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The Colonel Henry Rutgers Society
Alumnae and friends who plan a bequest, charitable trust, or life–income gift with the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College are eligible for membership in the Colonel Henry Rutgers Society, which since 1985 has recognized donors for their commitment to the future of any college or program of Rutgers University.
The Society acknowledges all Rutgers planned gifts, including those made to The Douglass Fund of the Associate Alumnae of Douglass College, by listing new donors in the Society newsletter and hosting such annual special events as the Holiday Concert at Kirkpatrick Chapel, an annual luncheon, and other performance/reception events.
The Douglass Fund – An Endowment that Grows and Grows
In the early 1960’s the
Board of the Associate
Alumnae of Douglass College
voted to explore the need for
a program to solicit donations
through bequests, insurance,
and other forms of deferred
giving to create an
endowment fund. The
ensuing study committee
report recommended such a
program, and the Association
created the “Bequest and
Planned Giving Committee”
to develop one.
There were two major
components to the plan that
was developed and is still in
existence and flourishing
today. One was the
establishment of the entity
that would receive future
contributions to this endowed
fund that would provide
special funds for the benefit of
Douglass College and its
students – funds for special
augmentative programs that
might not always be possible
within the University budget
for Douglass College.
The second component
concerned investment
management, and an
Investment Committee was
established, comprised
primarily of financially savvy
alumnae. From the beginning
we were fortunate to have as
an advisor the nationally
recognized economist and
financial expert, Roger F.
Murray II, husband of the late
Agnes Mc Dede Murray ’30.
He was invited to serve as the
chair of the committee in
1969, a post he held until his
death a few years ago. The
Investment Committee has
done an outstanding job over
the years.
The Douglass Fund was
created as a special trust on
April 15, 1969 with an initial
gift of $1000 from the
Associate Alumnae. Utilizing
outside legal advisors,
Adelaide Marcus Zagoren,
Executive Director and
Dorothea Garber Cracas, a
lawyer and member of the
original study committee,
developed a Declaration of
Trust for The Douglass Fund
which was approved by the
Association’s Board of
Directors. A simple brochure
was created, describing the
new Fund and the various
kinds of deferred gifts it could
accept. All Vanguard classes
who had already celebrated
their 50th Reunion received
the brochure, and afterwards
each class as it reached its
50th Reunion.
In addition, the Alumnae
Newsletter, Magazine, and
class reunion letters
continuously carried
information and instructions
on the benefits to Douglass
College of deferred gifts and
the legal wording to be used
for them– “to the Associate
Alumnae of Douglass College
for The Douglass Fund.
Now the AADC Web site
carries the message as well,
with a link to a special Gift
Planning Web site –
www.douglass.giftplanning.
org. Workshops and
seminars on financial and gift
planning have been offered at
Reunion and at other times,
all emphasizing the need for
these planned gifts.
Over the past thirty–five
years The Douglass Fund has
grown steadily and
substantially with bequests,
memorial and honorary gifts
from alumnae, families, and
friends, charitable gift
annuities, insurance, trusts,
IRAs, and other deferred gifts
from $10,000 to millions of
dollars. A variety of endowed
funds now exist, for
scholarships, fellowships,
special student opportunities,
lectures, books, prizes,
student stipends and other
special programs and projects
for Douglass College women.
The Fund has also grown
steadily and substantially
through prudent investment
practices, professional
investment management, and
oversight by a diligent
Associate Alumnae of
Douglass College Investment
Committee. That original
$1,000 investment is now
more than $25 million in
restricted and unrestricted
funds, which provide
substantial income to help
Douglass College women
receive an excellent education.
In fiscal year 2005 over $1.5
million was provided to
Douglass College, including
student financial support,
funds for hallmark programs
such as the Douglass Project
for Rutgers Women in Math,
Science, and Engineering and
“Shaping a Life”, and
financial assistance for other
initiatives such as recruitment
and specialized advising. The
Douglass Fund ensures the
“Douglass Difference” for our
students.
Associate Alumnae of Douglass College
Office of Gift Planning
181 Ryders Lane
New Brunswick, NJ 08901-8557
732-932-2880 | 732-932-2883 (fax)
E-mail: chamlin@winants.rutgers.edu
Planned Giving content and GiftTree copyrighted © 2008 VirtualGiving.
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