Gift Planning Connections

The Taxman Cometh

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Smart Moves to Make Your Giving Work Harder

A birds-eye-view of UMW's Monroe Hall and Palmieri Plaza in the fall.
UMW’s Monroe Hall

Most people would prefer not to think about taxes. It’s one of the reasons why The Beatles’ “Taxman” is still a relevant song after 60 years. Yet, with a little planning, your charitable giving can make an even greater impact on future Mary Washington students while allowing you to take advantage of the following valuable tax strategies:

Already taking an RMD? Consider giving directly from your IRA.
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) have been available since 2015, yet many retirees still take their Required Minimum Distribution as taxable income before making charitable gifts. If charitable giving is important to you, a QCD may satisfy all or part of your RMD while keeping the distribution out of taxable income—one of the simplest ways to make your generosity work harder. 

Appreciated stock may be your best gift.
If your investments have grown significantly, donating shares directly to charity instead of selling them first may help you avoid capital gains tax while potentially increasing the impact of your gift.

Major financial changes can create giving opportunities.
Retirement, selling appreciated property or a business, or converting a traditional IRA to a Roth can change your tax picture. A well-timed charitable gift may reduce your tax bill while advancing the causes you care about.

Leave the right assets to the right people.
Not all assets are taxed the same. Retirement accounts are often among the most tax-efficient assets to leave to charity, while others may be better suited for loved ones. A thoughtful estate plan can maximize your generosity while preserving more for your heirs.

Your legacy can begin with a simple provision in your will.
Long after we’re gone, our values live on through the lives we touch. For many supporters, that means creating opportunities for future Mary Washington students. A gift through your will or trust can carry your commitment forward for generations—often without affecting your financial security during your lifetime.

If you’re curious which strategies might work best for you, I’d be glad to explore them with you and your professional advisors. For more information, email jvaughn@umw.edu, call 540-654-2063, or visit umw.mygiftlegacy.org.

This article was written by Jeremy Vaughn ’08, executive director of gift planning and major gifts. 

Gifts for the Greater Good

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UMW Alumni Couple Support Sociology and Anthropology Students with Scholarship

When Mike Charnoff ’95 and Katie Valentine Charnoff ’04 met in 2015, they discovered they both had attended Mary Washington and majored in related fields—sociology and anthropology, respectively.

A married couple with the husband in the tuxedo and the wife wearing a blue velvet dress with sparkly bows.
Mike Charnoff ’95 and Katie Valentine Charnoff ’04 majored in sociology and anthropology, respectively, and established a scholarship to help students in those majors pursue their passions. Photo courtesy of the Charnoffs.

“Sociology is an ideal platform to learn about and incorporate insights from all the social sciences,” said Mike, who practices civil and commercial litigation with Charnoff Simpson PLLC.

“And through anthropology—the study of other cultures across time—we can illuminate a better path forward for ourselves,” said Katie, who also earned an M.Ed. from Mary Washington in 2012 and taught elementary school before raising their two sons.

Mike and Katie established the Mikhael ’95 and Katherine Valentine Charnoff ’04 Scholarship to help students like      Emma Greer ’27 use their UMW education to solve complex societal and cultural issues and contribute to the greater good.

The couple felt compelled to fund a scholarship in the social sciences, knowing that there is more pressure on students today to choose a major based on future salary. “We hope this scholarship will help clear the path for students who wish to explore their interests first and career second,” Katie said.

After graduation, Mike worked in UMW’s Office of Admissions before attending the University of Virginia School of Law. “I was remarkably prepared to practice law because Mary Washington taught me how to write, speak, and think clearly,” said Mike, who began giving back to his alma mater through his donations and service.

Mike Charnoff (standing, fourth from left) with President Troy Paino (standing, first from left), Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement and UMW Foundation Executive Director Katie Turcotte (standing, sixth from right) and other members of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees. K Pearlman Photography.
From left: Mike Charnoff with UMW Chief of Staff and Vice President of Strategy Jeff McClurken ’94, Alumni Association Board of Directors President-Elect Colette Strawn Johnson ’97, and UMW Foundation Board of Trustees Vice Chair Michael Johnson ’96.
Mike Charnoff (right) with Dan Clendenin ’07 and Ginny Tapscott Clendenin ’08, M.Ed. ’09 during a Mary Washington First Campaign celebration.
Mike Charnoff with fellow former Alumni Association Board of Directors members (from left) Angela Mills ’01, Donna Sheehan Gladis ’68, and JB Blair ’82.
Mike and Katie Charnoff with their eldest son and UMW mascot Sammy D. Eagle during Reunion Weekend.

He joined the Alumni Association Board of Directors and served as its president, supported capital campaigns, and helped students interested in pursuing law careers, and is a current member of the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees.

Mike and Katie also made a generous naming gift for the Charnoff Production Studio in the Hurley Convergence Center.

