Creating A Legacy of Giving Through the Aggie Charitable Gift Fund

Family is at the heart of everything proud Aggies – like Chaz and Donminique Dawson – do. And for them, family is forever. 

Family motivated them to succeed as students at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and family inspired them to give back to their alma mater through the Aggie Charitable Gift Fund. 

The Dawsons, with support from family and friends, established the Aggie Charitable Gift Fund, a donor-advised fund (DAF) at N.C. A&T. 

“A&T is all about family. We were thankful to have the network and support to help us in our endeavors. When we go back to A&T and see the growth of the university, it makes us proud,” said Chaz. “The connection for us with the donor-advised fund is knowing that we are contributing to that growth and continuing the legacy of A&T.” 

The Aggie Charitable Gift Fund offers increased flexibility for charitable contributions and allows Aggies to instill the idea of philanthropy in their families for generations to come. By making an initial gift of $5,000 to establish the fund, donors can receive an immediate tax deduction and recommend grants to the charitable organizations they want to support. Half of the funds are automatically designated for A&T while the other half can go to the charities of your choosing, or the full amount can be granted to programs at the university. The Aggie Charitable Gift Fund can also be used as a vehicle to save money to establish an endowed scholarship, which is why the Dawson family created their fund.  

Chaz earned his B.S. in business administration from A&T and his M.S. in marketing from Durham University in Durham, England, while Donminique earned her B.S. in family and community services from East Carolina University and M.S. in adult education from A&T. 

Today, Chaz works in business development with Duke University in the athletics department. Donminique is a manager of member services for Progyny Inc., a leading fertility benefits management company in the United States. 

Another member of their family, Chaz’ younger brother Darius “DJ” Dawson, earned his B.S. in sports science and fitness management from A&T, where he excelled in academics as student-athlete and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Beta Epsilon Chapter. Sadly, DJ died Sept. 5, 2020. 

Chaz and Donminique have since made it their mission to ensure DJ’s legacy lives on through the values of education and scholarship that were so important to him. 

“Establishing the endowment with North Carolina A&T will ensure that DJ’s name is never forgotten and will assist students with obtaining their education,” Chaz said. 

The Aggie Charitable Gift Fund is a partnership between A&T, The UNC System, and RenPSG. Established in 1987, RenPSG is the largest charitable services provider in North America. The company administers $14 billion in charitable assets and has 30 years of providing gift administration solutions for all gift types. 

“We had so much support in donations, we wanted to make sure that those funds would be organized strategically and that those who donated would know that those funds were safe and actually being used for good causes,” said Donminique. 

In addition to providing an organized and strategic way to give, the Aggie Charitable Gift Fund is a great way for alumni to potentially avoid capital gains tax on asset sales. Plus, it offers a way for alumni to name heirs as successor grant advisors to create a lasting legacy. 

“We would absolutely recommend other Aggies establish a DAF if you are wanting to invest, figure out a way to give back, or for an opportunity to watch your funds grow and be able to be hands on in actually managing that as well as where those funds could potentially go. It was extremely flexible,” said Donminique. 

“All in all, it is just a commitment for us and hopefully for others to consider how you want to give back and create a legacy for yourself and others. This tool has absolutely given us a way to do that.” 
 
For more information about the Aggie Charitable Gift Fund, please contact Tamisha Keith, director of gift planning at 336-404-3710 or tikeith@ncat.edu.