We are happy to visit with you about opportunities to create a legacy gift to make a lasting impact on students and schools in San Antonio ISD. We can work with you to establish an endowment from today’s assets to support students forever, or we can speak with you about planned giving options to make a legacy gift from future assets. Additionally, by filling out a quick beneficiary designation form or change of beneficiary form online or in paper with the company with whom your policies are held, you can name the SAISD Foundation as a beneficiary or contingent beneficiary of an existing account and become a part of the Bernal Dever Legacy Society today.
Already named the SAISD Foundation as a beneficiary or partial beneficiary of an annuity, 401 B, 401 K, Roth IRA, IRA, TRS or life insurance policy? Make sure you use our legal name: San Antonio Foundation for Excellence in Education, Inc. dba SAISD Foundation and Tax ID number 74-2861587 on your paperwork and download the Bernal Dever Legacy Society Membership Form here and submit so we can recognize you.
Are you a TRS member? Look for additional information below.
The Bernal Dever Legacy Society was created to honor all persons who choose to make a legacy gift by initiating an endowment from current assets or naming the SAISD Foundation as a beneficiary or contingent beneficiary of checking, savings or brokerage accounts, Roth or traditional IRAs, TRS accounts, 401 (k) or 403 (b) retirement plans, estates or wills, or any other form of planned gift. The Legacy Society is named for the first planned gift and first endowment received by the SAISD Foundation. The San Antonio Foundation for Excellence in Education dba SAISD Foundation, was named in the will of long-time SAISD administrator Douglas J. Dever to benefit Crockett Elementary School. Although Mr. Dever passed in 2010, his legacy continues with an annual gift to Crockett that we are honored to award each year. The first endowed gift received was made by Joe Bernal esteemed educator, administrator and former State Senator to benefit his alma mater, Lanier High School. As an endowment, the interest earned on that investment fund each year is awarded to support programs, students and educators at Lanier and will do so in perpetuity.
Many legacy gifts are designed as endowments. Because the impact of these gifts is from the investment interest each year and the principal of the gift is never touched, the gift impacts students and schools in SAISD forever. These gifts can be made from a donor’s current assets, as a pledge paid over time, or as a part of an estate gift from future assets.
If you are considering a legacy gift, please contact Judy Geelhoed at (210) 554-2235 or by email at jgeelhoed@saisdfoundation.com to discuss this opportunity. Legacy gifts can be made to benefit all students or students in a particular school or program. Gifts supporting student scholarships or programs are both possible.
Are you an SAISD employee considering making the SAISD Foundation a beneficiary of your TRS or whole life insurance? In doing so, you are also recognized as a part of the Bernal Dever Legacy Society. Looking for the paperwork? Click here to download TRS beneficiary paperwork or talk to your financial advisor about your intentions and then complete the Bernal Dever Legacy Society membership form above to let us know. We are happy to visit and walk you through the process, or SAISD HR Benefits staff can assist.
Joining the Bernal Dever Legacy Society is simple and sends important encouragement to others on how to make a lasting impact on students and teachers from your current or future assets. Thank you for considering a legacy gift to the SAISD Foundation.
Joe Bernal, Lanier High School Alumnus
Dorothy and Rudy Davila, Owners Davila Pharmacy
Dolores Greiner, Friend of SAISD Foundation, Former Educator
Armando Lopez, Jr. and Ana Campos de Lopez, Lanier High School Alumnus
Genevieve and Sam Rodriguez, Lanier High School Alumni
Douglas Dever, Former SAISD Employee, Deceased
Gerardo Hernandez, Lanier High School Alumnus
Carol Lee Jones, Brackenridge High School Alumnus, Deceased
Judy Geelhoed, SAISD Foundation Founding Executive Director
Sally Ryden, Friend of SAISD Foundation, Education Volunteer
Rudy and Dorothy have their roots and their legacy in the heart of 78207. They also built their foundation in SAISD schools with Dorothy graduating from Lanier and Rudy graduating from Jefferson. In visiting with the Davilas, they wanted to make a lasting impact in providing educational opportunities for students from their same neighborhood. They chose to create an endowment that would initially fund one $1,000 scholarship for graduating seniors from an SAISD high school who live in 78207, with plans to grow. Having endowed scholarships at UT Austin in the School of Pharmacy, the endowed scholarship model was familiar to the Davilas and they knew the lasting difference their investment could make. The Davila Family and Davila Pharmacy have been supporting the local community and residents for 100+ years and this scholarship has been established as an endowment to keep supporting students for years to come!