“I spent the ’90s living the transition from analog to digital and want our students to be able to keep up,” Mike said. Their contributions help UMW students hone their digital storytelling skills and learn how to use emerging technologies.

A couple with the husband in a blue suit and yellow tie and the wife in a red dress with sparkly bows looking at the husband and two young boys in light suits. They're standing on a deck and palm trees and the water is in the background.
Mike and Katie Charnoff with their sons.

“There are many reasons to stay connected,” he said. “But most important to me is to show appreciation for what Mary Washington gave to develop me intellectually, ethically, and professionally.”

Katie agreed. “Our donations can help ensure that current and future students can succeed,” she said, sharing a quote from James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits:

“We are all connected. The way you choose to live ripples into the future. Your decisions today can be a blessing or a curse for your descendants. Strive to live in such a way that the world will gain from your time here.”

For information about supporting student success through scholarships now and through your estate plans, email Jeremy Vaughn, executive director of gift planning and major gifts, at jvaughn@umw.edu or call 540-654-2063.

Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 for the Fall 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. 

In Support of Service

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Alumna’s military roots inspire scholarship for service members and their families

A married couple dressed up for an event, standing outside and smiling. The husband's arm is around the wife's shoulder.
George and Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 were both scholarship recipients at their respective schools. At Mary Washington, they established the Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway Scholarship to support students from military families, veterans, and current service members earning their degrees. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.

Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 knows the sacrifices military families make in service to their country.

On the night she was born, her father sailed for North Africa during World War II and didn’t return until she was 3. Her brother was a decorated U.S. Army lieutenant killed in Vietnam. And her husband spent over three decades in the Marine Corps Reserve.

“A life in the military is honorable and good, but it puts strains and stresses on families that most people will never know, experience, or understand,” said Sallie, who earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Mary Washington.

Both Sallie and husband George relied on private support to attend college, inspiring them to create the Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway Scholarship at the University of Mary Washington. Their generous gifts – including recognizing UMW in their estate plans – support numerous students from military families, veterans, and current service members earning their degrees.

“We wanted to honor my parents and family by helping others who’ve chosen to serve their country,” said Sallie, the first-ever recipient of the Lt. Gen. Albert J. Bowley Scholarship at Mary Washington. “George and I were both raised in homes where finances were tight, but love, guidance, and a desire for us to succeed were abundant.”

Sallie’s father, U.S. Army 1st Lt. Arthur L. Galloway, sailed for North Africa during World War II on the night she was born and didn’t return home until she was 3. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
‘In my dad’s unit, every new father was allowed to have the name of their new child painted on one of the jeeps in the unit for a few days,’ said Sallie, noting this is one of her favorite photos, despite the incorrect spelling of her name. ‘How many people in the world ever had a WWII jeep named for them, even for a day?’ Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
A 1945 newspaper clipping from the Newport News Daily Press reporting on Sallie’s father meeting her for the first time. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s brother, Arthur Lee Galloway Jr., a decorated U.S. Army lieutenant, died in Vietnam on March 3, 1971. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s parents, Carrie S. and Arthur L. Galloway, were the namesakes of the scholarship she and husband George established at Mary Washington for veteran students and those from military families. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie’s husband, George Keener Gill Sr., spent over three decades in the Marine Corps Reserve. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
From right: Sallie Galloway Gill’s husband, George; his brother, John; John’s son, Ward; and Sallie and George’s son, Keener. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie and George’s son, George Keener Gill Jr. Photo courtesy of Sallie Galloway Gill.

As a child, Sallie’s family moved across the U.S., Taiwan, and Germany. Everywhere they went, her parents encouraged their children to learn about languages, history, and people.

Sallie found the right fit for a history major at Mary Washington, where she fell in love with the stately brick architecture, ivy-covered grounds, and a charming city full of historical sites and cemeteries, perfect for someone with a passion for studying the past.

A black and white yearbook photo of Sallie Galloway Gill.
Sallie from the 1965 Battlefield Yearbook at Mary Washington. Photo courtesy of Special Collections and University Archives.

Faculty members like Myra Irby, Donald Glover, and Samuel T. Emory “opened up new worlds for those of us lucky to learn from them,” Sallie said. She furthered her love of history while working at the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library as part of the Bowley Scholarship, and worked in Seacobeck Hall to fill in the gaps. “I enjoyed the comradery,” she said, “as well as taking pride in helping financially with the cost of college.”

After graduation, Sallie taught high school geography in her hometown of Newport News, Virginia. She soon met George, stationed in Yorktown, through a young adult group at their church. He had attended Vanderbilt University on a scholarship he earned through the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps (NROTC) and held several campus jobs to support his own education. They married a year later and moved across the country, eventually settling outside of Chicago.

A couple who are donors to Mary Washington and their scholarship recipient.
George and Sallie Galloway Gill ’65 with their scholarship recipient, Jarad Ponce ’24, at UMW’s 2024 Scholarship Luncheon. Photo by K Pearlman Photography.

