Sally Harrison ’71

Why a QCD?

Required to take a minimum distribution from her IRA, Sally Harrison ’71 used that income to make a tax-free Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to the College in honor of her reunion milestone. As she says, “I am delighted to put my IRA to work for Bryn Mawr in celebration of my 50th Reunion.”

In addition to the benefits of giving to Bryn Mawr, a QCD excludes the amount donated from taxable income, which is unlike regular withdrawals from an IRA. Keeping taxable income lower may reduce the impact to certain tax credits and deductions, including Social Security and Medicare.

Why Bryn Mawr?

In her time in both Bryn Mawr College and Haverford College, Sally found faith as a Quaker and a rigorous scholarly setting that satisfied her desire to challenge herself academically. She was also among the first to live on Haverford’s campus in the dorm exchange program, joining it in her junior year. “My time in the Bi-Co played a significant role in my adult life,” Sally shares with us. The influence of her faith informed much of her professional life as well. Sally worked for thirty years at the American Friends Service Committee, a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, in international program administration.

When she pivoted her career to work for Bryn Mawr, Sally found a changed campus with new priorities and a more diverse student body, and she loved the direction it had taken. Sally was proud that Bryn Mawr was prioritizing scholarships and bringing students from all walks of life to its campus.

“I honestly have a hard time imagining working for a place for which I don’t feel a great deal of passion,” Sally says. “It was very significant to me to able to give back to the college where my mother, aunt, and I attended.”

Looking beyond the present.

Sally believes that just as she benefitted from the generosity of those who came before her, it is important to give back to the next generation of students. When Sally’s mother passed away in 1982, she left a bequest to the College. Years later Sally’s brother, Walter Harrison, added to the fund and renamed it the Alice Cohen Harrison ’36 and Sally R. Harrison ’71 Scholarship. Sally shares, “It was a real honor for me, and I am touched knowing that every year a student benefits from my mother’s memory.”

Consider the many ways of giving to Bryn Mawr College when planning your reunion gift or gift to the Bryn Mawr Fund.