Joshua "Josh" Cohen, A.B. '96, loved his time at the University of Miami, particularly being involved in the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity and serving as president of the InterFraternity Council—so much so that he went to work for SAE's national office after graduation. Josh's gratitude for and belief in the value of a UM education and the Greek system led him and his wife, Megan, to make a planned gift to the University through the donation of a life insurance policy to create an endowed scholarship. The Cohen Family True Gentleman Endowed Scholarship Fund will, upon Josh's passing, provide annual scholarships to fraternity and sorority student leaders.
Josh is glad he could make a gift to the place that means so much to him and his family, including his three sons, ages 7, 10 and 12, who are also huge Hurricanes fans. "There's a certain bond that exists between people who went to Miami," says Josh. "Giving back to the school is a way of saying, 'Thanks for everything you've done for me.'"
As a financial advisor at Northwestern Mutual, Josh knows what a great planning tool—for all ages— life insurance can be and how it can allow a donor to make a significant charitable gift in the future for relatively little outlay now. Using life insurance as the vehicle for his gift was a no-brainer for Josh, who uniquely leveraged his company's matching gift program to increase the size of his policy.
Whether you make the University the owner and beneficiary of a policy and receive tax benefits, as Josh did, or name the University as the beneficiary of a new or existing policy, using life insurance is an advantageous and satisfying way to give back to the U.
