Decades of dedication: Renowned alumnus celebrates 50th reunion with generous gift

An ardent supporter of Kansas City University (KCU), Elliott Klain, DO (COM 1974), has been giving to the University for more than 30 consecutive years. He is a member of the Gold, Conley and Heritage Societies, and was a proud recipient of KCU’s 2022 Star Spangled Banner Medallion. Today we celebrate his enduring generosity by announcing his most recent gift of $50,000 to commemorate his 50th class reunion year.

“As a continuation of my giving, I’m proud to make this gift, and I hope it inspires others to follow suit,” Dr. Klain said. “I believe that as we grow in successful careers, we must also grow in kindness, goodness and gentleness. That’s what people will remember you by.”

Dr. Klain’s gift serves as the foundational gift for the newly established COM Dean’s Excellence Fund. This fund provides the executive dean of the College of Osteopathic Medicine with additional resources to support KCU students in creative and meaningful ways and offers unique flexibility for the dean to respond to emerging needs that may arise during the academic year.

This resource ensures KCU remains agile and responsive, ready to embrace opportunities that align with our mission--improving the well-being of the communities we serve. As an expression of our deep gratitude, KCU will recognize Dr. Klain’s thoughtful gift by naming a study room in his honor in the newly renovated Student Success Center in the Strickland Education Pavilion on the Kansas City campus.

Dr. Klain’s gift represents a trend that KCU donors are taking advantage of: making gifts without writing a check. “It was easy – and made a lot of financial sense -- to make this gift through a combination of qualified charitable distributions (QCD) from my IRA, and donating some of my appreciated stocks,” he noted.

“The role of our team is to help alumni connect back in a meaningful way to their alma mater,” said Jennifer Ingraham, vice president, Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement. “It is incredibly rewarding to help alumni make a lasting impact for our students through their generous giving, and even more rewarding when we can help donors save money and taxes along the way.”

KCU’s philanthropy team helps donors find the right method to maximize benefits while giving back. Direct gifts from an IRA (QCD), gifts of appreciated securities, and planned gifts can be easy ways to take advantage of tax savings while supporting KCU. More information is available here.

If you would like to join Dr. Klain in donating to the COM Dean’s Excellence Fund, or learn more about maximizing the benefits of your gift, contact Jennifer Ingraham at 816-654-7282 or [email protected].