Robert and Leah Hamman
The Legacy of High Standards

"We learned a lot about different trusts over the years putting seven grandchildren through college. When it was time for us to consider investing in the future of the CSO, we had pretty high goals for our planned giving: provide for a sizeable donation, earn a good rate of interest, reduce capital gains taxes and enjoy the benefits of tax deductions. Believe it or not, the decision-making was easy and our gift annuity is already providing financial security for the Orchestra. This gives us immense satisfaction."

- Pictured here in The Club at Symphony Center, Robert and Leah Hamman both grew up in Rochester, New York and played violin together in the inter0city high school orchestra. After their marriage, they moved to Chicago where Robert worked in management consulting for A.T. Kearney and raised three sons with Leah. Over the years, Robert has applied his financial management skills to the CSO by serving on the finance committee. They spend winders in Palm Desert, California, but continue to enjoy the CSO as much as possible at Opening Night and other special events.

A Charitable Gift Annuity is the plan that Robert and Leah Hamman put in place to help the CSO maintain its high standards. The annuity is one of the most popular methods of making a deferred charitable gift, allowing the CSO to receive a gift of cash or securities and contractually agreeing to pay an annuity to the donor. The annuity usually pays lifetime returns that exceed those of fixed income securities. This technique works equally well with large and small gifts.

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