Bill and Sandy Mason made their first gift to Michigan State—$15 to WKAR—on September 21, 1976. Why that day? Why that gift? The answer is surprisingly simple. “We were probably just at home listening to the radio,” Bill says. “We really liked WKAR, and we always had it on, so we decided we should support it.”
So began their 42-year (and counting!) streak of giving back to the programs and causes that they love the most.
They’ve given back to their degree programs (Communication Arts and Sciences for him, Education and Social Science for her) and to funds that support facilities and programming at Wharton Center, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, and the College of Music.
With regular gifts to the Michigan 4-H Foundation’s 4-H Participation Fee Sponsorship Fund, they’ve helped children from all over the state of Michigan afford the life-changing experience of joining 4-H.
They’ve also supported the Spartan Marching Band, the MSU Promise Scholarship, and, of course, their old favorite, WKAR.
And, sure, they do it because they enjoy the feelings of pride—and the perks—that come with 42 years of giving back. But they also do it because it never occurred to them not to. The real question, for them, isn’t “why keep giving?” It’s “why NOT keep giving?”
“My mom and my dad instilled that in me, growing up,” Sandy says. “That you’re supposed to take care of the things and the people you care about. And that’s what we’re doing, because we care about MSU a lot.”
On top of their annual gifts, the Masons have also established two endowments through their estate plans—a scholarship for first-generation incoming freshmen and a fund for faculty projects and initiatives. It’s a poetic way to ensure that MSU is still being taken care of—and their giving streak is still alive—for the next 42 years, and for all the years after.