The Francis T. King Society is a select group of Guilfordians who have included the College in their planned giving.
What is a good word for something that makes you happy and sad at the same time? That is the word Guilford searches for when the College learns about an unexpected planned gift. Guilford has received a number of them in recent months and wants to celebrate the gesture as well as mourn the loss of those who made these generous gifts.
Joyce ’52 and William Midkiff ’52 of Winston-Salem, N.C., were regular donors for over 40 years and never told Guilford officials they’d made a provision for the College in their wills. Joyce passed away in 2018 and William followed in 2021. Over the course of 2022, the College received over $75,000 from their estate.
Helen Beaufort-Murphy ’73 earned her degree later in life and spent a great deal of time living and working in Peru. She lived modestly and left her estate valued at over $81,000 to the College.
Inge Snipes ’49 had an active and full life guided by Quaker principles, her passions for social justice, environmental concerns, the arts and love for her family including her husband, Brad ’48, and her son, Daniel ‘80. She left Guilford a $17,000 bequest.
When people think about planned giving, usually one of the first things that comes to mind is through a bequest. There are other ways of giving. George Passes ’60 named Guilford College as the beneficiary of a life-insurance policy.
While it is not necessary or required, it is helpful to know if you are thinking of making a planned gift to Guilford so the College can discuss your hopes for how the gift will be used. Unrestricted bequests provide the College with flexibility to address its most pressing needs, but the College also makes a effort to use larger gifts to plan for the future. As Guilford’s gift acceptance policy states, any unrestricted gift or realized bequest exceeding $100,000 in total market value must be transferred to the College endowment as a board-designated endowment.
The Francis T. King Society recognizes donors who have documented planned gifts with Guilford College. Planned gifts can include charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts, gifts of life insurance and retirement plans, and documented bequests. If you would like to discuss making a planned gift, contact Kim Berry, Associate Vice President for Advancement Operations, at kberry@guilford.edu or 336.316.2352.