Terry (‘70) and Kathryn Oftedal Donor Story

Terry Oftedal, '70, credits his years on the UCLA Men's Rowing team with some of the most important lessons of his life. "In rowing, it all comes down to synchrony and that sense of teamwork," the Fresno, Calif., native says. "So, over my lifetime and business career, it's been all about teamwork and inspiring others to work together."

While pursuing his degree in economics, Terry rowed his way to becoming one of UCLA's first four-year varsity lettermen. In the decades since, he has been dedicated to keeping the program afloat for future Bruin oarsmen.

A commitment to charity — Not long after graduation, Terry met his wife, Kathryn, whose philanthropic philosophy is, "You can always afford to be generous." Even before their twins were born, the pair made an ambitious pact. "We agreed that we were going to make charitable contributions every month, no matter how small our salaries were-and they were really small back in those days," Terry recalls.

Donating to the Friends of UCLA Men's Rowing was an obvious choice. During Terry's years at UCLA, men's rowing was a fully funded varsity sport, with the university covering all fees and travel expenses for the athletes. That all changed when the program was redesignated as a club sport in the 1980s. Suddenly, athletes needed to pay to play, and the program depended on alumni support to survive. The Oftedals became regular contributors.

A living legacy — Terry spent half of his career in the high-tech world, followed by a successful stint in the frozen-yogurt business. After retiring to Washington State, the self-published author started looking into even more substantial ways to help the team.

"I always thought I was going to give back through my will at the end of my lifetime, but my wife, Kathryn, said, 'Why don't you do something now?'" Terry says. In that spirit, the couple established the Terry Oftedal Endowed Men's Crew Centennial Scholarship to provide financial aid to student athletes in the men's rowing program.

Over the years, Terry has received heartwarming letters from scholarship recipients. "You don't go out for the rowing team unless you understand something about commitment and hard work," he says. "These are real leaders with amazing ambitions."

Terry's generosity did not stop there. In addition, he opted to set up a charitable gift annuity with some appreciated stock shares. This not only allows Terry to help secure the future of the rowing team he loves, but it also provides him with an annual lifetime income where he incurs tax on only part of the gain.

"It's a win-win," he says. "I get cash flow for the rest of my lifetime, and the remainder goes over into The UCLA Foundation for the men's rowing team endowment. The fact that a simple step taken today can have an impact on many generations to come is a powerful concept."

Terry hopes his gift will inspire more UCLA alumni to support future generations of Bruins through charitable gift annuities. "It's not just about giving to be giving," he notes. "You're actually doing something that is meaningful for others, and hopefully making the world a better place." And, Kathryn says, "We also really enjoy associating with the consistently fine people who come into our lives every year through the Men's Crew program."

https://legacy.ucla.edu/?pageID=1062