Supporting St. Olaf while increasing retirement income

Walter Boge '93 received a postcard from St. Olaf College describing a unique giving opportunity. He read about giving cash or stock in exchange for fixed income during his retirement years. He thought it sounded like a great planning vehicle, so he called for more information.

Eric Tvedt '08, development officer, described a deferred charitable gift annuity in more detail. "Eric answered all of my questions and sent me a personal proposal for how this would work in my case." Walter liked the features — including that some of the income would be tax-free — and decided to set up a gift agreement with St. Olaf.

"I have a comfortable income now," Walter says, "but it seemed wise to increase my retirement income when I am no longer earning money."

Walter first experienced St. Olaf as a guest of a relative, Catherine Jorgenson McCutcheon '65, who invited him along to her 25th reunion. At the time, he was attending college in Ohio.

"I saw a camaraderie among Oles even 25 years after they graduated," he recalls. "I heard about their fun experiences on the Hill, and I decided to transfer. I wanted to build such friendships and have that perspective on my college years later."

Walter graduated from high school in Westlake, Ohio, and then went to Norway, his parents' native country, to attend gymnasium, which he describes as a cross between high school and college. He became fluent in Norwegian.

Once at St. Olaf, he developed close ties to international students, rooming one year with a Norwegian student and also living in the Norwegian House, which he says "was an incredible experience."

Walter majored in political science and later earned a master's degree in applied communication theory from Cleveland State University. He worked in operations at the Cleveland Clinic and has been a health care software implementation consultant since 2003. Walter lives in Naples, Florida, with his husband, Chris Owens. He's looking forward to attending his own 25th reunion at St. Olaf in 2018.

With a deferred gift annuity, Walter is building his future retirement income stream and ultimately helping St. Olaf. According to Walter, "It feels good to do that."

If you're interested in establishing a deferred charitable gift annuity, read more or contact the development office at 800-776-6523 or plannedgiving@stolaf.edu.