A LEGACY OF GENEROSITY

GIVING FOR A LIFETIME, AND BEYOND

by Rachel Greene

WHEN ASKED WHY he chose to leave a planned gift for Pi Kappa Phi, Gabriel (Gabe) Gehret, Chi (Stetson), a financial advisor for Gandy Financial Group and a member of the Financial Management Association and the Financial Services Institute, said it was essentially a no-brainer. “When you’re deciding how to divide your assets, you naturally think of what is important to you,” said Gehret. “And while in my undergraduate years, giving to the Fraternity was instilled as important in me.”

Giving to Pi Kappa Phi, in time, talent and treasure, has always been a tenet of Gehret’s membership. From the time he attended Supreme Chapter in Chicago, Illinois, in 1998 as Chi Chapter’s delegate, he was inspired by his chapter brother and 1998-2000 National President Dr. Patrick Figley’s example of giving back to the Fraternity. If his own chapter brother, who came from the same institution and traditions of brotherhood as he did, could commit to the immense responsibility of serving as National President, what could he himself do for Pi Kappa Phi?

When Dr. Figley called him up to the stage and presented him with his “brother pin” to wear for the next two years while he wore the National President’s pin, Gehret vowed to himself that he would live up to this honor by being the very best Pi Kappa Phi brother he could be. For this reason, he has committed to giving to the Fraternity for his entire lifetime, and to make it a part of his estate plan.

Planned gifts, like the one Gehret has pledged to Pi Kappa Phi, are planned in life but are only fulfilled after the donor has joined the Chapter Eternal. Unlike an annual gift or other type of current gift, a planned gift provides funds for the future. As the name implies, arrangements for planned gifts must be planned and are often made as part of a person’s last will and testament or through a beneficiary designation in other financial or estate plans.

The most common type of planned gift is through a written estate plan, and refers to any donation from your will or trust. These gifts allow you to designate Pi Kappa Phi as a beneficiary of a gift in your will or trust. You are able to make a planned gift to the Foundation through your will or trust simply by naming Pi Kappa Phi as a beneficiary just as you would a loved one.

When asked why planned gifts are a great option for giving, even if someone is already an annual gift donor, Gehret said, “If you are reasonably healthy, by increasing the cost of your life insurance by an amount that you can easily afford (probably less than a couple of hundred dollars each year), you will eventually be giving our Fraternity hundreds of thousands of dollars. Although you will probably give to the Fraternity throughout your life as I will, I am filled with happiness knowing that my ‘final gift’ will be an extremely large one.”

Planned gifts, most commonly a donation made in your will or trust, cost nothing today and allow you to make an incredible impact, which is why so many people choose to make them. The Pi Kappa Phi Foundation has partnered with FreeWill to offer a free online platform, plannedgiving.pikapp.org, that provides the tools and resources that will aid you in determining what types of planned gifts are right for you. These gifts have a big impact and can often prevent unwanted taxation. In as little as 20 minutes, you can help support our mission for future generations.

Visit plannedgiving.pikapp.org to learn more about your planned giving options and how the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation can support you as you plan for the future. Through a planned gift, you can leave a legacy that will make a lasting impact on Pi Kappa Phi.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO MAKE A PLANNED GIFT TO THE PI KAPPA PHI FOUNDATION, SCAN THE QR CODE BELOW.

Like all Pi Kappa Phi brothers who have named the Fraternity in their estate plan, Gehret is a member of the Gateway Society. He hopes that, much like Dr. Figley served as an example to him, he can serve as an example to others.