Meet Some Of Champlain College's Donors

Joe and Peggy Cioffi - Class of 1965

Peggy and I are both from Rutland and met during the summer of 1963. After high school, I went to UVM to study engineering, but it wasn't the right fit for me. So I went into the Army for three years, and then decided to enroll in Champlain in 1963 when I was 22. I knew what I wanted and Champlain was the perfect place for me because it allowed me to get training in the field I was interested in right off the bat.

I have always been grateful to Champlain for giving me the tools that were necessary to find great jobs after graduation. It continues to provide a top-notch education for hundreds of students, and Peggy and I want the College to always be able to offer the best to its students. So we decided to include Champlain in our estate plans by making a charitable bequest to the College.

We are both very committed to our high school, our church and to Champlain College. It is a source of great pleasure to both of us that we can have an impact on the success of future students at Champlain. We think that charitable bequests are a wonderful way to leave a legacy and feel great about it each and every day.

Mary Jane and Stokes Gentry

Mary Jane and Stokes Gentry are known throughout the State of Vermont for their community involvement and wide range of interests. Mary Jane has served on the Board of Trustees at Champlain College since 1994, and has been strongly committed to the College ever since. She and Stokes, a physician, have played a key role in many non-profit organizations and are often looked to for their energy and advice.

"We hold Champlain College in very high regard. We are particularly impressed by the innovative curriculum and career-oriented programs that have been developed over the years. To keep pace with the courses being taught, Champlain urgently needs to stay current in the technology area and expand the programs in technology and business, along with all of the other majors.

We are pleased to have been able to help the College at key points, including the kick-off phase for the recent Robert E. and Holly D. Miller Information Commons - a marvelous combination of a technology center and modern library. We made a gift of appreciated stock, allowing us to make a larger gift than we might have been able to otherwise provide. This was because it provided a significant income tax deduction and we avoided the capital gains tax on the appreciation.

"This College is on the move and we want to be on board!"

Ellinor and Bill Hauke, Sr.

"My husband and I have been friends of Champlain College for many years. Since we have lived and worked in Burlington for so long, we have witnessed first hand how much the College contributes to the entire community and State. We have built houses for many of the families of Champlain students, and it gives us enormous pleasure to know that we can help them during their college careers, and beyond! Many of the graduates remain in Vermont and raise their families here and give back to the community themselves.

When we learned about Gifts of a Remainder Interest we thought it would be a perfect way to invest in Champlain's future, while at the same time allowing us to continue to live in our home. It seemed like we could have our cake and eat it, too!

We made a Gift of Remainder Interest in our condominium, but we continue to use the home as we always have. We received a charitable deduction for a portion of the appraised value in the year we made the gift, and the real estate will be removed from our estate. Now our children will not have to deal with the property at our deaths, and the College will resell the property and invest the proceeds as it sees fit. This seems like the perfect solution for many people, whether it be their primary residence or a second home. We couldn't be happier!"

Bill and Ellinor Hauke have played a key role in the growth of Champlain College. In the early 1990's the Hauke Family Campus Center was opened, providing additional classrooms, a student lounge, an auditorium, a teleconference room, photography and art studios and a teaching kitchen and dining room for the Hotel & Restaurant Management program. Without the Haukes, Champlain would not be the college it is today.

Bill Hauke passed away in August 2000 and his wife Ellinor Hauke passed away in February 2008. Both were dear friends of the College who will be missed.

Audrey Michaelis Holm-Hansen - Class of 1994

An IBM employee, Audrey Holm-Hansen chose to attend Champlain for refresher courses and ended up earning an associate's degree in electrical technology in 1994. This was her third degree -- adding to a bachelor's from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a master's in computer science from UVM. She shares the reasons for establishing a named endowment at Champlain.

"The quality of the professors is outstanding. Dick Harter and George Bradford taught most of my classes and they were fantastic -- two of the best teachers I have ever had in my life. Champlain is a small school so I was never treated like a number.

My father died of cancer the year I turned 40. In thinking through his eulogy, I remembered how he had also put himself through college part-time after already having worked in industry for several years. He was always trying to improve himself. I had been donating to Champlain regularly to say thanks for the quality education I'd received. With my father's death at a relatively young age, I saw that life is a gift. I wanted to help others who were also trying to improve themselves, and decided to endow a scholarship to honor my father's memory.

Staying connected with Champlain has let me touch the future. I like knowing that this endowment will help others get a quality education, and I hope that they, in turn, will use that education to carry on the tradition and help others who follow to do the same."

Mel '66 and Dee Dee Israel - Champlain Parents

Mel and Dee Dee Israel are long-time supporters of Champlain College. They wanted to make a significant gift to a capital campaign and to increase endowment. But they were also interested in making a gift that would provide them with some income for a period of years as well as a significant tax deduction. By establishing a charitable remainder unitrust the Israels were able to accomplish all of their goals; increase their income from an appreciated asset (real estate), make a significant gift to the College, avoid capital gains tax on the appreciation of the property and realize a large tax deduction at the time of the gift.

"We are very active in the community and are particularly impressed with the programs and results at Champlain College. As an Alumnus and Trustee, I wanted to provide as much support as possible to the campaign to build the Miller Information Commons. Dee Dee and I decided that we would set up a charitable remainder unitrust so that we could benefit, as well as the College.

We used a non-income producing asset that had greatly appreciated to fund a trust that provides us additional income and a sizeable tax deduction. This is such a great way to dispose of appreciated assets and avoid capital gains taxes that I am surprised that the government hasn't put a stop to it. The charitable remainder trust was the perfect vehicle for our family and for Champlain."

Ruth Haigh Mackenzie - Class of 1942

"I attended Burlington Business College (now Champlain College) while a student at Burlington High School. I then went on to college for my bachelors and masters degrees. However, Champlain is the college that I have chosen to support on an annual basis. I am particularly impressed with the Support-A-Student scholarship program that makes grants to deserving students each year. These young people would never be able to attend college if that last piece of the financial puzzle wasn't available, so I make sure to include the SAS Program in my annual giving plans.

In addition to my annual fund gift, I also established a Charitable Gift Annuity. Gift annuities are so simple to set up, and are perfect for people who want to lock in an annuity payment for the rest of their lives. I made a gift of appreciated securities, and now enjoy a 7.9% return rate, which is several times more than I was receiving from the stock. During these uncertain times in the stock market, it is reassuring to know that I have such a secure investment. More importantly, I was able to make a much more significant investment in the future of Champlain which is a wonderful feeling. I would recommend this gift idea to anyone."

Roland F. Palmer - Class of 1990

"Champlain changed my life by giving me the tools to succeed in the business world. It is not about "fluff" like many other schools. I was taught focused key elements that were needed for a career in business and computers. I give back to Champlain for one main reason. I was able to go to Champlain because of the Support-A-Student Scholarship Program. The scholarship I received bridged the gap between the financial aid I was able to secure and the actual cost of attending Champlain. Each year I try to increase my gift to help make it possible for the Support-A-Student Program to assist other students in making their dreams come true."