A new honor to recognize those who leave a lasting legacy through estate giving
A person’s last will and testament is a sacred thing. The people included in this document are often family members and close friends. When a nonprofit or college, for example, are listed as an estate beneficiary, it says a lot about the person and their connection to that entity.
“Being in someone’s estate plan is a very special gift,” said Rick Adleman, Associate Director of Development at Colorado Mesa University.
To celebrate the university’s 100th year in 2025, the Colorado Mesa University Foundation created the Maverick Legacy Circle, an honor given to individuals who include CMU as part of their estate.
“It’s important to recognize these donors for the kind of impact they’re making on our students’ lives,” said Adleman.
Norbert Braeuer didn’t attend CMU. In fact, he has no connection to the university other than he’s lived in Grand Junction for 20 years. A retired, board-certified radiologist and 10-year United States Army veteran, Braeuer didn’t have immediate family to gift, so he decided to support the local community.
“I became impressed with CMU,” said Braeuer, who donated his retirement fund to endowing two scholarships. “I thought I'd give it to the community and educate some of these important people in the radiology sciences and those in musical entertainment.”
Braeuer’s scholarships are for CMU students who are pursuing a degree in radiologic sciences or are studying within the Department of Music.
He picked up a clarinet in grade school and fell in love with classical music.
“Music has never left me,” he said.
While Braeuer was pursuing his medical degrees and certifications, and even during his time in the Army, music remained an important component of his life. He’s even sponsored concerts and programs, including the ballet, in Grand Junction.
Since CMU and CMU Tech offer such a breadth of opportunities for students, the key to helping donors like Braeuer lies in the conversations.
“This is all about the donor’s journey,” explained Adleman. “I want to have personal conversations about guiding them in a way that brings them the most value.”
The CMU Foundation believes in the concept of “smart giving” and have conversations with donors to figure out the best possible method for achieving what they have in mind.
“These conversations create a more valuable impact,” said Adleman. “Everyone likes to help, so my job is to find out what they’re interested in.”
Estate gifts can establish endowed scholarships and support student experiences such as field trips, geology field camps and other hands-on learning opportunities. They can cover the expenses of students who participate in the guitar ensemble or establish a scholarship for first-generation students. One donor has supported CMU Tech to such an extent that the tuition was lowered by 40%.
“Some donors just want to support the students of CMU and let us use the gift where it’s needed most at the time we receive it,” explained Adleman, who believes the point of his job is to “help donors experience joy from their gifts.”
In addition to the donations from Maverick Legacy Circle members, CMU has a “Legacy Match.” Once CMU is officially designated as an estate beneficiary, the Foundation can contribute a 10% addition to the endowment so that the kindness can be shared sooner.
Explore smart ways to give through the Maverick Legacy Circle! Contact Rick Adleman at 970.248.1871 or email [email protected].