Over the course of its 250+ year history, the College of Charleston has meant so many things to so many people. It has provided what seemed like long-shot opportunities to pursue a college education for first generation students who hail from single-parent households. It has drawn curtains on the first of many opening nights of performance careers. It has given way to internships, graduate school references, formative classroom experiences and even the daunting first job out of college. Central to all of this, CofC has provided lifelong friendships with peers, professors, staff members, donors and alumni.
For me, the College of Charleston has provided all of these things and so much more in the years since I began my journey in 2013. Some of the most gratifying moments in my life have come about from my journey to repay a portion of what was so freely given to me by the institution.
As a young person, the idea of contemplating my demise seemed far-off, like something I would obviously get to “when the time was right,” likely several decades down the road. Even as a fundraiser, planned giving had always seemed like something that was untouchable for a young person or a person who did not come from significant wealth. After I began my tenure working in the Planned Giving Department of the College of Charleston Foundation, where I was tasked with researching, writing about and celebrating donors who had chosen to honor CofC with inclusion in their estate plans, I quickly learned that age and wealth hardly matter in the world of planned giving — affinity and desire to make a lasting impact are the only necessary ingredients.
The Cistern Society, which recognizes alumni, faculty, staff and friends of the College who have chosen to include the College in their future philanthropic plans, has given way to a new venture — Porter’s Circle. The Porter’s Circle recognizes young alumni who have chosen to include CofC in their future plans by pledging to donate 5% or more of any asset in their portfolio. From life insurance and retirement to a bequest through a will, there are endless opportunities to make an impact.
Though the initial idea of planning what to do with my assets when I am no longer here seemed overwhelming, once I had decided to leave a portion of my retirement accounts to the College, the simplest part of the entire process was deciding which areas I wanted to impact with my future philanthropic contribution. My planned gift will provide funding to the Opera Department, paying homage to my time as a vocal performance major and to my service on the School of the Arts Council and the Alison Piepmeier Scholarship, which celebrates the legacy of an incredible human being, mentor and friend.
As the beneficiary of significant philanthropy, both in the way of scholarship support and programmatic contributions which enhanced my career as a music major, the interactions I had during my undergraduate career with donors who had chosen to invest in the College were crucial to my future career in nonprofit fundraising. It is a pleasure to have an opportunity to give back to the place that has given me so much and to provide the next generation of students with opportunities to grow, find their “people” and build lives that inspire others.
Written by Courtney Pourciaux ’17