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(Presented at the October 2008 International Catholic Stewardship Conference)
At age 65 and recently retired, Francis H. Rasmus, Jr. has become one of the most visible and active proponents of charitable gift annuities in the country.
Although he worked in the insurance industry for 45 years and never made more that $45,000 a year in salary, he invested wisely. Today, Mr. Rasmus devotes his time to his passions – visiting museums, attending concerts and lectures, supporting causes close to his heart, and most importantly, promoting the benefits of charitable gift annuities especially among Catholic organizations.
To date, Mr. Rasmus has given away over $740,000 through the establishment of over 68 gift annuities, half of which are to Catholic institutions. They include: the Diocese of Camden, the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Smithsonian, The National Gallery of Art, and Father Flanagan’s Boy’s Home just to name a few.
He tells wonderful stories of how helping others was something he learned to do as a child, especially from his grandmother.
He believes that making a difference while you are alive is more rewarding than waiting until you are gone. Or, as he says, “I’m having the time of my life giving my money away.”