny, as never before through our increased social and political capital, networking, and financial resources.

One of the most popular ways that alumnae combine gifts of time and treasure is, like Rachel Dingman, through their service on class reunion committees. Hundreds of alumnae maintain lifelong friendships that sprouted in residence halls, sororities, clubs, and sports. These women are natural partners for the Office of Development and Alumni Affairs. They connect with classmates and friends, encourage attendance, and help plan the reunion activities. Many assist with the fundraising for class gifts in addition to making their own contributions.

Sally Barrett Hanley ’92, Director of Reunion Giving, reports that an average of $4.5 million is raised annually by volunteers and staff as a result of class reunion programming. Classes celebrating their 5th, 10th, 25th, 30th, 40th, and 50th reunions include fundraising for class gifts as part of their volunteer work. Gifts of all sizes and types, including bequests, are welcome, and they support all aspects of the College’s mission. “The success of our reunions is directly linked to the energy and enthusiasm of our dedicated volunteers,” Sally notes. “It is wonderful to see yesterday’s students keeping the Allegheny experience alive for those who follow them.”

For more information about becoming involved in your next class reunion, call Sally at (814)332-2996 or write sbarrett@allegheny.edu. You can also log in to Gator Connect to view and sign up for current volunteer opportunities for alumni.

What is the number one reason that people make gifts to charity? Quite simply, it is because we are asked. Less simple are decisions about where, when, how much, and what to give. Scores of nonprofit organizations vie for our support, so we winnow the list by focusing on those that speak to our values, goals, and aspirations. (And the occasional heart-tugging photograph that catches us at a vulnerable moment!) When, how much, and what we give are frequently related to life stages.

When we’re younger, we tend to make gifts of cash, as we have not yet attained assets such as stocks and bonds, real estate, and other investments. We give when it strikes us and as we are able, with considerations about tax benefits largely out of mind.

Timing takes on greater relevance as we get older, when we may begin to develop annual budgets for charitable giving and to itemize our deductions. Gift giving may be associated with fiscal (June 30) and calendar (Dec. 31) year ends. We also tend to find that the scope and sizes of our assets are expanding as we age, thus it makes sense to give from those that have increased in value: in addition to receiving a federal income tax deduction, we reduce or eliminate capital gains taxes. We may be more likely to give in response to personal requests from charity representatives and may find that, with planning, we can give more to charity than we ever thought possible.

When we reach retirement age, charitable gift annuities that provide a federal income tax deduction and income for life might be appealing. This is also a time when we take stock of our assets and begin to plan for their eventual distribution. We question how to best provide for ourselves and our loved ones while minimizing taxes and making meaningful impacts at our favored nonprofit organizations. Charitable trusts funded with appreciated assets including stocks, bonds, real estate, and collectibles provide substantial income tax deductions and income during life; reduce capital gains taxes; and leave significant dollars in support of organizational missions. Finally, gifts at life’s end made through wills, life insurance, and retirement assets provide special acknowledgment of the organizations that meant so much to us during life.

It is truly the case that there is a way to give for every person at every stage of her life. Visit Allegheny’s Office of Gift Planning or call us at (814) 332-6519 to identify gift options that suit your needs now and in the future.

During our years in college, most of us were blithely unaware of the impact that alumni contributions had on our academic careers. Scholarships, cultural events, conferences — they just happened. Without understanding the direct correlation between our colleges’ fundraising efforts and our own experiences, it may have taken us a while to begin making our own gifts. The Allegheny Student Advancement Association (ASAA) was established in 2014 by a group of students whose goal was to shorten that learning curve among their peers.

The ASAA is increasing awareness among their classmates and friends about the impact that donors make on their lives, and at the same time, they are helping donors to comprehend just what their support means on campus. This year, a leadership council of eight students has been coordinating a variety of fun, campus-based activities, including a popular trivia game where students earned prizes for correctly answering questions about historical and contemporary giving at Allegheny; a donor panel discussion about giving of one’s self and one’s finances; and Love-a-Donor Days — a week-long event that culminates in students, faculty, and staff writing hundreds of thank you notes to contributors.

