Westmont Magazine An Online Legacy

An expert on planned giving and president and CEO of a company that markets planned giving software, Charles Schultz does more than just talk about giving. As the parents of two Westmont graduates, he and his wife, Ardis, support the college each year and belong to The President’s Associates.

“Westmont is an extraordinary Christian college,” they note. “During the years Kristen and Laurie attended, we had many opportunities to talk to their roommates, friends and faculty. Both students and faculty have a wonderful commitment to letting Christian light shine in a world that truly needs to hear His good news.”

The Schultzes have also made a special gift to Westmont, granting permission to use their GiftLegacy program and Web site free of charge. This service normally costs clients $5,000 per year. Adding an Internet marketing component to Westmont’s planned giving program will boost the college’s efforts to build its endowment.

“Internet marketing is certainly the wave of the future and planned giving is our lifeline for future endowment growth,” said Westmont President Stan D. Gaede in response to the donation. “We are so grateful for a gift that brings these concepts together.”

To discover the services available online, go to www.westmont.edu/giftlegacy. Analysis of the stock and bond markets as well as mortgage and interest rates changes weekly, and monthly columns discuss topics such as wills and making the most effective use of planned-giving options. The site also displays real time Dow Jones, Nasdaq and S&P 500 averages.

Individuals interested in planned gifts such as charitable trusts or gift annuities can use calculators on the site to estimate income and tax benefits. Links to several governmental Web sites make it easy to get accurate information about Social Security and Medicare.

Visitors to the GiftLegacy site can also sign up for a weekly e-mail newsletter that provides valuable material about the economy and the benefits of planned giving.

Charles, who is an attorney, founded Crescendo Interactive Inc. in 1983 to provide resources and training for planned giving professionals as well as attorneys, CPAs, financial planners and trust officers. The company offers the planned giving software Crescendo Pro as well as seminars, teleconferences, videos and the GiftLegacy Web site.

Ardis has worked with Charles in developing the company and has filled many roles over the years. Today she oversees product marketing and advertising and also teaches the seminars that Crescendo offers throughout the country.

The Schultzes have two daughters who went to Westmont, and they are happy with the education and experience each received.

Kristen, who majored in philosophy, graduated in 1998, earned a law degree at UC Los Angeles and works as oversight counsel to the House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C. She lives in Alexandria, Va.

A 1999 Westmont graduate, Laurie is a third-year student at Loma Linda Medical School where she is specializing in family medicine. She lives in Redlands, Calif.