As a Class of 1954 graduate, Bill understands the value of the Augustinian education he received at Malvern and the long-term impact it has had on his life. When reflecting on his decision to include Malvern Prep in his estate plans, Bill credited Malvern with instilling in him many of the positive qualities he embodies today: “I've always regarded my contributions as a kind of a pay-back because I attribute many of my good qualities to my 4-year experience at Malvern. Based on the teaching and demonstrated life style of the many priests and lay teachers, I acquired a sound basis and better understanding of my faith. They were to a large measure, responsible for my adopting positive characteristics of discipline, leadership, integrity and loyalty.”

Bill has been active at Malvern since he graduated, serving as both his class liaison and on the Alumni Board. He has witnessed the physical transformation of the school but notes that the core principles that were the cornerstone of his education remain the same.

“As the result of serving on the Alumni Board I was able to spend more time with the students. When I attended, 95% of the teachers were Augustinian priests and I wondered how/if the same Christian principles were being taught and adopted. It was clear to me in very short order that while the physical infrastructure of Malvern had changed dramatically for the better, the same sound, Christian principles were being taught in the class room and on the athletic fields and being demonstrated by the students on a regular basis.”

As a partner and financial advisor at Legacy Planning Partners in West Chester, Kevin Donohue stresses to his clients the importance of not only making plans for spouses, children and grandchildren, but also thinking about how their remaining assets can make a difference to a non-profit organization. While Kevin is guiding others to think about charitable giving through estate planning, he is also thinking about the legacy that he can leave behind at Malvern Prep.

“Leaving Malvern in my will was easy,” said Kevin. He decided to make a bequest to Malvern because he felt it was important to leave a legacy behind at an institution that shared his value system. Kevin's gift to the School, while not immediate, will ensure the School's sustainability and offer Malvern the opportunity to continue its educational mission into the future.

Kevin is a graduate of the Class of 1994. He is a faithful donor and volunteer for the School. Currently, he serves as a class agent for his class, as a member of the Planned Giving Committee and has been actively involved with various aspects of the Malvern Prep Alumni Association.

Alumni parents Barbara and Jim Dunigan P'98 PT have thought a lot about what is important in their lives, so they did not want to leave their legacy to chance. That's why they felt it was important to join the Caritas Society by including Malvern Prep in their estate plans.

Jim and Barbara are grateful for the impact that Malvern has had on their son, William, who went to Princeton and now works for BlackRock Asset Management.

“The friendships that Billy made at Malvern Prep have been a significant part of his life,” says Jim, who was a past trustee at the School. “Billy is who he is because of Malvern.”

The Dunigans wanted to make sure that Malvern will continue to shape the lives of young men like their son, and for them, the best way to do that was through a bequest in their will.

As Managing Executive of Investments for PNC Wealth Management, Jim understands the importance of financial planning, and he hopes that others will think about their charitable intentions and join him in the Caritas Society.

“Life comes at you fast,” he says, “but at least you can have a plan. A bequest is the easiest gift that you can make. The hardest part is just making the appointment with your lawyer.”

“Joining the Caritas Society at Malvern Prep is an attractive way for me to give back to our School by utilizing a portion of my retirement account. As an alumnus of Malvern Prep, it's important to me to give back. The experiences I've gained from Malvern provided me life values, friendships, and skills that have positive impacts on my life and the lives of others. When I made the decision to be a Caritas Society member, I was focused on making this commitment in a manner where I viewed appropriate, given my personal financial situation. I believe each of us has great opportunities to increase our participation in this program and is our testament for long-term commitment to our School.

Many of my great experiences are due to the many contributions of those that served before me. Therefore, it is vital we play our part to ensure the legacy of Malvern Prep continues long into the future and making a planned gift is a significant piece of that formula. Men that come after us will be provided experience in leading productive lives for themselves and for others. I realize I can make a difference and hope you will join me and our larger support network for our School.”

“Recognizing the relevance of St. Augustine in 21st century classrooms and witnessing the success Malvern is having with these values at its core is inspiring.” Trying to identify just one part of the Malvern experience that moved Kim and Frank McGeehin P'02'05'08 PT to make a planned gift is not easy. “The opportunity to ensure the future of the school for generations to follow is important for us. Our sons' post Malvern success has a lot to do with the growth they experienced academically, athletically, and spiritually both as students and alumni.”

