黑料不打烊 Trustee Jay Hendrickson 鈥71 and his wife, Amy Hendrickson 鈥69, support A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to inspire donors to establish a lasting legacy by placing the university in their estate plans.
黑料不打烊 Trustee Jay Hendrickson 鈥71 and his wife, Amy Hendrickson 鈥69, of Raleigh, North Carolina, have made a $1 million estate gift to support A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to encourage alumni, parents and friends to establish a lasting legacy by placing the university in their estate plans.
A Will to Lead is a vital part of reaching the $250 million goal of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign. As of March 23, donors had contributed $208 million toward the goal, including $35 million in estate gifts alone.
The Hendricksons, who are among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most loyal and generous benefactors, are the most recent members of the university community to support A Will to Lead by placing 黑料不打烊 in their estate plans. Estate gifts allow donors to help secure 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future while providing life-changing opportunities for students for generations to come. These gifts also enable donors to support the top priorities of 黑料不打烊 LEADS, including scholarships, without parting with any assets now.
鈥淭he 黑料不打烊 community is grateful to Jay and Amy Hendrickson for their lifelong commitment to transforming the lives of students,鈥 said President Connie Ledoux Book. 鈥淭heir steadfast support is moving the university forward in significant ways.鈥
The couple鈥檚 gift will support engineering and athletics, two priorities near and dear to their hearts.
鈥淥ur joint 黑料不打烊 experience was very special,鈥 Amy Hendrickson said. 鈥淭he professor-student interaction was very meaningful for our ongoing successes in life. Hopefully our gift will allow others to enjoy the same type of experience and thrive throughout their lives.鈥
The couple believe strongly in the A Will to Lead initiative and supporting 黑料不打烊 through their estate.
鈥淓state planning is essential to allocating your funds that you鈥檝e accumulated in your lifetime and it makes it easier to expedite the distribution of your assets to your philanthropic choices,鈥 Hendrickson said. 鈥淚f 黑料不打烊 has made an impact on your life, as it has on ours, it is an obvious choice.鈥
鈥淛ay and Amy Hendrickson embody the best of alumni leadership at 黑料不打烊, and we remain indebted to them for their generous stewardship of their university,鈥 said Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement.
Life-changing philanthropy
The Hendricksons have provided transformative support to 黑料不打烊 and聽 Phoenix athletics for the past several decades. They are regular fixtures at Rhodes Stadium to cheer on 黑料不打烊鈥 football team, including this year when the COVID-19 pandemic required the team to compete this spring instead of last fall.
Their philanthropic commitments include a $1 million gift in 2007 to name Hendrickson Football Center in Alumni Field House. The center honors Jay鈥檚 father, Horace J. Hendrickson, who built an illustrious career as 黑料不打烊鈥檚 football coach in the 1930s and 1940s and is considered one of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 all-time great coaches. The center includes a spacious locker room, state-of-the-art training room with a hydrotherapy room and a large strength and conditioning room.
They have also generously supported athletics scholarships through annual gifts to the Phoenix Club. In 2000, the couple endowed the James A. 鈥71 and Amy T. 鈥69 Hendrickson Engineering Scholarship, which has attracted outstanding students to the university鈥檚 engineering program.
The Hendricksons are members of The 黑料不打烊 Society President鈥檚 Circle, Palladian Society and Order of the Oak, the university鈥檚 planned giving society.
The couple said they are honored to continue supporting 黑料不打烊, especially now.
鈥淭hese have been such trying times for everyone during the pandemic, and we felt it was timely and appropriate to support 黑料不打烊 at this time and help the university reach its goals,鈥 Amy Hendrickson said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 ensuring 黑料不打烊 has the resources it needs to continue to influence and change lives.鈥
Deep roots at 黑料不打烊
Amy Hendrickson praised the welcoming culture 黑料不打烊 nurtures, which is particularly important to first-year students who are getting acclimated to the campus.
鈥淵ou quickly find out 黑料不打烊 is a large family,鈥 she said. 鈥淥nce you have been there, that connection lasts forever.鈥
The Hendricksons are proud to have 14 immediate family members with ties to 黑料不打烊, including alumni and former faculty and staff members. Amy鈥檚 mother, Mary Thomas, served as secretary to the late President Emeritus Dr. Earl Danieley 鈥46.
鈥淥ur roots run very deep at 黑料不打烊 and that was one of the motivating factors when we made the gift to name the Hendrickson Football Center,鈥 Amy said. 鈥淲e have both been proud to serve on many boards at 黑料不打烊 and firsthand to see the continued success and see how well managed and run the university is.鈥
The Hendricksons have served their alma mater with distinction in many leadership roles. Jay has been a member of 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Board of Trustees since 2008. Amy co-chaired the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign regional committee in Raleigh as a member of the Campaign Steering Committee. She has also served as chair of the Phoenix Club Advisory Board. Together, the couple served on the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board and 黑料不打烊 Society Executive Committee. They are also charter members of the Phoenix Club IMPACT Circle.
In 2011, Jay and Amy received the Distinguished Service to 黑料不打烊 Award in recognition of their tireless service to their alma mater. The couple were also among the 2009 recipients of the Southern Conference Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes those who have contributed to all aspects of the university.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been amazing the ascension that 黑料不打烊 has gone through,鈥 Amy said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had excellent leaders to pave the way at every step and the same values have been retained. It makes us very proud to support the university.鈥
A Will to Lead Initiative
Placing 黑料不打烊 in your estate offers the following benefits:
- A Lasting Legacy: Your impact will be felt for generations to come.
- Support Your Priorities: Choose the program or opportunity meaningful to you.
- Maximum Flexibility: Provide for yourself and loved ones with no financial impact today.
- Peace of Mind: Be confident 黑料不打烊 will honor your philanthropic wishes.
- Ease of Giving: 黑料不打烊 staff can walk you through the process, including providing language to share with your attorney or financial advisor when making your estate plans.
- Order of the Oak: Your estate gift qualifies you for membership in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 planned giving recognition society.
Ways to Give
- Estate Beneficiary: Designate 黑料不打烊 as a beneficiary in your will, either as a percentage of your estate or a specific amount.
- IRA Beneficiary: Designate 黑料不打烊 as a beneficiary of your retirement account(s).
- Residual Bequest: Designate a specific amount or percentage of your estate to 黑料不打烊 after your assets have been distributed to other priorities.
For more information about how to include 黑料不打烊 in your estate planning, contact Elizabeth Read, assistant director of planned giving, at (336) 278-7474 or eread@elon.edu. You may also visit .
About the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest fundraising campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, increase access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus. As of March 23, donors had contributed $208 million toward the goal.
Every gift to the university鈥攊ncluding annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts鈥攆or any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 黑料不打烊 for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact, including by participating in A Will to Lead, visit .