Junior Sadie Longo ’19 sums up the feelings of her fellow ASAA members when she writes, “I love having a part in educating the Allegheny community about the great things made possible through alumni and donor involvement. Being able to become the bridge between current students and alumni has been a truly rewarding experience.”

Judy Berges ’63 made a major contribution to the College’s $200 million bicentennial endowment campaign, Our Allegheny: Our Third Century Quest, by including her beloved alma mater in her estate plans. Judy wished to maintain most of her assets during her lifetime in order to cover her retirement and potential medical expenses. By naming the College the beneficiary of her individual retirement accounts (IRAs) and including a provision for Allegheny in her will, she was able to make a substantial gift at her death. 

We welcomed Judy to the William Bentley Legacy Society (WBLS) when she documented her plans in 2012. The WBLS is named for Rev. Bentley, who bequeathed his library to the College in 1817. Bentley’s bequest provided the impetus to develop Bentley Hall to house the collection and fledgling college, thus solidifying its future. In a very real sense, Allegheny may be considered as much Bentley’s legacy as it is Timothy Alden’s. 

Virtually anyone can make a bequest regardless of age or income. Allegheny has received bequests ranging from $1,000 to more than $1 million in recent years, each one taking another step toward ensuring the College’s future. The youngest WBLS member graduated only four years ago! Bequests may be designated for a specific purpose, or left unrestricted to be used as the Board of Trustees elects. Unrestricted bequests currently support the general endowment.

The easiest way to make bequests is by naming your favorite charity (or charities) as a beneficiary of your IRA(s). You may designate all or a percentage of an account for a gift, and this can usually be done with your plan’s administrator online or by phone. Your IRA bequests may be shared with loved ones and organizations, but individuals will be taxed on their payments while 100 percent of your gifts to nonprofits are put to charitable use. Charitable organizations may also be named as beneficiaries of life insurance policies in much the same manner. Wills, completed with the assistance of an attorney, remain popular mechanisms for implementing donors’ charitable plans.

Please consult with your financial advisors and visit our website at allegheny.giftplans.org for detailed information on the variety of ways that you can shape your legacy at Allegheny and help to ensure that tomorrow’s students receive the same education as did you.

We dedicate this issue of The Ella Nash Society newsletter to the thousands of volunteers who work tirelessly to advance the College’s mission, and we invite you to learn about the myriad ways that you may be more actively involved in your Allegheny community.

Keri Fadden was named the College’s first director of alumni engagement in 2013. (Many of you will recall Keri from her days in the Office of Student Involvement and the Learning Commons.) Under her direction, our Volunteers in Support of Allegheny (VISA) program is expanding and now includes many opportunities for service, largely in conjunction with the Admissions and Career Education offices.

One of Keri’s charges was to oversee the development of an online community to connect alumni with students and one another, and rally thousands of volunteers in service to Allegheny—all in one place. We were delighted to launch Gator Connect in January 2017.

In 2015–16,
3,000
alumni volunteered for Allegheny.

Gator Connect features descriptions of current, typically short-term, volunteer opportunities (some are seasonal) and the means to sign up for them—from writing letters to prospective students to helping mentor current students to planning reunion activities. Gator Connect also includes information on volunteer opportunities with various academic programs in the classroom and other settings.

In addition, some of the College’s academic programs convene advisory committees and host short residencies for alumni professionals in their fields. The Center for Business & Economics (CBE), for example, has a 24-member advisory Board of Visitors that meets annually on campus. The CBE also hosts executives-in-residence who come to campus for one or two days to speak to classes, meet to provide career guidance to students and present a public lecture.

“See the “Gator Connect” page for key volunteer activities and details on signing up.”

