Dr. Frederick Hendricks has been a Penn Vet client since the 1980s, when one surgeon sealed what would become a longtime relationship with Ryan Hospital.
Hendricks, who lived then and still does in the D.C. metro area, had taken his Dalmatian Alfie to Penn Vet for surgery. All went well, until Alfie had a setback after he was home. His Ryan Hospital surgeon cut short her vacation to be on site when Alfie and Hendricks returned. It turned out a second trip to Philadelphia wasn’t necessary then, but the surgeon’s commitment made Hendricks a Penn Vet client for life.
“It was an astounding measure of dedication, and Penn Vet has been our go-to for any specialty services ever since,” he said. “I’m a loyal client.”
Over the years, Penn Vet has become more than a veterinary medicine provider for the couple. It’s one of Hendricks’s philanthropic priorities. A longtime donor, he supports the Good Samaritan Fund and Ryan Hospital and has also included Penn Vet in his estate plans, endowing two funds that will have long-lasting impact long after he passes away.
Passion Equals Purpose
“If there’s a unifying characteristic among people who make planned gifts, it’s deep passion for an issue or organization,” said Penn Vet’s Associate Dean of Institutional Advancement Hyemi Sevening. “Dr. Hendricks certainly exemplifies this. He has a huge heart and is a wonderful partner in our mission to advance veterinary science and medicine.”
Animal lover Isabel Robson, who died in 2003, was another example. Robson owned, bred, and showed dogs and was an avid, award-winning equestrian. She also had a close relationship with Penn Vet as a client and donor, bequeathing $11 million to the School. Twenty years after her death, the endowments created from her gift have doubled. And it has supported research efforts that have contributed to more than 100 research projects.
Robson’s gift was sizeable by most standards, but Sevening pointed out that even modest planned gifts can make a difference. “Estate gifts that some people might consider ‘small,’ can and do, make a mighty and long-lasting impact for future Penn Vet students, faculty, patients, and clients," she said.
She shared three examples: The Walter L. Montgomery Scholarship Fund, established in 1985 with a $50,000 bequest, has risen in value to more than $256,000 and supported 26 students so far. In 1988, Elizabeth S. Zies left $86,665 to Penn Vet for the Frederick and Elizabeth S. Zies Memorial Fund. The fund is now valued at more than $304,000 and has provided scholarships to 18 students. And the Anne Linn White Memorial Fund was established in 1988 with $144,483. The gift has grown to more than $537,800 and extended scholarships to 37 students to date.
A Gift That Keeps on Giving
It’s this kind of legacy Hendricks wants to establish with his giving. “I’ve been fortunate in life,” he said. “I’m not interested in villas and sailboats in the Caribbean or ski lodges in Aspen. That type of luxury just doesn’t inspire me,” he said. “My luxury is giving to education and scholarships, environmental conservation, and animal welfare organizations. This is what makes me happy; it’s what matters to me. It’s my privilege to be able to do so.”