Look for the Helpers

Concordia alumnus John Ellingboe ’69 and Linda Ellingboe heed the advice of Mr. Rogers and help others in need through IRA giving and the Student Success and Retention Fund.

“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’”

If you’ve watched “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” you may recall beloved host Fred Rogers sharing this advice. John ’69 and Linda Ellingboe have used this as a guiding force in their lives – finding ways to support and love others.

Helping students has been a driving passion for the Ellingboes throughout their lives and started with John’s efforts to recruit Seattle high school students for Concordia College 30 years ago. Living in the Pacific Northwest, John and Linda knew that most of the students they recruited and provided scholarships for would not be prepared for Minnesota weather – and many couldn’t afford appropriate winter gear. So, they provided money for jackets and whatever else the students might need to transition to college life in the Midwest.

Buying jackets for students gave Linda an idea.

“I thought, ‘What about all of the students at Concordia who are in the gap and need support?  We should set up a student emergency fund,” Linda says.

The Ellingboes established the Student Success and Retention Fund eight years ago to fill the gap for Concordia students.  The fund has provided financial assistance to hundreds of students and is more important now than ever given the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the college asked students to leave campus to help flatten the curve and ensure their health and safety, this created a financial burden.  Students were wondering how they could afford to fly home on short notice. How would they pay for groceries and rent when their work shifts were drastically reduced or eliminated. Many international students simply couldn’t go home as their hometowns were more affected by the virus than others.

One student shared that he couldn’t go home because his mom is battling cancer and lives in a highly affected area of the country. This required him to rent an apartment and continue to work on campus. A grant from the fund provided him much-need grocery money, something for which he is incredibly grateful.

The need for these emergency funds currently outweighs the balance which is something John and Linda Ellingboe are hoping will change.

“It is always in the back of our mind that some students struggle to afford their college education and might not come back. We want to help them finish.”

In addition to the Student Success and Retention Fund, John and Linda have established scholarships that have supported dozens of students and many different charities. Giving through their Individual Retirement Account (IRA) has allowed them to do this.

“Making gifts through my IRA was a no-brainer. Donating part of my *Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from the IRA allows us to give a lot more than we could otherwise and reduces our taxation income,” shares John.  “We want to be helpful and will keep giving to support students.”

*The CARE Act of 2020 has changed the requirement; however, IRA gifts can still be made.

Look for the Helpers – Be a Helper
Help students now – CobbersCare

Help students in the future - Planned Giving Toolkit
(Scroll to the bottom and download the kit.)