The couple, who are members of UMW’s Heritage Society, returned to her alma mater two years ago to attend the spring Scholarship Luncheon and Student Showcase, where they met their recipient, Jarad Ponce ’24, a veteran who is now an early venture consultant with UMW’s Small Business Development Center.

“George and I were delighted our scholarship was helping someone so deserving and willing to work hard to achieve his ambitions,” Sallie said of Jarad, who earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Mary Washington after serving in the Marine Corps. “Our goal is to help future generations by supporting young people in the way that others supported us.”

For information about supporting student success through scholarships now and through your estate plans, email Executive Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jeremy Vaughn or call 540-654-2063.

This article was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 and originally ran in the Spring 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. 

Taking Flight

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Alumna’s veterans scholarship gives former airman his wings

A photo of a UMW student who is a U.S. Army veteran in fatigues in front of a helicopter when he was still on active duty.
Evan Fletcher ’26, a U.S. Army veteran, majored in biology at the University of Mary Washington with the support of the Col. Patricia Hess Jernigan ’64 Veterans Scholarship and other awards. Photo courtesy of Evan Fletcher.

As a teenager, Evan Fletcher ’26 spent a summer working for the University of Mary Washington facilities department. Doing construction alongside a UMW student majoring in biology helped him begin laying building blocks for his own future.

“Hearing him talk about scientific breakthroughs sparked an interest in me to pursue this field of study,” Evan said.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army right after high school, becoming a helicopter pilot. But he never forgot the conversations he had with his construction crew co-worker at UMW. Eventually, Evan was medically discharged and returned home to Spotsylvania and Mary Washington, this time as a student.

Now a biology major himself, Evan is grateful for the generous donors who established the Roland J. and Frances Holsclaw Brown; Thomas Lee Johnson, Ph.D.; and Biology scholarships. He’s also the first-ever recipient of the Col. Patricia Hess Jernigan ’64 Veterans Scholarship, created by an alumna who passed away in January.

“I’m sorry we never had the chance to meet, but Col. Jernigan made a tremendous impact on my life,” said Evan, who was, coincidentally, stationed in his donor’s hometown of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during his service.

Evan has enjoyed learning from UMW professors like Andrew Dolby – he’s conducting field research with him on the rapid urbanization effects on downy woodpecker populations this spring – and providing a student perspective on the Bachelor of Liberal Studies committee.

He also connects with fellow service members in the Veteran’s Resource Center on the first floor of the Cedric Rucker University Center. “It’s a big blessing for the campus,” he said.

With his military experience and biology background – and the security and conflict studies minor he recently added – Evan hopes to work for the federal government, preventing biological warfare or embarking on a career in conservation biology. Wherever he lands, he’ll remain thankful for the private support that made his UMW education possible.

“College would not have been a reality for me without the donors who’ve given back,” Evan said. “In the future, I hope I’ll be able to make similar donations to help veteran students like me.”

For information about supporting student success through scholarships now and through your estate plans, email Executive Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jeremy Vaughn ’08 or call 540-654-2063.

This article was written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 and originally ran in the Spring 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. 

A Spring Legacy Tune-Up

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Five quick checks worth doing now

Spring has a way of nudging us toward fresh starts – clearing closets, opening windows, and getting life a little more in order. It’s also a perfect season for a light “legacy clean-up.” These small updates can spare your family confusion and ensure your philanthropic intentions are honored.

Here are five actions that typically take less than 30 minutes. Small updates, done regularly, tend to prevent the biggest headaches later on.

A photo of UMW's Monroe Hall in the spring with blossoms on the trees.
UMW’s Monroe Hall

Review your beneficiary designations. Retirement accounts and life insurance pass by beneficiary form – not your will – so take a moment to be sure the names, percentages, and backup heirs (who can receive your assets if loved ones cannot) still reflect your wishes.

Revisit your “who and why.” Life changes such as marriage, divorce, a new grandchild, a move, or a cause that’s become especially meaningful. Make sure your plans still reflect what matters most to you.

Update decision-makers. Are your executor, powers of attorney, and healthcare agent still the right people for the job? Be sure they know where to find important documents when they’re needed.

Create a “legacy file.” One page is enough: your key contacts, a list of accounts, where passwords are stored, and any notes about your intentions. Even a simple checklist can be a gift to those who may one day need to help.

If you’ve included Mary Washington in your estate plans, please let us know. Sharing your plans allows us to honor your generosity and welcome you into our Heritage Society – there’s no minimum gift, only our sincere gratitude.

At Mary Washington, Heritage Society members receive a pin, invitations to special events throughout the year, and more –so your spring tune-up can also keep you connected to the people and programs you care about.

This article was written by Executive Director of Gift Planning and Major Gifts Jeremy Vaughn ’08 and originally ran in the Spring 2026 Gift Planning Connections newsletter. For more information about estate planning, visit our website, email Jeremy, or call 540-654-2063.