A Charitable Gift Annuity With the IRC Is a Win-Win

Though of retirement age, Tom Powell, is not eager to retire but he's planning carefully all the same. A professor of Social Work at the University of Michigan, Powell has three charitable gift annuities with the IRC, which he considers a "win-win." "It seemed like a good way to make a donation as well as stabilize my retirement package," he says.

"The regular income I receive is comforting and reassuring," says Powell. "And there's a lot of gratification knowing that my gift will be helpful to others. It's also a symbolic gesture, making my priorities known."

The son of Irish immigrants, Powell said his work is inspired by a lifelong passion for social justice and advocacy for people with mental illness. An assignment with the World Health Organization in Egypt, Sudan, and Kuwait heightened his awareness of international relief organizations. He came to see the IRC as a leader in the field, with "a social justice mission and enough heft to make a difference."

Powell is a discerning donor. "I look beyond how the expenditures are directed to the outcomes from those expenditures," he remarked. "The IRC works in a difficult, volatile environment, but I have confidence that they are effective."