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Here are some recent success stories:

Joan Kroc Makes $200 Million Bequest to NPR

Wyllis Johnson Helps OPB Meet the Challenge... Today and Forever!

Talks with Donor's Financial Advisor Result in $3 Million Bequest to KQED

Joan Kroc Makes $200 Million Bequest to NPR

Mrs. Kroc was introduced to Kevin Klose in October 2002 by Stephanie Bergsma, Associate General Manager for Development at KPBS in San Diego. Stephanie first met Mrs. Kroc in 1982. Since then Stephanie developed a personal relationship with Mrs. Kroc elevated to a new level when in 2001 Stephanie's husband, Alan, was suffering from the final stages of bladder cancer. Alan spent his last days in the San Diego Hospice funded and endowed by Mrs. Kroc. One of Alan's last acts was to write a thank you letter to Mrs. Kroc for her generosity in making his last days comfortable. Mrs. Kroc immediately called Stephanie and their relationship was transformed.

Mrs. Kroc was an avid listener and watcher of KPBS programming. She had given KPBS a $3,000,000 gift in 1996 to fund the Kroc Broadcast Center at the KPBS Copley Telecommunications Center. She had also given smaller gifts totaling more than $350,000 over the years. Her bequest to KPBS of $5,000,000, the largest single gift KPBS has received, brings her total support to KPBS to more than $8,350,000. Through Stephanie's introduction Mrs. Kroc and Kevin developed a warm friendship with Kevin flying to San Diego on a number of occasions over the past year to meet with her. The last such meeting was at Mrs. Kroc's 75th birthday party last August. Stephanie and Kevin were among the dozen or so guests to attend the celebration.

This gift would not have happened if not for the collaboration between NPR and KPBS. Through Stephanie's and Kevin's cultivation Mrs. Kroc understood the power of public radio and how she could make a significant impact on the future of a valuable public resource.

For an example of how a joint licensee positioned this gift to its viewers and listeners, see On-Air Spots on the Resources page.

Wyllis Johnson Helps OPB Meet the Challenge... Today and Forever!

Wyllis Johnson's life was full of challenges. Challenges that were thrust upon him and those he willingly placed on himself. Because of his work ethic and his love for learning, Wyllis met every challenge successfully.

During his life, Wyllis relied upon Oregon Public Broadcasting. He especially appreciated OPB's science, nature, and financial programs — programs like NOVA, Oregon Field Guide and Wall $treet Week. He appreciated them so much that in 1998, just three years before he died at age 82, he decided to leave a major portion of his estate to Oregon Public Broadcasting. His extraordinary bequest — $3.5 million — is the single largest gift ever left to OPB and it will be used to help OPB meet its challenges, both today and forever.

Why today? Why forever? Because OPB has placed Wyllis's bequest in its Endowment — OPB's savings account and rainy day fund — where the principal amount will remain forever. The annual interest from the gift, which is expected to be approximately $200,000, will be used for today's needs such as new program production and old equipment replacement. The actual gift itself, as part of the OPB Endowment, will remain untouched, helping to ensure that no matter what the challenge, OPB can forever provide worthwhile programming for future generations.

Talks with Donor's Financial Advisor Result in $3 Million Bequest to KQED

Dr. Henry Riklin, an El Cerrito, California resident, left the majority of his estate to KQED — $3.1 million. Dr. Riklin was a retired physician who died at age 88; his wife Sally, an artist, had passed away much earlier. KQED had no record of his being a member, but we did get to know him and cultivated a relationship with him, primarily through his financial advisor.

Initially CPA Harry Bergland spoke to Earl Blauner, KQED's Director of Gift Planning and Endowment, about Dr. Riklin's interest in making an endowment gift from his estate. Earl sent Dr. Riklin a proposal, and three months later Harry advised us that KQED was included in Dr. Riklin's estate plan for a $1 million specific gift. Harry said that a Visions cover article describing another legacy gift had apparently encouraged the gift.

Earl tried repeatedly for years to arrange a meeting with Dr. Riklin, and almost succeeded in bringing him to visit the station. But he seemed shy and reluctant about any in-person contact and, though Earl spoke to him several times by phone, they never met personally. Dr. Riklin was emphatic about anonymity during his life, but welcomed recognition after his death.

On the other hand, the planned giving staff developed a fine relationship with Dr. Riklin's advisor. The main cultivation here was through the advisor. Earl visited Mr. Bergland at his office, and he and his family came to several KQED events. Harry actively encouraged Dr. Riklin's interest in KQED. In fact, a few years after initially notifying us of his bequest, Dr. Riklin changed his gift to a residuary bequest, thus increasing the gift to $3.1 million.

Dr. Henry Riklin believed strongly in the public broadcasting mission. Mr. Bergland, as Dr. Riklin's long time financial adviser, noted that: "Dr. Riklin was a great fan of KQED and took satisfaction from knowing that through this gift to KQED, he and Sally could benefit so many people in Northern California." Dr. Riklin loved to watch PBS programs like The Newshour with Jim Lehrer and The McLaughlin Group. A faithful viewer of Wall $treet Week, Dr. Riklin was said to never leave his home on Friday night so as not to miss his favorite business program on KQED TV9.

The Riklins directed their bequest to the KQED Endowment, the income of which will benefit KQED and its viewers and listeners for generations to come.