For David Poor ’77 and Patricia Beilman, Harvard has always been a place with family ties—David’s father and oldest brother attended and both their daughters, Taylor ’12, JD ’16 and Emery ’15, are recent graduates. However, their support of Harvard is inspired by far more than personal connections.
“No matter the endeavor, Harvard is at the forefront of meaningful change and innovation, whether it’s in mental health, the environment, or education,” says David. “A dollar to Harvard has an impact, broadly and globally, in ways that we can’t match as individuals. By giving to Harvard, we’re having an impact everywhere.”
So, when it came time to formalize estate plans, David and Pat turned to Harvard. Over the years, the New York-based couple has been generous to the College, giving as part of David’s role as a class chair and establishing a scholarship in his father’s name. To further amplify their giving, they decided to meet with a staff member from the Office of Gift Planning.
“We had many conversations with Grant Whitney,” says Pat of the senior associate director. Grant explored with them what gift plans might be the best fit for certain assets in their portfolio.
“He recommended a charitable remainder unitrust (CRT) as a great way for us to support Harvard, help address some estate planning needs, and provide us with a stream of current income,” says David. The couple decided they wanted to structure the CRT as unrestricted to help give Harvard the flexibility to be innovative and seize new opportunities. In part, they did so after getting to know the “extraordinary dedication, perseverance, and energy” of the faculty.
“Over the years, we’ve developed a friendship with College leadership, especially Dean Rakesh Khurana and his wife Stephanie Khurana, who are the faculty deans of Cabot House where Emery lived. Taylor lived in Eliot House as an undergraduate and a resident tutor, so we’re now friends with Doug Melton and his wife Gail O’Keefe. As a result, we are confident that our contribution will be used most effectively,” says David.
Their daughters’ experiences were another motivator. “We saw how compelling Harvard was when we saw it through their eyes,” says David. “We’ve met students casually, sat in on lectures, visited labs, witnessed great research in action, and have come away so impressed with their enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity, and rigor.”
Pat, who considers herself an honorary undergraduate, is thrilled to be a part of Harvard through philanthropy. “I am dazzled by what Harvard has done in so many areas,” she says. “It is enormously satisfying to play a small role in continuing the legacy of the remarkable institution that is Harvard.”