Jim Franke '86

Just a few years back, Jim Franke ’86 was thinking about the gifts he had made to various nonprofits over the years, and he had to admit, it felt a little unsatisfying. “I didn’t feel as though our many small contributions were having any sort of significant impact,” Franke says. So he decided to take a different approach: Give the lion’s share of donations to just one organization and have a bigger impact. When asked about the choice for Poly to be the beneficiary of his generosity, Jim says, “We chose Poly because we believe in the importance of giving children the tools they need to be successful. And by success, I don’t just mean career success, but success more broadly as a moral person and a contributor to our community.” With this aim in mind, Jim, together with his former wife, Michelle Arcinue Franke ’86, established the Franke Family Endowment in 2010 to provide unrestricted support for the school. The kick-start to this endowment was a $500,000 life insurance policy Jim took out with Poly as the beneficiary. “We wanted to include insurance as part of our overall giving strategy because it signifies a long-term commitment,” explains Jim. Through the power of a planned gift, coupled with yearly contributions, Jim and his family will continue to see their impact grow over time. “In our old age, we want to be able to look back and see that we made a difference,” Jim says.