When Roberta and Don Miller were pursuing their doctorates at Peabody in the early 1990s, they undertook a special project that examined funding in higher education. That鈥檚 when they made a $1 million dollar commitment to the school.
鈥淲hen you become older you change your focus from buying things to helping people,鈥� Don (MEd鈥�89, EdD鈥�92) says. 鈥淲e decided it was time for us to start giving back, and we just liked the idea of helping Peabody because it was so important to us.鈥�
The Millers believe that business, education and entrepreneurship are intertwined.
鈥淔rom a business perspective, we believe that you use your education to multiply your worth which gives you the capacity to reinvest in educational institutions so that others can be educated,鈥� Roberta (MALS鈥�64, EdD鈥�92) says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 cross-generational dynamics鈥攚hen the older generation helps the younger one grow through education.鈥�
The Millers have established six charitable gift annuities that will benefit Peabody in the future. In the meantime, the annuities provide the couple with income that鈥檚 guaranteed for life.
鈥淲e really want to encourage others to consider this as a creative form of giving,鈥� Roberta says. 鈥淚n this economy it鈥檚 a good way to stabilize your income, and it certainly gives you some tax advantages. But the main thing is that it leaves our wealth exactly where we want it to be left.鈥�
As hard workers and lifelong learners, the Millers say that the word 鈥渞etire鈥� isn鈥檛 in their vocabulary. A recent gerontology course taught them that there is new evidence supporting the theory that generous people live longer, further supporting their philanthropic nature.
鈥淥nce you release your money, you don鈥檛 worry about it anymore,鈥� says Don. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good feeling to know that you鈥檙e able to give back to an entity that was so good to you.鈥