Planning for your future — and theirs
Bonnie Kay and Dan Donahue made their careers in the legal profession—Kay is a former partner at the Winston-Salem-based firm now known as Womble Bond Dickinson and Dan is the former in-house counsel for Reynolds American—but they have always been moved by the power of the arts.
“Art is a bridge between people,” says Kay, a member of the UNCSA Foundation Board of Directors. “It brings together people of diverse backgrounds, experiences and cultures in a form that is encouraging to all who observe it.”
In exploring ways to do their part to ensure UNCSA’s creative growth, the Donahues documented a will bequest. The gift will establish a named endowed scholarship in honor of artists connected with UNCSA: Rosemary Harris (legendary actor and wife of UNCSA co-founder John Ehle) and beloved School of Drama Dean Emeritus Gerald Freedman. It will also support the Annual Fund.
“Gerald and Rosemary are shining examples for all young people who are entering careers in the arts,” Kay says. With a master’s degree in music from Florida State University, she knows how demanding arts training can be.
The Donahues are not alone in their view of the arts as a unifying force in our local community, nor in their desire to leave a legacy through planned giving.
David Stewart, who studied music at UNC-Chapel Hill, has performed with high-profile choirs all of his life. His partner, Terry Allen, picked up piano in high school and continued his studies in college. The arts are a way of life for the couple, who say they are “blessed by the proximity” of living close to UNCSA.
David and Terry established the Allen-Stewart Vocal Arts Scholarship, an endowed fund which focuses on students studying opera. “Many of the best opera singers are from underprivileged backgrounds,” David says. They hope finances will not be a barrier for the next great opera performer to fulfill his or her potential.
Since the beginning of Powering Creativity: The Campaign for UNCSA, donors like David and Terry and the Donahues have committed more than $9 million in planned gifts such as will bequests and other estate plans.
One gift represents the largest gift by an alumnus in university history, with a value of $2 million to support scholarships in all five of UNCSA’s arts conservatories.
Planned gifts from hundreds of donors have helped to strengthen every facet of the UNCSA experience. These donors are welcomed into the Encore Circle—UNCSA’s planned giving society.
“I want the students of UNCSA—the students who will become performers that will shape future generations—to be every donor’s legacy,” Kay says.
For more information on planned giving or to join the Encore Circle, contact the Office of Advancement at (336) 770-3330 or visit www.uncsa.edu/giving.