Doing Well by Doing Good

Roger Keith ʼ67, MEd’71 is the first to tell you he faced a daunting challenge when he began the college search process. Conflicted about where to apply and deeply cognizant of being the first person in his immediate family to attend college, Keith had his work cut out for him. One school didn’t even talk to him once they realized he couldn’t afford his first semester. “I had no idea how I was going to pay for it,” Keith recalls.

That is, until he sat down in the office of Jim McIntyre, Boston College’s assistant director of admissions at the time. After discussing possible majors and career paths, McIntyre introduced him to Wally Boudreau, former quarterback of BC’s storied Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl teams, then director of alumni placement. Through an anonymous donor, Boudreau acquired funding for Keith’s first year, and his place at BC was secured. “I fell in love with BC when I first set foot on campus. I remember looking at Bapst tower and thinking, ‘Wow, I want to be here. I want to go to school here,’” Keith says. “So to have BC meet me halfway—or more accurately, all the way—was really overwhelming.”

Whatever uncertainty Keith brought into McIntrye’s office, he left with direction and reassurance. “Jim was very kind,” Keith starts, “a guiding beacon during my time at BC. I think he had compassion for folks like me who weren’t well off, who needed some help.”

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The CGA provides us some income and a tax benefit at the outset.

—Roger Keith

Now, 50-plus years since his graduation, preparing for retirement from his 40-year career as an investment advisor, Keith began exploring ways to give back to the University he considers a second home. When he looked over how to support BC and fund his retirement, a charitable gift annuity (CGA) stood out as the ideal option for his portfolio. “With interest rates at historic lows right now,” he says, “I’d have to invest in high-yield, high-risk corporate bonds to get the same kind of return we’ll receive from the CGA, which provides income by contract. But through the CGA, my wife and I are guaranteed income for our lifetimes. It’s just a win-win.” See the gift annuity rate chart on the previous page to learn more about how CGAs work for you and BC.

“Not only does the CGA provide us some income and a tax benefit at the outset,” says Keith, “but it has the added upside of helping BC in the long run. How does the phrase go?—‘Doing well by doing good.’”

“Time and again, BC was there for me,” Keith continues. “That really was the theme of my time at the Heights. When I was struggling, people reached out and offered a helping hand. That’s the kind of place it is. This gift is just a continuation of that BC tradition. It’s my own small contribution to this wonderful place that did so much for me.”

See the gift annuity rate chart below to learn more about how CGAs work for you and BC.

We apologize for Jean’s incorrect class year that was published in the print edition of Bookmarks. Her correct class year is ’71.

SEE FOR YOURSELF Use our free online calculator to explore what a charitable gift annuity can do for you: bc.edu/yourcga

* Based on American Council on Gift Annuities recommended rates, in effect July 2020 and subject to change