Creating a Georgetown Legacy: Summer 2026

Creating A Georgetown Legacy

georgetown university | summer 2026

giving.georgetown.edu/planned-giving

A Georgetown Legacy Built Over a Lifetime

For over 60 years, Paul Tagliabue (C’62) was a leader in the Georgetown community, from his college days as captain of the men’s basketball team to his tenure as chair of the university’s Board of Directors after serving as NFL commissioner. Paul, who passed away last November, is survived by his wife Chandler; his daughter Emily (Parent’22); his son Drew and his husband Mark; and three grandchildren, one of whom graduated from Georgetown in 2022.

In his final weeks, Paul thought about the people and programs most important to him and how he could inspire others to give, his family says.

“‘If it ain’t broke, fix it anyway’ was an expression my father learned studying leadership,” says Drew. “He wasn’t satisfied making a gift that would sustain the status quo. He wanted it to be transformational, to encourage people to think seriously about what’s important to them and give so much that it hurts.”

In that spirit, Paul and Chandler made a $5 million bequest in their estate plan to support critical educational and community-building programs at Georgetown. Their gift establishes funds within the LGBTQ Resource Center, the McCourt School of Public Policy, and the School of Foreign Service, while also supporting medical research initiatives. Together, these investments will advance programming and curriculum, ensuring Georgetown continues to evolve and meet the needs of all students in the 21st century.

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The start of a new academic year brings with it the opportunity to pause and reflect—to adapt to what has changed, to celebrate what has endured, and to plan for what lies ahead. Beginning July 1, Georgetown welcomes Eduardo Peñalver, our 49th president. President Peñalver brings a rich academic background, an understanding of and appreciation for Georgetown and its Jesuit traditions, and a deep and abiding faith to his new role. There is an excited energy on campus, which will only grow as students return in the month ahead.

In addition to President Peñalver’s arrival, we also celebrate the successful conclusion of the Called to Be campaign—an extraordinary milestone for Georgetown. Our alumni and friends came together in remarkable ways, helping to secure more than $3 billion in support across our campuses and programs. This achievement is a testament to the deep connections within the Hoya community, and our shared goal to ensure that Georgetown continues to thrive for generations to come.

Thank you for all that you do for Georgetown.

With gratitude,

Mindy Siebenaler Bopp, J.D., LL.M. (L’20) Executive Director of Planned Giving

& Senior Philanthropic Advisor

202-687-6778 | mls300@georgetown.edu giving.georgetown.edu/planned-giving

Paul Tagliabue (C’62)—(continued from page 1)

Gifts in support of medical research

A portion of Paul and Chandler’s gift supports the Fund a Fellow for Parkinson’s program, which helps train early-career neurologists and is led by Fernando Pagan (M’96, R’00, Parent’25), director of the Movement Disorders Program at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital.

“It was an honor to be Mr. Tagliabue’s physician and I am so grateful for his gift that will help train future physicians in the field of Movement Disorders,” says Pagan.

A transformational partnership

Paul saw his bequest as a testament to the partnership he forged with the President Emeritus John J. DeGioia during his time on the board, which began in 2006 and led to his tenure as chair from 2009–2015 and vice chair until 2018.

During that time, Georgetown spearheaded a number of new projects that reflected their partnership, including Georgetown’s state-of-the-art science facility at Regents Hall; the John R. Thompson Jr. Intercollegiate Athletic Center; the McCourt School of Public Policy, founded by Frank McCourt (C’75); and the LGBTQ Resource Center.

“Paul and former President DeGioia were so close in thinking and in the aspirations they had for the university,” says Chandler. “Paul saw this final gift as a tribute to President DeGioia, their partnership, and to the causes that were important to them.”

Drew and Emily say their father’s gifts also reflect the faith he had in future generations, from the students he met on campus to his granddaughter.

“My father wanted to make sure that young people have the same opportunities he had, and that inspired him to carry those opportunities forward into the next generation,” says Emily.

Dates to Remember

October 2–4, 2026 | Georgetown Law Reunion

October 9, 2026 | Georgetown Presidential Inauguration

November 6–8, 2026 | Georgetown Medical & Dental Reunion

April 1–4, 2027 | John Carroll Weekend, San Diego

June 4–6, 2027 | Undergraduate Reunion

Supporting a new generation of students

Paul and Chandler were among the earliest champions of the LGBTQ Resource Center, launched in 2008 as the first of its kind at a U.S. Catholic university. The bequest ensures the center will continue to host programming that fosters student success.

“This gift from the Taligabues allows us to continue to curate and define inclusive spaces at Georgetown,” says Lionell Daggs III, LGBTQ Resource Center director. “It will directly increase our capacity to host robust and intentional programs that serve the LGBTQ+ community.”

Additionally, Paul’s gift to the School of Foreign Service (SFS) helps advance its mission of creating a forward-looking curriculum that combines modern educational approaches with Georgetown’s Jesuit values.

“The Paul J. and Chandler M. Tagliabue Endowed Fund for the SFS will ensure that we are always innovating the curriculum so we can prepare our students for a constantly changing world and empower them to rise to meet tomorrow’s challenges,” says Joel S. Hellman, SFS dean.

The gift also funds a new McCourt School of Public Policy endowment that will support the school’s initiatives at the Capitol Campus—a location Paul saw as essential to the university’s local and global impact.

“Paul Tagliabue’s legacy is a living one, sustained by his family’s extraordinary commitment to Georgetown and their generous gift to the McCourt School,” says Carole Roan Gresenz (Parent’25), McCourt School dean. “Their support is more than an act of generosity; it is an expression of a deep and enduring belief in public policy’s power to shape a better world. It touches every part of our community: The students preparing to lead, and the faculty and staff who guide them.”

