Welcome Our New Planned Giving Subcommittee Chair Tom O’Brien ’87

What inspired you to include our College Foundation in your estate planning? Is the purpose of your gift the same as the areas you support currently or unrestricted?

I am not alone in the SUNY Oneonta community as someone who feels a great connection and is very thankful to the College for its impact on my life. My personal growth, education, friendships, career, sportsmanship, life lessons, and social memories have all benefited from my time at Oneonta, including my continuous connection to the College serving on the Foundation Board. As a board member I see the good the board does and the amount of thought and responsibility devoted to each charity dollar. Whether the donation benefits scholarships, campus programs, faculty, or emergency aid, I am happy to contribute regularly and let my contribution go unrestricted to be used where it is needed most.

I asked myself how my contributions will be replaced when I am gone, and the answer was through some simple estate planning. Working with the Foundation and my own planning, I was able to efficiently contribute assets from my estate in a tax-favorable manor to help support SUNY Oneonta and the good work of the Foundation. I am happy to give back to someplace that gave me so much and to contribute now and into the future.

The #1 reason a student leaves college is due to financial hardship. I hope that someone who has the intellect, personality, and ability to succeed and enrich others is not obstructed from doing so by their financial situation.