Estate Gift Will Have a Lasting Impact

Loyal alumni enhance the educational experience at SUNY Oneonta by supporting university priorities and assisting students through annual gifts. They also often make transformative gifts through their estates.

Such was the case for Betty J. Marko ’50 (pictured left with her husband, John), a dedicated donor for more than 40 years. Betty established a scholarship—the Elizabeth Merges Marko ’50 Scholarship for Education Majors—in her lifetime but then made an additional gift upon her death. Betty’s legacy gift was to the SUNY Oneonta Foundation Unrestricted Endowment, a fund that provides flexible, powerful support for board-approved initiatives. Betty knew that the Foundation would be a reliable steward of her gift and wanted to make an investment that would have a lasting impact.

When Betty was in her senior year at SUNY Oneonta, her father suffered a major heart attack. Because he was unable to return to his job as a carrier for the postal service, the family’s financial future—and therefore Betty’s ability to earn her degree—was in jeopardy. When Betty's father was able to find a less strenuous position within the USPS, the family was able to fund the completion of her education. And Betty achieved her dream of becoming a teacher.

The experience of nearly having to drop out in her senior year, however, had made its mark. As a new graduate embarking upon a teaching career, Betty resolved then that when she was able to afford it, she would establish a scholarship to support students like herself who found themselves suddenly in need of financial help to continue their studies and complete their degree.

Betty understood the value of a SUNY Oneonta education, which had given her a fulfilling life and meaningful career. She also knew that making a legacy gift was the best way to ensure that others could follow in her footsteps.

If you are interested in making a gift from your estate to the Unrestricted Endowment or to any program area that is meaningful to you, please contact us to get started on creating your own legacy.