Why I Give to St. Stephen's: Kathryn Miller Anderson ’71

In October 2017 members of St. Stephen's Class of 1971 gathered to celebrate its 45-year Reunion. On the Monday after Reunion weekend, everyone in the Class of '71 received an email from Kathryn Miller Anderson, saying how much she enjoyed Reunion and inviting our out-of-towners to come back to Austin whenever they can.

Anderson ended the email with the following message to her classmates, which made quite an impression on everyone: "St. Stephen's gave us a wonderful setting for cultivating our incredible friendships," she wrote. "After every Reunion, I feel so emotional about how lucky we are to have gone to school there. One way I feel that I can give back is to leave a gift to St. Stephen's in my will. It is not necessary to leave a specific amount. If you want, you can signify a percent that you would like to go to our sweet school. That made it easier for me to do, and maybe it would make it easier for you."

As planned giving director, I know that there are many excellent reasons to include St. Stephen's in our estate plans. But Anderson's message was straight from the heart and meant so much to me. It is a big part of the reason that long ago I also put St. Stephen's in my will. I want St. Stephen's to exist as an excellent and independent school for decades to come; a strong endowment will help provide the security we need for this to happen. That is why I've specified that my estate gift should go to the school's endowment. However, you do not have to specify a specific area. The school will direct your gift to where it is most needed. Please consider including St. Stephen's in your estate plans. Everyone will be forever grateful!

- Lou Porter Bailey'71, director of planned giving

Photo:

Kathryn Anderson (seated, in blue) with her classmates