"God, country, family and community," Bob says, "That's our philosophy."
The couple has spent much of their lives in service to this combination, and Embry-Riddle is one of the most recent beneficiaries of their generosity, thanks to a charitable gift annuity they established to support student-athletes at Embry-Riddle.
"We wanted to do something for an organization in our community that we feel strongly about," Bob says.
The gift is the culmination of a long-term relationship with Embry-Riddle that began when Bob, a former executive at Florida Power and Light, met Athletic Director Steve Ridder and saw the university's emphasis on performance in the classroom, as well as on the field.
"Steve Ridder always talks about the complete student. He never uses the word 'athlete.' It's always 'student-athlete.'" says Bob Coleman.
For Bobbi, who has spent years supporting education in Volusia County working with the FUTURES Foundation, education is the key to a strong community. "It all comes down to academics," she says. "And that's what Embry-Riddle is about."
When the Colemans decided to make their gift, they chose a charitable gift annuity because it fit well within their plan to diversify their retirement assets.
While they could have established an annuity with any number of companies, the Colemans realized they also had an opportunity to support something they cared about. "We had this link with Embry-Riddle already," Bobbi says.
After some initial research and meeting with a financial planner, Bob contacted Embry-Riddle and set it up.
"Bernadine Douglas put together a plan over breakfast. She gave me some options and made it very easy and painless," Bob recalls. "This was a much easier decision than using some [financial services] company, because we already had a relationship with Embry-Riddle and thought highly of it."
"By creating a charitable gift annuity, Bob and Bobbi were able to create income for themselves over their lifetimes, while also realizing their intentions to support Embry-Riddle in the future," says Bernadine Douglas, associate vice president for Development. "As part of a diversified retirement plan, a charitable gift annuity can give you predictable income, an immediate charitable deduction and the satisfaction of supporting Embry-Riddle's mission."