Don Norton and Karen Kinney

Making an impact by: planning to support the College of Engineering, College of Education and the K-State Student Union with the remainder of assets left in their IRA account. Don and Karen also remain active with the university as alumni. Don serves as a member of the Architectural Engineering Advisory Board, Karen spoke at the 2006 Legacy Lecture and both have been a part of the K-State Parents and Family Association.

K-State connection: Karen and Don met at K-State in the early 1970s when Karen and a fellow sorority sister visited Don’s fraternity house one night during finals week for some hot chocolate and a much-needed study break.

One of Don’s fraternity brothers challenged everyone to a game of jacks, and Karen managed to beat every single person. She caught Don’s eye, and he offered her a ride home. The rest is history.

Why they gave: “We knew we didn’t have the ability to give right now,” Karen said. “But we wanted to make sure we took care of all the people we cared about and that included K-State.”

Why it matters: “Making K-State the beneficiary of our IRA allows our money to be tax-exempt and go straight to the university,” Don said. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

The choice of an ultimate beneficiary is yours. Once you’ve provided for your family, you have another option: a gift to benefit the areas where you care most at K-State — your college or program, scholarships, faculty development or campus enhancements.

“Don and I talked a lot about donating for scholarships at K-State,” Karen said. “Our son received scholarships at K-State, and we appreciated the thoughtfulness and financial help.”

Watch a video about how you can benefit your family and K-State.