By Joan Shofner | Associate Vice President for Campaign & Legacy Planning, University of Central Arkansas | Photography by Seth Foley
As innovators, critical thinkers, and achievers, University of Central Arkansas graduates are making a tremendous impact in communities across the state and nation as teachers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, and so much more.
Many of these graduates may not have received their college degrees without private support from donors.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting with one of our most prestigious groups of donors at a dinner for the Doyne Society. Named for UCA’s first president, John James Doyne, the society consists of alumni and friends who have created legacies of impact for the university and its students by including the UCA Foundation in their estate plans.
The evening held several milestone announcements, including a renaming of the Doyne Society, to the Doyne Legacy Society and establishing of the UCA Office of Legacy Planning.
This renewed focus is an effort to recognize the lasting legacies made through planned giving and the transformative effect these gifts have on students and our communities.
Estate planning, or planned giving, allows donors to make larger and more impactful gifts than they ever thought possible through bequests, retirement assets, trusts, stocks, bonds, property, or insurance policies.
There are so many ways an estate gift can impact others. It can provide student scholarships, create experiential learning opportunities, and be a catalyst for growth and innovation on our campus and across our state. By designating a gift to UCA through the UCA Foundation as part of an estate planning process, donors can plan now and impact forever.
As an alumna of UCA, I am proud of the education I received and thankful for the opportunity to lead the university’s legacy planning efforts. It is truly rewarding to work with alumni and friends – to help them connect their hearts with our mission, to help them help our current and future students achieve their dreams.
We are excited to build on the momentum created by our amazing Doyne Legacy Society members, and we are eager to welcome those that will join their ranks through their legacy gift.
To learn more about creating your legacy through planned giving and how you can support UCA’s comprehensive capital campaign, UCA NOW: Impact Arkansas & Beyond, please visit uca.edu/now or contact me at
jshofner@uca.edu or 501-450-3421.
201 Donaghey Ave, Conway, AR
501-450-5000 | uca.edu
