Q: How did you first get involved with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program at the University of Missouri?

Nancy Griggs: Well, I retired, and I was playing bridge with a friend who retired before me. She's a former university employee, and she was talking about all the exciting classes at Osher, and I said, oh, can I take those? She said, well, it might just be for university retirees. But when I checked it out it was open for everyone. I retired in 2011, and it was soon after that that I took my first class.

Dave Griggs: Nancy introduced me to Osher a few years later. The program is very exciting and interesting and there are tremendous opportunities to expand your horizons.

Q: Nancy, you have taken on a few leadership roles at Osher, including serving on the Advisory Council and co-chairing the Program Committee. What made you decide to volunteer your time and energy to the program?

Nancy: A couple of very convincing ladies took me out to coffee, and they were both on the Advisory Council nominating committee. The coffee bribing was sufficient, and they convinced me. And it's been very rewarding, just as they said it would be!

Q: Do you feel like you have deepened your connection to Osher through your volunteer experience?

Nancy: Oh, definitely, because I co-chair the Program Committee now and I have a vested interest in how the semester programming is put together. And I want to see our membership numbers go up. We committee members ask ourselves constantly: Are these courses popular? Are we doing a good job in our efforts? I’ve found that everybody on the committee feels the same way - they want to find the best courses they can and the best instructors, and they really feel a part of it to do so.

Q: You two have chosen primarily to support the Founders Fund. Would you like to talk about why supporting an endowed fund is important to you?

Nancy: Donating to the Founders Fund looks toward the longevity of the program. We consider this to be a 25-year gift instead of a today gift. And as this endowed fund grows, it will generate more funding each year for the program.

Dave: Another way we are giving to Osher is through our charitable remainder trust in our estate plan. We recommend that you look into it – the advantages are unbelievable.

Q: Do you feel it's important for others to support Osher? And if so, how would you articulate that to somebody who's taking classes, but hasn't taken the step yet to support the organization philanthropically?

Nancy: Osher members are used to seeing a quality continuing-education program with wonderful staff support and options for both in-person and remote learning. Did you realize that the registration fees that you pay cover only 40% of expenses for this high-quality program? We need your help to bridge the gap and help support this solid, strong, growing program.

Q: What sort of impact do you want to have with your own giving both to Osher and other organizations? When you think about making a gift, what sort of impact do you want it to have?

Dave and Nancy: The city of Columbia, Boone County, and Mizzou have all been very impactful in our lives. Osher@Mizzou is one of a dozen reasons that Columbia is one of the best places to retire. If we can play a role in impacting the future of those great organizations, that's what it's all about.

Nancy: We tend to think in terms of the future of organizations with our monetary support, which is why we donate to the endowed Founders Fund. If there’s an immediate need, however, we will certainly consider helping to get an organization over a hump. Both types of giving are important to the longevity of our local nonprofits. It’s neat that even small gifts can join together to positively impact this wonderful community.

Q: Is there anything else that you want to share with somebody who may not be familiar with Osher to inspire them to get involved and support the organization?

Nancy: We hope people understand how much fun the classes can be! I mean, we jump from courses on history, to current affairs, to what's happening in the political scene, to Chat GPT and 3D printing, and on and on! It's a great opportunity to expose yourself to so many interesting topics.

Dave: I know we’re all busy when we’re retired, but we encourage you to make time for an Osher class. There’s definitely something of interest for you each and every semester.

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About Osher: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Missouri (Osher@Mizzou) is lifelong learning program that provides a variety of noncredit, affordable courses and other educational, cultural and social offerings designed for adults aged 50 plus. Join Osher and take part in thoughtful interactions about topics of interest to you, all for the joy of learning.

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