‘Lover of Knowledge’ Supports his Passion through an Estate Gift to the Library

Pat Ford has been a book collector and lover of knowledge for as long as he can remember. After settling in Rancho Santa Fe in the 1980s, he had the good fortune to meet Ken Hill, a neighbor and well-known book collector who was actively involved with the UC San Diego Library. He invited Pat to attend a meeting of the Library’s former Friends support group, and Pat accepted Ken’s invitation. Both men continued their passion for collecting and their involvement with the Library. Now, several decades later, Pat is still involved with the Library, and continues to nurture his intellectual passions by parlaying his knowledge of rare books and other materials and his love for music and history into productive hours of volunteer service and philanthropy.

Pat’s deep knowledge of and interest in early California history inspired him to volunteer in the Library’s Mandeville Special Collections, where he worked with the director, Lynda Claassen, for several years, focusing on special projects related to the Library’s California holdings.  These projects mirrored his own work on a bibliography of all historical publications related to J.C. Fremont and Kit Carson, explorers of the American West. Due to his keen interest in international relations, he also volunteered extensive time in the in the former branch library in the School of Global Policy and Strategy (formerly International Relations and Pacific Studies).

Through his long involvement with the UC San Diego Library, Pat has recognized the intrinsic value a library brings to undergraduate and graduate education, as well as the benefits local companies gain from the knowledge resources academic libraries provide. Armed with this understanding, Pat decided that he could continue to support the Library’s important mission not just through giving his time and talent, but by also making a philanthropic contribution.

Knowing that a legacy gift would help sustain and enhance the Library, Pat made two impactful gifts that provide long term support for its knowledge resources. He established a collection endowment in support of Library materials to advance international relations and Pacific Studies at UC San Diego. The interest payout from Pat’s endowment is used in perpetuity to purchase materials in a collection area he is passionate about. This in turn is reassuring, as Pat knows that the collection will continue to grow and thrive, especially as his initial gift will mature through investment within the UC endowment pool.

Pat Ford with a book from his ten-volume manuscript edition of John Muir's books.
Pat Ford with a book from his ten-volume manuscript edition of John Muir’s books.

Pat also established a charitable remainder trust (CRT), an estate vehicle that helped protect his tax status and provides him with a quarterly income at a rate much higher than he would receive at today’s rates through other investment tools. Most importantly, the principal of his trust will guarantee an end-of-life gift that will be distributed to each of his passions—the International Relations and Pacific Studies collection, Mandeville Special Collections, and general library support.
“Planned gifts like Pat’s can truly help our donors achieve their estate planning and personal financial goals while helping them achieve their philanthropic goals,” said Danielle Dawson, Senior Director of Development for the Office of Gift Planning.

After seeing the benefits derived from going through the gift planning process, Pat suggests to others interested in giving back in a similar way to analyze their income and tax needs after 65 years of age. If you are passionate about a charity or cause, an estate vehicle— bequest, charitable remainder trust, gift annuity, or charitable lead trust— could be a win-win for both you and the charity.

You can learn more about establishing a named collection endowment or making a planned gift to support the UC San Diego Library by visiting:  library.ucsd.edu/give/ways-to-give or giftplanning.ucsd.edu.  For further information please contact Julie Sully, Director of Library Development, at 858-822-4554 or jsully@ucsd.edu.