Bob and Patty Hendrickson

As a founding Trustee of the Development Foundation and a member of the Heritage Society, Bob speaks with pride about NDSU, and why giving is important to all of us.

Bob grew up in both Fargo and Moorhead. As a youth, an older friend gave him a book titled "The Magic of Believing." With the tools from the book, he wrote a statement that "he wanted to make it big in New York City as a corporate treasurer." At NDSU, he majored in Economics and minored in Mathematics. Bob states "NDSU was my passport to the world of finance". After graduation, he was recruited by a major New York financial organization, where he worked until retiring from that same company as Vice Chairman of the Board. He and his wife, Patty, moved to Florida, where they started several real estate and development businesses, and where they now reside. While in New York, Bob was invited to help the small group at the NDSU Alumni Association who had been charged with finding a better way to raise more money for the University, so that is how the Development Foundation was started. The Trustees wanted a way for people to be even more aware of how they could support NDSU through their time, talents and treasures.

With his Economic background, Bob coined the term "the multiplier effect", where your invested dollars come back over and over. Thus, in addition to outright gifts and direct bequests, he feels the Charitable Gift Annuity, which can provide a secure source of fixed payments for life, especially reflects this approach to giving. Bob states it's a Win/Win/Win situation, where the one who gives wins, the beneficiary wins, and the University wins. With their donations, along with others who donate, Bob and Patty are pleased to have helped "move NDSU to successfully higher levels of excellence," and, hope others will consider this excellent opportunity to give back.