Aggie parents give back through charitable gift annuities

Apart from students and alumni, there is another important group at the heart of the UC Davis community—Aggie parents. Michael Brandl and Margaret Wong may not have attended UC Davis as students, but they found a second home there when their daughter, Kathleen Brandl ’14, became an Aggie. 

Michael and Margaret spent a lot of time in Davis while Kathleen—an anthropology major and member of the Women’s Soccer Team—was still a student. There they became part of the tight-knit Athletics community and began giving to UC Davis with contributions to women’s soccer and the UC Davis Parents Fund.

Although Kathleen graduated, Michael and Margaret continue to stay connected to UC Davis through planned giving. Their largest gifts to date have been flexible deferred charitable gift annuities.

“We were drawn to a charitable gift annuity because everyone wins—it is a beneficial gift for UC Davis and a rewarding investment for us,” Michael said. “This type of gift is very useful in the long run and has a really appealing annuity rate. It’s a great way to give to the university and at the same time it benefits Margaret and me throughout our lifetimes by providing a cash flow we can count on.”

Charitable gift annuities, or CGAs, provide donors with a fixed income stream for life in exchange for a gift of at least $20,000. You may also delay the start of the annuity payments, increasing the annuity rate, which Michael and Margaret chose to do while they are still working. CGAs can also qualify for a variety of tax benefits, including a federal income tax charitable deduction when itemized.

“It was a good use of the appreciated stock that we had,” Michael said. “You give up the money for a few years, but then you’ve got a very attractive and guaranteed interest rate for life. That’s why we’ve continued to invest in and set up CGAs.”

The first gift Michael and Margaret made after Kathleen graduated was the Kathleen S. Brandl Class of 2014 Scholarship for students who, like their daughter, study anthropology and play a sport.

“We wanted to do something that would be special to her as she got older,” Michael said.

For their CGA, Michael and Margaret—who are both chemists—decided to set up a scholarship for students in their own field and support chemistry students at UC Davis. Michael knows firsthand how significant receiving a scholarship can be—his decision to pursue a career in chemistry was partly due to a chemistry scholarship he won as an undergrad.

“Most people tend to steer away from chemistry, but it’s a very enjoyable science with a lot of jobs in academia or industry when you graduate,” Michael said. “We’d love to encourage students to get over the initial hurdles in school, enable their career and make a significant  contribution to science.”

Davis as a second home

While the couple resides in the Bay Area, they, like many Aggie parents, often made trips to Davis to spend time with their daughter or cheer her on at her soccer games.

“Davis became part of our life,” Michael said. “We felt like part of the university and especially the soccer team, and met many great people and families involved with sports. Neither Margaret nor I went to school in the US, so Davis became like our adopted school here.”

Michael and Margaret are originally from Canada and both received degrees from the University of Toronto. Coming from a public university with strengths in the sciences, they prioritized the same values for their daughter and found that at UC Davis.

“We appreciate higher education and Davis has felt like our second home for a long time,” Margaret added. “We were sad when Kathleen left Davis, but the 

CGA is a win for us and a win for UC Davis and the wonderful community over there.”

Although their family may not spend as much time in Davis as they used to, their charitable gift annuities allow them to maintain a close relationship with UC Davis and have a positive impact on campus.

“UC Davis is high on the list of places where we like to donate,” Michael added. “Aggies have a lot of potential to go on to do some really extraordinary things after they graduate.”

Make a gift that gives back

Like Michael Brandl and Margaret Wong, you, too, can make a difference at UC Davis with a gift that pays you income. Contact the Office of Planned Giving at (530) 754-2286 or plannedgiving@ucdavis.edu to learn more.