As a mother of three boys who attended Malvern, past Mothers' Club President, and former Board of Trustee member, Kim has had the opportunity to watch the school grow and transform, but maintain exceptional tradition of love the school embodies. “The community of faith and families and daily spiritual renewal involved with being part of school life is an experience I was able to share with my boys and am eternally grateful for.”

“To be able to play a role in the continuation of Malvern Prep's legacy is an unbelievable honor and as a family we see it as the best way for the Malvern Prep Community to grasp our eternal gratitude. It reflects both our sons' transformative educational experience and our family's connection to Malvern Prep.”

“Building character, developing life-long values, instilling integrity, that is Malvern Prep. My transition to Malvern was tough, it was not where I wanted to go and my freshman year was less than paradise. By the end of my sophomore year, I was starting to develop new friends and felt more valuable by being a contributing member to Malvern's outstanding Swim Team. It was when I was starting to hang out with former classmates that I recognized how unique Malvern was and how appreciative I was of the experience. The opportunities that Malvern afforded me through athletics, the value of learning in and out of the classroom, and developing what turned out to be, best friends for life, were irreplaceable.

Based on my experience as a student, alumnus, and parent, it seemed like a natural part of the estate planning process to think about who, besides my family, I care about and how to provide for them. Malvern helped me develop the values that I pride myself on, and doing what I can to help sustain the same opportunities for other young men in the future is important to me. Making a planned gift to Malvern through my Will is a way for me to pay back the school and recognize where credit is due.”

The Murphy family is doing something special to help secure the future of Malvern because of the impact the school and the community left on their family. “The Malvern experience was a blessing for our whole family and I feel it's our responsibility to help other families experience what we did,” said Moira.

She and her husband Dennis say they're appreciative for how Malvern guided the lives of their sons. “Ryan and Colin are truly prepared for their lives as Christian gentlemen, husbands, fathers-and as 21st century professional man,” Moira stated.

Moira and Dennis made a meaningful gift through a simple yet powerful gift planning tool. They made Malvern the beneficiary of an IRA by simply filling out a change of beneficiary form. Moira said that since their two sons are in college, a future, planned gift works the best because they were not in a position to make a transformative gift at this time.

“We hope to inspire and encourage other families to consider what they can do, rather than what they can't do, and join us in building a stronger future for Malvern.”

When Hilary Russell, Class of 1961, reflects on his experience at Malvern Prep, three phrases come to mind: clear mission, loyal students, solid academics. Although Hilary lives in Massachusetts, coming back to campus and visiting is always something he looks forward to. Whether it is seeing the new buildings or visiting the students in classes, Malvern continues to impact his life. These experiences, combined with his time as a student, impacted his decision to join the Caritas Society.

“Having spent my professional life teaching in independent schools, I know that, more than ever, schools depend on alumni and parent giving. I want to do my part to model alumni giving in hopes that the alumni body will soon appreciate its necessity. Once I decided to support Malvern financially, Caritas was an easy way to increase my giving.”

“It was an honor to join the Caritas Society; the reasons, though, were very personal. Experiencing the impact Malvern Prep had on my own child persuaded me to support Malvern's future. The period from 7th to 12th grades is an accelerated and riveting physical, spiritual and intellectual journey into manhood.

Alec (Class of 2005) went on from Malvern to an expedited undergraduate career at NYU (Class of 2008). He lived in New York and London; he saw so much in the world that demanded attention. After NYU, he committed himself generously to Americorps/VISTA service for two years and an additional year working for one of the nonprofits he served while a VISTA. When he entered public service, it was clear to me that a debt of gratitude was owed to Malvern, for inspiring both the quality of a critical, questioning intellect and the spirit of generous and faithful commitment to the world beyond his.

Alec is now finishing Temple Law School; his references to those who inspired him at Malvern are frequent; he still has extremely close ties to friends from there. As his mother, I have watched him become a wonderful citizen of the world. I have great hopes for him and others need to have the privilege and opportunity to have that training.”