Legacy Giving: The Future of GBH

While many of us spend August soaking up the dog days of summer — tending to the garden, napping on the beach, etc. — it also happens to be a great time to turn our attention to what matters most to us, and the legacy we’d like to leave behind. In fact, August is National Make-a-Will Month.

In that spirit, and with the recent launch of GBH’s Trust in the Future Legacy Challenge, we sat down with Julie Hallowell, GBH’s Director of Gift Planning and Endowment, to talk about the history of legacy giving at GBH, how supporters can help public media thrive going forward, and the impact of the profound generosity of the Lowell Institute and its Trustee, Bill Lowell, as well as the late Renee Inomata, former GBH Trustee and Chair of the Board of Advisors.

August is Make-a-Will Month. That strikes me as a bit counterintuitive. What makes this a good time to think about making a will?

It’s interesting, right? One thing is that people have downtime, and they want to cross a few To-Dos off their list that they don’t have the time to focus on at other times of the year. So while it may seem counterintuitive, it actually makes a lot of sense when you think about it.

GBH recently launched the Trust in the Future Legacy Challenge. How did it come about? When I brought the legacy challenge idea to GBH’s development committee, Renee immediately stepped forward to say she wanted to contribute to the Legacy Challenge Fund. She set up GBH to be a beneficiary on her IRA.

Hand-out/Burns & Levinson LLP CNW

A few short months later, Renee tragically passed. She was 60 years old — so young, so vital, and so important to so many people at GBH and beyond. We talked to her husband, Paul, and told him about our conversation with Renee — that she wanted to participate in the Challenge Fund — and asked if we could create a memorial fund in her honor. He agreed to use her gift [of $300,000] for this purpose.

It was incredibly devastating to lose her, but I’m grateful we can honor her life in this way and demonstrate her leadership. Sometimes you just need one person to step up and get the ball rolling. Renee realized that, and wanted to be that person who inspired others to do the same. We’re in conversations now with her fellow Advisors and Trustees about planned gifts, all because she raised her hand that day.

As for the Lowell Institute, GBH was essentially formed by it. In 1836, John Lowell left a bequest for “free public lectures for the benefit of the Citizens of Boston;” GBH was incorporated in 1951 to broadcast those lectures. The Lowell Institute’s gift is remarkably meaningful — an annual grant of $250,000 for three years will go to the Legacy Challenge Fund.

Both cases — the Legacy Challenge and GBH itself — began with a bequest. The Lowell Institute set us up for our first 75 years, and this Legacy Challenge Fund, established by Renee Inomata’s gift and the Lowell Institute’s grant, sets us up for the next 75 years.

And how does it work?

When a donor documents a planned gift — whether that’s a bequest intention, a life income gift such as a charitable gift annuity, etc. — GBH will receive an immediate 10% match (up to $10,000) from the challenge fund.

Choate, Hall & Stewart

Are there ways donors can make a planned gift to a specific program or issue they’re especially passionate about?

Absolutely, many of our bequests are restricted to a particular station or program, such as GBH 89.7, CRB, CAI, or NEPM. Also, when people set up an endowment, they can more broadly support our work in science and environment, children’s programming, arts and culture content, and so on. We love unrestricted giving as well, but understand people are often motivated by something that’s really near and dear to their heart.

Why is now an important time to support public media with a planned gift?

For one thing, as our long-time loyal donors are aging, they can be the bridge that stabilizes us for the next generation. They have been watching and listening since the 70s and can be the future of GBH by simply naming us in their will or trust. By doing that, we can focus on fostering the next generation of loyal supporters.

What are some common misconceptions about planned giving?

That it’s complicated, difficult, or morbid. Of course, people don’t like thinking about their mortality. But when it’s something they’re ready to consider, it can be, I think, very inspiring. They look at their life — the people and things that have meant the most to them, or what they want to see the future look like — and they put their estate behind it.

What do you find most rewarding about assisting people with leaving a legacy gift?

Meredith Nierman

In the world of planned giving, we say that when you name an organization in your estate, it’s like elevating that charity to the status of a family member. You’ve looked at your life and narrowed everything down to those few things that are most important, and it’s so gratifying for GBH to be included in that circle.

When somebody’s ready to do it, it can bring a lot of meaning to their life. It’s incredible to be part of helping them realize it. We go on a little journey together, where I help steward and talk them through what has been most important to them and how to contribute to it in the most meaningful and impactful way. In the case of our national programs such as MASTERPIECE, NOVA, FRONTLINE, and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, maybe they’ve been inspired by the names at the end of their favorite shows, and have imagined their name up there. Instead of being among the collective “viewers like you,” they get to be recognized.

What I hear from donors is that GBH helps make the kind of society they want to live in, that they want to endure. We’ve brought such richness to their lives through lifelong education, through trusted journalism, investigative reporting, and more. Some people are concerned that they don’t see that in other parts of society, and they want to make sure they’re doing what they can to see it continue in the future. The reach and impact we can have are really second to none. I think when people come to GBH wanting to name us in their will, they have kind of unlocked that truth.

Learn more about the Trust in the Future Legacy Challenge, and please contact Julie Hallowell at Julie_Hallowell@wgbh.org directly if you have any questions.