Published on November 21, 2024 by Morgan Black  
Manns

Ted Mann, JD ’85, a first-generation lawyer, came to law school with very few financial resources, and was supported by various scholarships and student loans provided to him. As a proud graduate, he and his wife, Venita, have decided to support the law school by adding Cumberland School of Law into their will.

 Planned gifts come in many forms as living donors arrange to leave assets to Cumberland School of Law. While the most common form is a simple bequest through a will, donors can also make planned gifts through charitable gift annuities, retirement plans and life insurance, trusts, gifts of property and retained life estates. These options often have more flexibility and benefit the donor.

 In 2018, the Manns purchased a life insurance policy that will help fund a needs-based scholarship for future law students. Upon his death, the benefits of this insurance policy will be paid to Cumberland to establish this scholarship for students who are faced with extraordinary financial challenges.

 Mann said, “I believe that I am making an investment in present and future law students, many of them who shared my experience. By setting aside a few dollars every day, I can make a considerable investment in the lives of future Cumberland students in financial >need of completing their legal education. I have never viewed good stewardship through the lens of dollars and cents. Investment in people and programs to benefit students is my long-range goal. We all leave this planet at some point. If upon my death I can benefit a financially struggling law student, what better legacy can be left?”

Donors who choose to leave a planned gift to Cumberland School of Law will become members of Samford University’s 1841 Society, formerly known as the DeVotie Society. To learn more about the planned giving process and how your family can leave a legacy at Cumberland School of Law, contact Anne Marovich, senior development officer, at amarovic@samford.edu or 205-726-2443.

This story was originally published in the 2024 edition of Cumberland Lawyer magazine. .

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.