Rudy and Dorothy Davila
Francis G. Greiner
Dolores Greiner created this endowed scholarship fund to support two annual scholarships for students in SAISD schools who are pursuing higher education with plans for a future career in health care, STEM, or education. These scholarships were set up in memory of her son Francis G. Greiner, MD. This endowment is managed by the SAISD Foundation (San Antonio Foundation for Excellence in Education, Inc.).
The Lanier Endowment was gifted to the SAISD Foundation in 2011. This gift was the result of years of fundraising efforts by Joe Bernal and his friends through an annual golf tournament and other means. The interest on the principal of this fund is used each year to support students at Lanier High School, Joe’s alma mater, with needed resources beyond what the school district can provide. Student needs are determined each year by the Campus Leadership Team and approved by the SAISD Foundation with input from active Lanier alumni. Past gifts have included laptops and college support for top graduating seniors, cheer and athletic uniforms and accessories, travel for students to out of region events, a poet in residence and much more. This endowment is managed by the SAISD Foundation (San Antonio Foundation for Excellence in Education, Inc.). Lanier alumni are currently raising funds to increase this endowment to make a larger impact on the students at Lanier each year. You can be a part of it by clicking here to GIVE NOW and indicate Bernal Lanier Endowment in the Notes or mail a check as indicated on the Give Now page. The Bernal Lanier Endowment of the SAISD Foundation can also be named in planned gifts.
Joe Bernal
Genevieve and Sam Rodriguez are proud alumni of Lanier High School who have been involved in supporting student scholarships through the Chili Bowl Gala for many years. Having provided years of leadership in the fundraising efforts of the gala committee, they were disappointed when the event has to be canceled due to the pandemic. They wanted to find a way to make a substantial gift with a lasting impact without writing a check today. In working together with the SAISD Foundation, they each decided to name the SAISD Foundation with a set benefit of their matured life insurance policies. In this way, they are able to make a significant gift with assets of tomorrow, not cash of today. We are honored by their choice. They are quick to admit that Armando and Ana (listed below) inspired them to consider a planned gift and they hope to share with others how easy it was to make a lasting impact.
Armando Lopez is a graduate of Sidney Lanier High School class of 1966. He was a member of the National Honor Society, Science Club, Yearbook Staff, Social Club, etc. but his passion, however, was music. He was a drummer in the senior band for five years and named a Texas All-State Orchestra drummer for two years. During high school, he was fortunate to have several teachers who helped and encouraged him in the pursuit of a good and solid education. Because of this support and some hard work, he was honored to receive a 4-year scholarship from the George W. Brackenridge Foundation in 1966. Following high school graduation, he attended the University of Texas at Austin and enrolled in the College of Engineering. His career took many interesting and unplanned turns working in the aerospace, defense and energy industries, including the Department of Defense and Department of Energy. However, the privilege of working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was the ultimate dream/achievement of his career. He retired from NASA in 2010, and currently lives with my wife in Hawaii. Armando and Ana, have seen the positive work accomplished by the SAISD Foundation, and thus support a variety of the Foundation’s goals. They have also committed a portion of their surviving estate for the furtherance of the education of Hispanics. The scholarship Armando received so many years ago was a major factor in completing his advanced education and later success and they want to make those opportunities available to others, particularly to future “Voks!”
Douglas J. Dever was born in San Antonio, Texas, on May 3, 1942, to Douglas and Elsie Dever. A product of SAISD, Dever graduated from Brackenridge High School. He received his BBA from St. Mary’s University, and an M.Ed. from Southwest Texas State University. Mr. Dever was a former teacher and administrator at Crockett Elementary School. His generous gift established in 2011 supports students at Crockett Elementary with a gift to the school each year. This estate gift is managed by the SAISD Foundation (San Antonio Foundation for Excellence in Education, Inc.).
Ms. Jones was an alumna of Brackenridge High School. Her perpetual gift (any annual gift that will last forever) benefits students at Brackenridge High School each year by helping students to stay in school through the credit recovery program and student programming aimed at increasing student success. This fund is managed by the San Antonio Area Foundation with the SAISD Foundation as the beneficiary.
Genevieve and Sam Rodriguez
Ana and Armando Lopez
Douglas J. Dever