Stewardship. It’s one of the first and most sacred duties of humankind. Stewardship is all about what we do with what we’ve been given—and it carries with it the hope to leave the world a better place than we found it.
Our legacy—and the idea that it is possible for us to give beyond our years—that is what the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is all about. It exists to help people to plan where their resources will go after they die, and as one of its four original sponsoring organizations, TLU has been closely connected to the foundation since its inception in 1979. Since that time, LFSW has distributed millions of dollars to TLU from generous donors who believed in the university’s mission and chose to support it.
Stewardship. It’s one of the first and most sacred duties of humankind. Stewardship is all about what we do with what we’ve been given—and it carries with it the hope to leave the world a better place than we found it.
Our legacy—and the idea that it is possible for us to give beyond our years—that is what the Lutheran Foundation of the Southwest is all about. It exists to help people to plan where their resources will go after they die, and as one of its four original sponsoring organizations, TLU has been closely connected to the foundation since its inception in 1979. Since that time, LFSW has distributed millions of dollars to TLU from generous donors who believed in the university’s mission and chose to support it.
The TLU connection to LFSW runs even deeper, with three of its current seven staff members having personal histories here. Former TLU Director of Public Information, Deacon John Dellis, is Director of Legacy Planning, while TLU alumni John Roalson and Aisha Frazier are on staff as well. In addition to all of that, TLU President Dr. Debbie Cottrell is an advisory member on the Board of Trustees, and Belinda Schmidt, class of ’69, acts as TLU’s trustee representative.
As LFSW Director of Operations, Frazier (class of ’98), works from the home office in Pflugerville. Her responsibilities include keeping track of investments, staying up to date on transactions within the investments, and accounting for all of the endowment funds, among other things. “Most importantly, we are the part of the foundation that is responsible for ensuring that the annual distribution amounts that each of our endowments pay out have been calculated correctly,” she says, adding with a smile, “That is important because the purpose of the endowment is that it will last for eternity.”
“Aisha is the glue,” Roalson adds with a laugh. “She makes everything work.” Roalson (class of ’90) works from Katy as the gift planner who oversees the Texas-Louisiana-Gulf Coast Synod. “My activity when I’m not at my desk is to be visiting actively with about 110 congregations”—meeting with pastors, church councils, endowment committees, congregations, and individuals—assisting them with legacy planning.
Dellis works from Universal City as Director of Legacy Planning. “In that role, I supervise the three synod-based gift planners,” including Roalson. Dellis also works with the eight sponsor organizations and other ministry partners.
Helping people to make plans for their legacy giving is as much a ministry as it is a job, as all three are quick to attest.
“I see every day a level of generosity that I wasn’t aware of beforehand,” Roalson says. “It’s been a very positive thing for me—to see the good hearts that are out there all around us.”
He adds that he often runs across other TLU alums through his work. “That TLU connection never goes away,” he says. “We’re all Bulldogs.”
Meanwhile Frazier, from the main office, gets to see the big picture of the work that the various regional gift planners are doing. “I have the unique pleasure of being able to truly see the totality of working with all of those individuals. When we put everything together, it’s like wow, what an impact we truly are able to make when we are focused on the same goals.” She goes on to say that she considers it a great honor to be part of a foundation that is entrusted with the legacies of so many. “The vast majority of our endowments—those individuals who’ve given—they are no longer alive. It’s such a privilege to know what people have entrusted to our foundation.”
Dellis says that helping to facilitate legacy giving is a joy in part because the foundation provides the how factor to those who long to give but aren’t sure how to go about it. “Donors have said ‘We’ve always wanted to do this; we just didn’t know how. You and the foundation have provided the how—the way forward.’” The foundation stresses proportional giving, so that donors can choose how the funds they leave behind are dispersed, to family, to non-profit causes they believe in, and to organizations they want to support—like TLU.
TLU is humbled and grateful to be the recipient of so much generosity. “I come to the TLU scholarship event every year,” Dellis says. “And I know that someday the agreements that I’ve written will come to fruition and those particular scholarships will be announced. That event brings it all together for me.”
With over three million dollars in future legacy gifts that will benefit TLU already planned by donors through LFSW, the university will be offering thanks for many generations to come.
If you’d like more information about LFSW or need help with your legacy planning, click here.