A Legacy Gift Strengthens NDP in the Time of COVID-19

The 1941 Notre Dame Preparatory School yearbook described Nadine Henneberger Sanborn as "diminutive and dainty" with a penchant for "novel shoes and sports cars." Her lawyer and friend, George Meredith, describes her and her husband, Chuck, whom he befriended in the 1960s, as a "quiet couple" that spent their time with friends or reading.

Chuck and Nadine Sanborn never had children of their own, but upon their passing (she in 2013 and he in 2019), the longtime residents of Baltimore's Gaywood neighborhood helped to secure the futures of many NDP girls through a generous legacy gift.

NDP received their unrestricted gift in the spring of 2020, just as the school was facing unexpected costs due to COVID-19 and as some of our students' families were struggling in the face of the economic pressures the pandemic created. Nadine Sanborn could never have imagined that her bequest would assist her beloved alma mater during a global pandemic, but she had to have known that it would have a substantial impact.

Although the Sanborns did not tell NDP about the intended estate gift during their lifetimes, some of our donors do let us know of their intentions. We are grateful to have the opportunity to talk with them, ask why they have decided to make this very special gift, and thank them.

When asked about their planned estate gifts, retired teacher Jozef (Jeff) Goethals and alumna Sallie Mullen '64 shared some of their thoughts.

Jeff, who taught religion and foreign languages at NDP for 32 years and who started NDP's beloved Pasta for the Philippines program with his wife, Felicitas, expressed his gratitude for NDP, where he found a second family and was able to create lifelong friendships. Jeff says he "hopes that their gift can mold young women into adults who live the spirit of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, imbued by the Gospel and the teachings of Vatican II, and who are dedicated to their brothers and sisters in the world, as they have learned to do at Notre Dame Prep."

Sallie, an alumna and former NDP Board Member, recalls that "NDP taught me to aim high, that I could achieve whatever I strived for, and that a liberal arts education would equip me to meet the challenges life would throw my way. And the NDP community taught me the importance of striving for justice and incorporating charity into my personal and professional lives." She continues, "It is my hope that the top-notch education provided by NDP will enable our girls to fulfill their dreams, while the school's emphasis on kindness and equality will establish our graduates as champions of righteousness."

Planned gifts—like those of Nadine Sanborn, Jeff and Felicitas Goethals, and Sallie Mullen—help Notre Dame Prep in good times and in times of great need, and will help sustain the school into the future. They allow philanthropic individuals to make larger gifts to cherished organizations and causes than they could have made during their lifetimes. We are grateful and humbled that these thoughtful individuals have decided to make Notre Dame Prep part of their legacies.