Bill and Nan Freiheit Use IRA Gifts to Support NMH’s Future Success

It started as a blind date: In the ’60s, buses picked up Northfield girls to take them to Mount Hermon for sports events. But the bus to pick up Nancy didn’t arrive. When she finally got to Mount Hermon, Bill was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately, Jeff Stillman ’61 stepped in to find her date. That’s how Bill Freiheit ’63 and Nancy Browning Freiheit ’63 met. They married in 1966 and are nearing 59 years of marriage.

“NMH enriched our lives in many ways, and we have enjoyed seeing our friends at reunions over the years,” Nan and Bill say. They have served as class gift chairs and reunion co-chairs. They also helped establish the Class of 1963 50th Reunion Scholarship and encourage classmates to contribute.

Nan and Bill have supported NMH since graduation, recently using funds from their IRA’s required minimum distribution (RMD). “Because we can no longer itemize, there is a tax advantage in giving our RMD,” Nan says.

They have also taken advantage of new legislation that allows Bill to make a one-time qualified charitable distribution from his IRA to fund a charitable gift annuity. “That saved us from paying taxes on that money,” Nan says, adding that it also provides them steady income while giving NMH an immediate gift.

Their gift is in memory of Laurie Rubinow ’62, who was Bill’s lifelong friend.

“The school did so much for us that we want future students to benefit, and we hope that others will join us in making a planned gift,” Nan says.

Bill echoes that sentiment. “Consider all you gained by going to the schools and pay some of it back so that other young people can have that experience,” he says.