For Jeff Scruggs ’85, MBA ’91, Harvard is a family affair. He is a third-generation College graduate who met his wife, Robbin E. Mitchell MBA ’92, at Harvard. On a recent trip to Cambridge, he was thrilled to see how excited his nine-year-old daughter was to visit the Yard for the first time. They posed in front of the John Harvard statue and stepped inside a Sever Hall classroom, where she wrote on the chalkboard, “Someone was here.”
The Scruggs’ love for Harvard is one of the reasons they donated a series of deferred gift annuities. “We wanted to establish a continuity of giving to Harvard,” says Scruggs, who found the gift annuity appealing for its ability to provide a tax-advantaged income for retirement and future support for Harvard.
The Office of Gift Planning helped the couple create a series of annuities that will provide unrestricted support for the College.
“We understand that Harvard has a number of needs that they’re always tackling. And I have faith in the way that Harvard is run,” says Scruggs.
He likes knowing that these resources also help to relieve financial burden for incoming students. “When you think about the cost of higher education, it’s intimidating. To the extent that my money and anybody else’s money can help defray those costs, I’m all in favor of helping,” he says.
Scruggs is the father of two and managing director of Goldman Sachs. He frequently interviews candidates for his firm and looks for those who worry less about credentialing and more about exploring. “Figure out what you are passionate about. College is a skill-building exercise,” he says.
Learning goes beyond the books and classroom, he says. “I’m always struck by how important it is to get the kind of liberal arts education that Harvard provides. It’s one of the reasons we’re so pleased to make these commitments."
Contact the Office of Gift Planning for your confidential illustration of a charitable gift annuity.