A Georgetown Leadership Transition: Introducing President Eduardo Peñalver

As of July 1, 2026, Eduardo M. Peñalver has joined the Hoya community as Georgetown University’s 49th president. Peñalver joins us from Seattle University, where he made history as the first layperson to lead Seattle University, a fellow Jesuit institution. Prior to that role, he served as the dean of Cornell Law School, where he focused on expanding financial aid and enhancing academic programming.

Raised in a Catholic family in Puyallup, Washington, Peñalver is the son of a retired pediatrician who immigrated to the United States from Cuba and a retired school nurse whose parents were

Swiss immigrants and dairy farmers in Washington state. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and his J.D. from Yale Law School, later studying philosophy and theology at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. He also clerked for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens before joining the faculty at Fordham School of Law. A leading scholar in property law, Peñalver is a published author as well as a licensed pilot and avid sports fan.

Reflecting on his decision to join Georgetown, Peñalver emphasized the university’s distinctive identity, noting, “Georgetown is a unique institution: an R1 research university that is also deeply rooted in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. You see this in its mission as a student-centered research university—that combination is truly distinctive.” He also spoke more personally about the role of faith in his leadership, adding, “I find that it is a source of comfort to me in a pretty challenging job and a challenging time. There’s a great comfort that comes from the length of that tradition and continuity of that tradition, and knowing all the challenging times that the Catholic Church has seen and lived through. And then there are the truths of the tradition, the truths of our faith— about what it means to be human—to help me think through some of the unusual situations that I have to confront as a university president.”

To learn more about President Peñalver, visit georgetown.edu/president.

Reimagining Lauinger Library for the 21st Century

For more than half a century, Lauinger Library has stood at the center of Georgetown University’s academic life—supporting research, inspiring discovery, and bringing together generations of students and scholars. Known affectionately as “Lau,” its striking presence overlooking the Potomac River has long been a landmark on the Hilltop—a place where ideas take shape and lifelong habits of learning begin.

Lauinger Library is now entering a new chapter. As the nature of scholarship, technology, and student life has evolved, so too has the vision for Lau. What was once primarily a repository of books has transformed into a dynamic, multifaceted hub for collaboration, creation, and connection. In response to these changes,

the library is undergoing thoughtful updates designed to better serve the needs of a modern academic community by investing in spaces and services that directly support student success and faculty research.

Even as these changes take shape, Lauinger remains what it has always been: A home for the Georgetown community. A place where students gather late into the night, where ideas are tested and refined, and where the pursuit of knowledge continues to evolve. With these updates, Lauinger Library is honoring its legacy while building toward the future—ensuring that it will continue to serve as a cornerstone of Georgetown’s intellectual life for generations to come.

Planned Gifts that Make an Impact

Bequests and Beneficiary Designations

Including a gift to Georgetown not only creates a legacy, but also helps continue the tradition of educating young people to act in the service of others. Below are two impactful ways to support Georgetown that may also have significant tax benefits.

Create a Bequest in a Will or Trust

Including a bequest in your will or trust helps to ensure the future of the university while also providing flexibility in case your circumstances change in the future. Bequests can be designated to a school or program at Georgetown you feel passionately about, or can be left unrestricted and put to use where needed most.

Name Georgetown as a Beneficiary on a Retirement Account

Another easy way to leave a legacy is naming Georgetown as the beneficiary of a retirement account, life insurance policy, or brokerage account. Leaving a retirement account to a loved one other than a spouse may decrease the intended gift by as much as 70% after deducting federal and state taxes. Due to Georgetown’s nonprofit status, we realize the full value of gifts from retirement accounts while avoiding income tax, which allows you to maximize other assets for loved ones and make an impact on a school or program that is meaningful to you.

Maximize Your IRA With a Gift for Georgetown

If you are 701/2 and older, you can direct up to $111,000 (the 2026 limit) to Georgetown from an IRA using a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). This option can avoid income tax and count toward any Required Minimum Distribution (if you are 73+) with the added benefit of supporting a Georgetown school or program. Learn how to make your IRA QCD gift at https://g.town/ira-qcd.

Use an IRA QCD to Create Income

Individuals who are 701/2 and older also have the one-time option to use $55,000 from an IRA to create a new charitable gift annuity (CGA). CGAs pay you (and/or a spouse) income for life while also leaving a gift for Georgetown in the future. Still higher interest rates make CGAs even more attractive, resulting in increased payout rates (based on the age of the beneficiary). The current rate at age 70 is 6.3%, and 8.1% at age 80. With interest rate cuts possibly on the horizon, now may be a good time to lock in a higher payout CGA.

CGAs can also be created outside the IRA option using cash or appreciated securities of $10,000 or more, which may pro-

vide added tax benefits like avoiding capital gains tax. If you are interested in learning more about a CGA for Georgetown, or to request a customized CGA illustration, please contact the Office of Planned Giving at 800-347-8067 or plannedgiving@ georgetown.edu.

Fund a Testamentary Trust With A Retirement Account

Another way to maximize your retirement account(s) is to use them to create a Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) for your children. The elimination of the stretch IRA means that non-spousal beneficiaries must take the funds in full within 10 years, which often results in substantial tax liabilities that can reduce the amount received by your heirs by up to 70%. Alternatively, a CRT funded with retirement assets can make distributions over your children’s lifetimes and avoid state and federal income taxes while supporting Georgetown. Using an IRA to establish a CRT for loved ones is a powerful estate planning strategy that can provide your heirs with a tax-efficient income stream, support Georgetown, and ensure your legacy endures for generations.

Creating Your Legacy is a helpful resource as you begin the estate planning process. Scan the QR code, return the response card, or visit giving.georgetown.edu/planned-giving to request a copy.