Seeing Things from Both Sides of the Table

While most of those same alumni and friends wouldn’t recognize the name Tim Cotnoir, Kathy’s husband, he is a well-known patron of Bay Path’s Hatch Library. He is also Kathy’s partner in philanthropy. Together they’ve donated to Bay Path every year during Kathy’s tenure and are long-standing members of the University’s Millennium Society.

Kathy knows the meaning of giving back, as well as the importance of leading by example. She is also keenly aware of how Bay Path students are impacted by gifts. Donor generosity is critical to students being able to attend Bay Path and to take advantage of experiences that enable them to successfully graduate.

So in the closing months of the “It Begins Here” Campaign, they decided to do more. After family discussions with their sons, Matthew and Daniel, they established The Cotnoir Family Scholarship to provide support for students with high financial need. After meeting with their financial advisor, they decided to fund the scholarship annually through gifts of appreciated stocks. As Kathy notes, “I’ve been speaking with donors for years about making gifts through stocks. I learned first-hand how simple a process it is and how it complements our financial and tax planning.”

But their gift didn’t stop there. According to Tim, “Hatch Library holds a special place in both of our hearts. Through Hatch, I tap into research that is critical to my profession in pharmaceutical sales. I use the facility frequently to take advantage of its academic resources. The staff is genuinely interested in helping me find the information I need. As an avid reader, Kathy loves Hatch as well.”

Their shared affection for Hatch led Kathy and Tim to include Bay Path in their estate plans through a planned gift of a bequest to provide resources for Hatch Library. The Cotnoirs agree, “Hatch Library is a wonderful community asset and we thought this bequest would be a nice way to strengthen and enhance library resources.” Being able to designate their bequest to Hatch makes the gift that much more meaningful to them.

“When we were creating both the scholarship fund and the bequest for Hatch, I sat on the opposite side of the table from where I usually am as a fundraiser,” says Kathy. “It made me realize how truly good it feels to give back to this special place. Both Tim and I were surprised how emotional we felt in making this commitment to Bay Path and our students.”

For years, Kathy has been enthusiastically proclaiming gratitude to donors who support Bay Path and our students. Now it is our turn. Thank you, Kathy and Tim, for your extraordinary generosity, for your commitment to Bay Path’s mission, for your love of our students, and for your belief in our future. Carpe Diem!

For more information on Planned Giving, contact Crystal S. Neuhauser (cneuhauser@baypath.edu or 413.565.1052).