For many CBA alumni, the decades following graduation have been spent building careers, raising families, saving for retirement, and planning for the future. Along the way, some have experienced financial growth that has exceeded even their most optimistic expectations.

For Don Norkus ’67, this realization helped inspire his decision to make a significant planned gift to Christian Brothers Academy.

Like many members of the baby boomer generation, Don has seen firsthand how decades of saving and investing, combined with substantial increases in real estate values and stock market performance, can create a financial picture that looks very different from what was originally anticipated.

While these circumstances certainly do not apply to everyone, Don believes they present an opportunity worth considering for those who have been fortunate enough to experience them. “When I reviewed my estate plans, I realized that even a small percentage of what I had accumulated could make a meaningful difference for CBA. It wasn’t about making a sacrifice or changing my plans for my family. It was about taking a portion of the financial success I’d been fortunate enough to experience and using it to support something that mattered to me.”

For much of their working lives, individuals naturally focus on building financial security for themselves and their families. But as retirement approaches or progresses, some discover that the assets they have accumulated, including retirement accounts, investments, and real estate, have grown beyond what they originally expected to need.

That realization can create an opportunity to think differently about charitable giving. For Don, it meant considering how a portion of his accumulated wealth could make a lasting difference at an institution that played an important role in his life.

Through a bequest in a will, a retirement account beneficiary designation, or another planned
giving arrangement, alumni can make a meaningful commitment to CBA’s future while continuing to prioritize their own financial security and the needs of their loved ones. Importantly, a planned gift does not necessarily require an immediate contribution or a change in one’s current lifestyle. Even a modest percentage of an estate can ultimately provide significant support for the Academy and its students.

Don hopes that sharing his perspective will encourage fellow alumni to revisit their own financial circumstances and consider whether they, too, might have an opportunity to give back in a way they had not previously imagined.

By including CBA in his estate plans, Don has joined the Signum Fidei Society, which recognizes alumni, parents, and friends who have made a commitment to the Academy’s future through planned giving.

His decision reflects both gratitude for the opportunities he received as a CBA student and a desire to ensure that future generations of young men can benefit from the same Lasallian education.

For alumni who have experienced unexpected financial growth over the years, Don’s story offers a simple reminder: the financial success of a lifetime can become an opportunity to make a difference for generations to come.

Your Legacy. Their Future.

Have your financial circumstances changed in ways you didn’t anticipate? A planned gift to Christian Brothers Academy may provide an opportunity to make a lasting impact while continuing to prioritize your family and financial security.

Whether through a bequest, beneficiary designation, or another charitable giving arrangement, your commitment can help ensure that future generations of young men have the opportunity to experience a CBA education.

Learn more about planned giving and the Signum Fidei Society.

Explore Planned Giving at CBA

For more information or a confidential conversation about including CBA in your estate plans, please contact Thomas Ferro ’13, Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, at (732) 747-1959 ext. 202 or tferro@cbalincroftnj.org