Mooneys Believe in Power of "Give-It-Twice"

“When you believe in something, it’s easy to give back.”

When asked why they choose to remain involved with South Dakota State University, Marc and Julie Mooney’s explanation is as simple as that. With a lifelong connection to the college on the hill, it’s abundantly clear that SDSU is most definitely something the Mooneys believe in.

Looking back on their time as lifelong Jackrabbits, Marc and Julie credit the university as the place where their family truly began. The two met as undergraduates in 1991, marrying three years later. Marc studied ag business while Julie majored in journalism, building skillsets and lessons that would prove extremely applicable in their careers down the road. In the decades since Marc and Julie’s graduations, the couple’s children have been raised in the yellow and blue community, with all three of them choosing to pursue a higher education at their parents’ alma mater.

It isn’t just the Mooney children that remain connected to campus. Marc and Julie have volunteered countless hours of time into university events and leadership. Marc began serving on the SDSU Foundation’s Board of Governors in 2017 and joined the Council of Trustees in 2011. In 2023, he became Chair of the Foundation’s Council of Trustees, helping to make big-picture decisions for the university he’s forever passionate about.

One of those big-picture decisions, the transition to Division 1 in 2008, kept the Mooneys coming back for even more Jackrabbit experiences. The two opted to become season football ticket holders on a trial basis, tentatively trying out the idea for what they believed would be only one season. Instead, Marc and Julie are fixtures at nearly every football game to this day, tracking thousands of miles to accompany the Jackrabbits to two historic runs to Frisco for the FCS National Championship. (They even harbor a bucket list goal to attend a football game at every Missouri Valley Conference opponent’s stadium.)

"We just made that part of our Saturdays in the fall," Julie said, reflecting on how game days shifted from an occasional outing to a frequent habit to a beloved tradition. "We've built those memories with our kids."

When the time came to discuss their financial planning, it seemed only natural for the Mooneys to keep SDSU in mind. "It just makes sense," said Marc Mooney. "It was the right time."

In 2018, the couple sought out the SDSU Foundation’s Office of Gift Planning, hoping to explore how they might include charitable giving within their estate. Instead, they were surprised to learn that they hadn’t reviewed their estate plan since their oldest son, Ben, was a baby. Looking at their previous will, Julie noted that, even in 1998 and not long after their graduation from State, the couple had already planned to give back to SDSU.

The Mooney’s early preparedness could be credited to Marc’s line of work. As director of branch administration at First Dakota National Bank, his job made him open to the idea of estate gifts and more than familiar with the benefits of planning ahead.

The Mooneys chose the "Give-it-Twice" strategy, an option they’d first learned about from acquaintances who had also worked with the SDSU Foundation in their planning. For a particularly taxable asset within their estate, a charitable remainder trust will be created after death. That trust will make 5 percent annual payments to their children for 20 years. At the end of 20 years, their funds will be distributed to SDSU and their church, essentially giving the estate twice.

Reflecting on how their plan had come together nearly two decades after the couple first considered including SDSU in their legacy, Marc said, “The process was very simple. It’s a win-win for the university and your family, as well as the charity of your choice.”

Paying heirs over time rather than leaving them a lump sum appealed to the Mooneys, as well as the ability to support their fellow Jackrabbits. When their gift eventually goes to SDSU, it will fund two endowed scholarships with the Mooney family name: one in journalism, the other in agriculture and biological sciences.

Thanks to their unwavering involvement with the university, Marc and Julie are familiar with both the need that exists for scholarships and the difference that scholarship support can have for college students. Arranging endowed scholarships appealed to the Mooneys even further because of their enduring nature, a gift vehicle that truly lasts in perpetuity.

While the couple’s estate plan is something that will come to fruition in the future, the impact of their philanthropy and generosity is something that the Mooneys have a front row seat for in the present.

Over the course of their own college years, as well as watching their own children become official Jackrabbits and pursue their dreams at State, Marc and Julie have been loyal supporters of the university for over two decades now. In that time, they’ve witnessed tremendous growth at their alma mater, a place they often refer to as their second home.

When prompted what she might say to others who are considering how they can best plan for the future, Julie urges, “Think about your legacy, and think about what you want to leave. Whatever your passion is, that’s where you should leave your legacy.”

With a legacy that will last in perpetuity thanks to the gift of their time and treasure, the Mooneys have made SDSU not just a second home or a place they believe in. It’s a place their generosity is helping others to believe in, too.