When an anonymous couple issued a challenge for fellow alumni to include Southwestern in their estate plans, Don Underwood ’70 answered the call. Underwood has long supported the University, serving on the Board of Trustees for 23 years, and says the decision was “a no-brainer.”

“Planned giving is the easiest thing in the world,” he says, referring to the process of naming Southwestern in your will or as a beneficiary of your retirement plan. “You get an opportunity to make a difference for generations to come, but it doesn’t affect your current financial situation or lifestyle in any way whatsoever.”

Underwood spent 37 years as senior minister of Christ United Methodist Church in Plano, Texas, before retiring in 2020. He says Southwestern helped prepare him for a rewarding career.

“I stepped onto the campus as a naive 18-year-old from Denison, Texas, and when I graduated in 1970, I was prepared to go out into the world,” he says. “In addition to my academic grounding, I had developed social and leadership skills that I don’t think I could have developed as well in any other setting.”

Underwood encourages Southwestern graduates and friends to reach out to the development team to learn more about planned giving and how they can give back to the University.

“We’ve all received so much from Southwestern,” he says. “We should be willing to commit part of our estates to ensure that the transformational experience we received will be available to those who come after us.”