Why I Give to St. Stephen's: Lou Porter Bailey ’71

As I have become more involved with planned giving at St. Stephen's, I spend more time thinking about why my husband and I have included the school in our wills. Sure, I received a cool little pin to wear, showing I am a member of the Legacy Council - someone who has named the school in her estate plans. But the true value of planned giving is immeasurable.

I wrote my first will when I was about 21 and left everything to my parents. There were no significant others in my life besides the two of them. Shortly after I got married, my new husband and I signed new wills. We wanted the surviving spouse to get everything the deceased spouse had. We could not see much farther than each other at that point.

When our daughter was born, we had more complicated wills drawn up to include money for her support should we predecease her. We appointed a guardian and created a trust that would last until she could manage her affairs herself. We will always include our daughter, any grandchildren we may have, and each other in our estate plans. That is just a fact.

As our daughter got older, we began to think about helping institutions or people outside our family. We made a list of nonprofit organizations and schools that have made a difference in our lives. We thought of the animal shelter where we adopted some of our pets. We thought of the senior center that provided services to my elderly father and others in our town. Those are good institutions that belonged on the list.

I then realized that nothing has had a more profound effect on my life than St. Stephen's. This school is where I learned how to learn and where I began to really see and interpret the world around me. I had really excellent teachers and did well in college thanks to the preparation I received here. I made friends at the school who are still my friends today. And yes, I even married a Spartan. It is difficult to imagine my life without St. Stephen's in it.

I am very thankful that St. Stephen's existed when I was a student. I am grateful to those who established the school and to those who contributed to the school while I attended as a student. I thank those who have contributed in the past and those who contribute now to ensure that this excellent school will exist for future students.

Gifts of all amounts help the school. My gift does not have to be large. The more of us who include the school in our wills or other estate plans, the more our gifts are compounded to create a permanent legacy of a strong endowment that the school can rely on. That is why I give.

St. Stephen's gave me an enormous gift as a student, and I will give St. Stephen's what I can as part of my legacy to our school - and proudly wear my cool Legacy Council pin.

Lou Porter Bailey '71, director planned giving