The Brother Donnan Berry, SC Legacy Partnership
In 2009, the CHS Foundation named its planned giving program in honor of Brother Donnan Berry, SC. The program was officially named the Brother Donnan Berry, SC Legacy Partnership.
Brother Donnan was principal of CHS from 1964 until 1974. In 1966, under his leadership Catholic High School was accredited for the first time by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1971, Brother Donnan designed and put into place an elaborate awards program featuring impressive Golden Bear Awards for the best student in each subject and student organization, the outstanding graduate and the top 10 seniors. That style of awards program is still used at Catholic High today. Brother Donnan also instituted the Hall of Fame to recognize leaders in the school community who were connected to CHS in some way and who might serve as role models for students.
He established the Development Office at Catholic High in August 1980. He headed fundraising efforts at CHS until July 1993, when he was transferred to St. Stanislaus to be the local director. He remained there until August 2005 and due to Hurricane Katrina returned to Baton Rouge where he now resides.
There are a variety of ways to structure a legacy partnership gift without compromising your personal financial goals. Gifts can be made in the following ways:
- an outright cash bequest (a fixed amount or a percentage of an estate
- retirement plan or IRA assets
- appreciated property (securities or real estate)
- charitable trusts (that can provide income for you and your beneficiaries while still providing a substantial gift), and
- life insurance policies
Depending on how your gift is structured, it may also provide significant savings on current income taxes or future estate taxes.
Enrollment in the Brother Donnan Berry, SC Legacy Partnership is simply a matter of advising the CHS Foundation that you have established a legacy gift to Catholic High School. The school is seeking this information in order to recognize and properly thank those that have included Catholic High in their estate plans. For those not wishing to make this information known to the public, we can assure them that privacy and discretion are our greatest concerns.
Making a planned gift to Catholic High School can be one of the easiest, most fulfilling ways to become a significant partner in the CHS mission. If you are interested in blessing our school in a similar manner, or if you know anyone who has already included Catholic High School in his or her will, please contact CHS Director of Advancement Hal Dupuy '73 at (225) 389-0978 or hdupuy@catholichigh.org or CHS Treasurer Margie Alexander at (225) 381-9114 or malexander@catholichhigh.org. We would be happy to work with your financial advisor or estate planner to help you customize your gift.
