Marion Holvorson

Changing lives by: establishing two charitable gift annuity to fund scholarships for future K-Staters.

K-State connection: Marion Holvorson enjoyed many aspects of campus life at K-State, including living in a boarding house on Bluemont Avenue, and serving as the president of his fraternity. “At K-State, I learned to communicate with other people,” he said. “It was a good social education.”

Why he gave: “Mary (wife) and I had talked about giving to K-State for years,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to invest in the future. My theory is that education is the solution to most of the world’s problems.”

How he did it: By establishing a charitable gift annuity, Marion was able to stabilize his monthly income while supporting K-State. A charitable gift annuity allows Marion to make a donation, and in turn, receive an increase in fixed income for life, a charitable deduction and a portion of the income is tax free. These benefits can produce a much greater rate of return. In Marion’s case, he donated a CD that had a reduction in the interest rate, and now he receives a regular monthly income.

Impact/Why it matters: General scholarships like the one Marion has established help ensure students from all backgrounds continue to have access to K-State.

“I feel good about it,” he said. “I hope some farm kid can go to school because of it.”

What people are saying: “This is a wonderfully thoughtful gift in an area that clearly has a great need," said Pat Bosco, K-State’s dean of student life.