Skip to main content

You are at: Planned Giving > Gift Options > Donor Stories

Donor Stories

Donor Stories

Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.

  • Earl & Margaret Leake
    Had you asked young Miss Margaret Thornborrow, a newly-minted elementary schoolteacher fresh out of college, what the greatest challenge was in her chosen profession, the answer may have been a tie between maintaining student order during rocket attacks or dodging falling anti-aircraft shrapnel on the walk home after work.
    More
  • Bequests for Scholarships
    Joe and Anna have been faithful supporters of Pepperdine University over the years. They have visited the campus many times and have fond memories of those visits. Both of them strongly believe that it is important to support and encourage young people.
    More
  • Tax-Free Sale
    Howard and Lynn were age 55 when they purchased some land outside of town, and they thought it would be a good investment that they could later sell.
    More
  • Capital Gains Tax Bypassed
    Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities.
    More
  • Warren and Helen Talbot
    As Warren Talbot reflects back on the course of events that have shaped his life, it is apparent that his faith has been a constant presence and evolving focus.
    More
  • Gift Annuity
    Mrs. Carol Whalin ('61) belongs to a "Pepperdine Family." She attended George Pepperdine College (GPC) in the late 1950s along with her sister and brother-in-law.
    More
  • Cynthia Wright
    Eclectic antiques line the living room walls. Each piece has a story, each memory a connection to a life filled with adventure. The living room leads to a garden that overflows with flowers from around the world.
    More
  • The Ramirez Scholarship Fund
    Bill and DeAnna Ramirez know firsthand that hard work pays off. With their two daughters Amanda and Madisenne, Bill and DeAnna are enjoying the fruits of their hard work with the help of a charitable remainder trust (CRT) with Pepperdine University.
    More
  • Bob and Denise Beaman
    Bob and Denise Beaman, local college sports fans, have a knack for spotting excellence and quality. As they watched a friend's high-school age daughter mature into a basketball-playing dynamo, they believed this was someone to get on Pepperdine's recruiting list.
    More
  • The Pennington Story
    Nearene Campbell attended George Pepperdine College on the Los Angeles campus in 1949. A year later, she married Vanis Pennington, an ambitious young scholar intent on pursuing a career in medicine.
    More
  • Part Gift and Part Sale
    Susan and Kevin bought their first home many years ago. As they were landscaping in the yard, painting and fixing up that home, Jim was impressed with the home improvement store.
    More
  • Evelyn B. Blake Endowed Scholarship
    Pepperdine graduate, educator, mother, and homemaker Evelyn Brunet Blake was born in Downer's Grove, Illinois, in 1914. In 1920, the Brunet family traveled west by train to California and settled in the Glenairy neighborhood of Los Angeles, where Evelyn's father became a home builder and custom built their family residence.
    More
  • Deferred Gift Annuity
    Several years ago Larry and Allison invested $30,000 in what they believed to be an attractive stock. It turned out to be a very wise decision, because the value of the stock increased to $100,000 a few years later.
    More
  • Edward and Joyce Johnson
    "Everything comes from the Lord," declares Joyce Johnson. This heartfelt belief expressed on behalf of herself and her husband of sixty-one years, Edward, refers not just to their San Marino home (since 1953), nor to the personal assets that God has blessed to their keeping, but to every aspect of their lives.
    More
  • The Retirement Unitrust
    Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she inherited the farm. Now, several developers would like to build homes on the farmland.
    More
  • Property Turns Into Income
    Miranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their three children. After her spouse passed away, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her property.
    More
  • Current Gifts
    As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving. For years, they have created a gift list that includes family members, friends and loved ones.
    More
  • Give it Twice Trust
    While visiting the Wills Planner on her favorite charity's website, June, a surviving spouse, came across the idea of a Give it Twice Trust.
    More
  • Providing for Our Children's Future
    Joe and Kathy worked for years building their nest egg for retirement. They also want to provide for their children.
    More
  • The Herbert and Elinor Nootbaar Institute
    Dedicated to lives of service in their church, industry, community, and nation, the Nootbaars of South Laguna became acquainted with Pepperdine through their friendship with Pepperdine's third president M. Norvel Young.
    More
  • Isabelle Larson Endowed Scholarship
    Isabelle Larson's life story from homemaker to business magnate is refreshingly inspirational.
    More
  • The Cappelli Family Endowed Scholarship
    Pepperdine friends Tony and Jackie Cappelli are currently enjoying life as retirees in Carlsbad, California.
    More
  • The Daphanie Kennedy Endowed Scholarship
    On Coach Julie Rousseau's first day at Pepperdine University, Julie attended a luncheon where she and her mother sat at the same table as Jim and Judy Zierick.
    More
scriptsknown