In addition to volunteerism directed toward students and recent graduates, Allegheny relies upon alumni, parents and friends who devote extended time and energy on behalf of the College as a whole. At right are key leadership posts.

This newsletter showcases many of the most common volunteer activities, but Alleghenians serve the College in many other ways. Volunteers advise Greek and other student organizations, support athletics, help first-year students to move into residence halls, entertain us with their choral singing, document and share our history, and lend a hand when asked.

Allegheny is 200-plus years strong and growing because so many individuals like you care—and we could not be more grateful.

Katie Heckman ’07, Jeremy Heckman, and son, Connor

A different kind of favor greeted guests finding their seats at Katie Heckman’s wedding reception. Rather than spend money on objects that might soon be discarded, Heckman and her husband, Jeremy, left a note to let celebrants know that a gift had been made in their honor to Make-A-Wish International. That nonprofit, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions, holds special meaning for the Heckmans. They’ve had several close family members and friends who have benefited from Make-A-Wish’s support, and the couple has in turn made it a philanthropic priority. “We know that every dollar we give (to Make-A-Wish) goes directly to an individual who needs a special experience, something fun,” said Katie (Pankowski) Heckman, a 2007 Allegheny College graduate. In making their philanthropic decisions, the couple considers where they can have the most impact, Heckman said. And that means formulating an annual plan for investing their charitable dollars.

Around the holidays, the Heckmans have an in-depth conversation to map out their giving for the coming year. “We look at our finances and determine what we can do and try to be smart about it,” she said. “We don’t have a huge amount of resources, but at the same time, we want to give back.”

Lessons in giving back run deep for Heckman. She recalls the basement of her childhood home brimming with stacks of boxes for a gift drive held annually for those in need. Her mother, Maureen, organized the program. She solicited donations, hauled presents from her workplace by the carload, and wrapped and distributed them.

“She’s been an inspiration to so many — not only to me, but to people across Pittsburgh,” Heckman said of her mother. Heckman said she hopes to set as good of an example for her eight-month-old son, Connor. Another generous spirit profoundly influenced Heckman while she was an Allegheny student. As a senior geology major, she had plans to attend graduate school. But Heckman also had mentioned to her advisor, Professor Emeritus Bob Schwartz ’66, that she would be interested in job openings in Pittsburgh.

Not long after, Schwartz received a call seeking candidates for a position at Equitable Gas Company (now EQT Corporation). The professor relayed Heckman’s name, and she interviewed with the firm over winter break during her senior year. Heckman, now a senior geologist, has worked there since graduation.

“I have a good job because Bob Schwartz stuck his neck out and Katie Heckman ’07, Jeremy Heckman, and son, Connor helped me get in the door,” Heckman said. “I want to give students that same kind of opportunity that was given to me.”

And Heckman is returning that favor in many ways today.

She frequently returns to her alma mater to work with students in the Geology Department. Heckman also has helped students to secure interviews for a summer internship program at EQT that attracts applicants from across the country. A few Allegheny students have landed those competitive positions, Heckman said. One even received an offer for full-time employment with the company. “It was rewarding to watch that student mature in her field and impress a lot of people,” she added.

Along with mentoring students, Heckman serves on and has cochaired Allegheny’s Timothy Alden Council Executive Committee. That group of volunteers helps to advise College staff and asks others to give to the Annual Fund, which forms a financial bedrock for the College each year. Through the Annual Fund Grant Program, the Heckmans have supplied $5,000 scholarships for two Allegheny students.

By being involved, Heckman hopes to show future alumni the importance of giving back — the same kind of generosity she saw radiated by her mother and Schwartz. Heckman wants students to experience not only the difference a dollar can make in someone’s life, but also the personal fulfillment that’s fueled by philanthropy.

“If you can do something that makes you feel good and helps others, that’s a win-win,” said Heckman. “The bigger the impact, the better you’ll feel.”