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Gift Planning

Proud Parents, Connected to Haverford

by Meeta Chatterjee and Jeff Gardner

Jeff Gardner and Meeta Chatterjee

Longtime annual giving donors and volunteers Jeff Gardner and Meeta Chatterjee recently became members of Haverford’s Jacob P. Jones Society. Their decision to make a planned gift was inspired in large part by their sons, Chris ’15 and Eric ’17, who excelled as Haverford scholar-athletes.
Photo by Holden Blanco ’17

We had heard of Haverford’s stellar reputation before our sons began their college planning. Their uncle, Anjan Chatterjee ’80, is a Haverford alumnus who has served on the Board of Managers and the Corporation, and the College was known to the family as being excellent. We sensed that both our sons would benefit from a small school with a strong liberal arts curriculum and engaged student body. We also liked that it was not too far from our home in New Jersey!

Chris attended the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) program at Bryn Mawr College while in middle school, and we toured Haverford and became familiar with the area. We were impressed by the architecture and established nature of the campus, small class sizes, and focus on quality education.

We appreciated the breadth and quality of the courses in Chris’ curriculum and the personal relationships he developed with his professors. Chris was involved with the indoor and spring track teams and enjoyed running for coach Tom Donnelly. (As did his uncle, Anjan Chatterjee ’80, who was Tom’s first student to become an all-American in 1979–80.) To this day, Chris views Tom as a key mentor.

Chris applied to the Center for Peace and Global Citizenship to fund a summer internship at an HIV clinic in Jinja, Uganda. The experience was tremendously challenging and worthwhile and led to an interest in addiction medicine. After graduation, Chris became an AmeriCorps volunteer, worked in Montana at an HIV awareness/opioid/suicide prevention clinic, and is now a third-year student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University.

Eric, who also attended the SIG program and was familiar with Haverford, was certainly influenced by his older brother’s positive experience at the College. He was excited to join the fencing program under Chris Spencer and felt it would provide a supportive and competitive environment. Already a high-level fencer when he arrived at Haverford, Eric later became a fencing instructor at Medeo Fencing Club and a teacher at Success Academy in New York City.

Jeff Gardner and Meeta Chatterjee with their sons

From left: Chris, Meeta, Eric, and Jeff in the Dharamshala region, India.
Photo courtesy of Meeta Chatterjee and Jeff Gardner

Eric was able to intern at an infrastructure company in New Delhi, India during summer break prior to his senior year at Haverford. During this eight-week period, Eric was exposed to organizational psychology issues at the company. He also worked at an elementary school for underprivileged children in New Delhi. He is now pursuing a master’s degree in social-organizational psychology at Columbia University.

While both Chris and Eric were studious and athletic, the College enabled growth for their different personalities. We have always taken a deep interest in our sons’ education and development. In addition to a strong academic foundation, we firmly believe in athletics as a critical part of developing the “whole person” and wanted to understand policies related to athletic programs and funding.

Hoping to contribute through our diverse experiences and backgrounds, we joined the Parent Leadership Council (PLC) to be involved in our sons’ education, but from “afar.” Becoming co-chairs was an easy decision, as it complemented our desire to be more involved with the PLC. We encourage other parents to join as it is a great way to understand Haverford’s policies and, with boundaries, to have a voice in its initiatives.

Based on Chris’ and Eric’s experiences and our interactions with Haverford, our continuing involvement with the PLC enables us to stay connected to an institution we admire, to continue to be engaged, interact, and understand the school’s adaptations to changing times and educational and social movements.

Just after Eric graduated, TIAA indicated that certain life insurance policies transferred to their institution would have an inclusion, at no cost, of a rider for a single beneficiary of our choice. Although we have commitments to other charities, we selected Haverford as the beneficiary because we wanted to continue donating to a very worthwhile institution—and we have no regrets!

Once one has reached the stage of being comfortable with their financial status for “later” years, there are many options for allocating monies to philanthropic endeavors. We would suggest that specifics are best pursued through a financial adviser. We also recognize that consistent giving of even modest annual gifts adds up over time. We are so pleased that we can make a planned gift that is exponentially larger than our annual gift. It also shows our high esteem for Haverford and helps its long-term success.

Meeta Chatterjee has a Ph.D. in physiology from New Jersey Medical School, Rutgers University. She held positions of increasing responsibility during a career at Schering-Plough and Merck Research Labs, and is currently SVP, Global Business Development, at Legend Biotech. She serves on the Board of Directors at Editas Medicine.

Jeff Gardner earned his Ph.D. in physiology and biophysics from the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. In the pediatrics department of New Jersey Medical School, he performed research, wrote grants, and taught graduate, dental, and medical students. After a switch to medical writing, he recently retired from Bristol Myers Squibb.

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Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.

A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to Haverford College a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I give to Haverford College, a nonprofit corporation currently located at 370 Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 19041, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to Haverford or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate, or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property, or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Haverford as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Haverford as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and Haverford where you agree to make a gift to Haverford and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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