Photo by Harry Need.
From left, Denise Thorsen, associate dean of academics for UAF’s College of Engineering and Mines, visits with donors Rachel and Richard Kacsur at a lab in late 2025.

By Harry Need

Richard and Rachel Kacsur never imagined they would become philanthropists for UAF. After all, it had been more than 50 years since Richard returned from Army service, and he attended UAF for only a short stint before pursuing other opportunities.

Decades later, after retiring from a career with the school district, Richard took a job in the Lowe’s electrical department. There, he met an exceptionally bright young co-worker who was pursuing an electrical engineering degree at UAF while working tirelessly to support himself.

Richard and Rachel deeply admired the young man's grit and intellect. It was heartbreaking when they learned that severe financial strain had finally forced him to abandon his studies. Though the Kacsurs offered to help him directly, the student declined.

That disappointment became a catalyst for inspiration when, at an estate-planning seminar hosted by UAF through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the couple learned about qualified charitable distributions from an individual retirement account, or IRA.

The timing was perfect. Richard had recently inherited his sister’s sizable IRA. For nonspouse beneficiaries, inherited retirement accounts must be completely withdrawn within 10 years. It was a rule that would create a tax burden for the Kacsurs. At the OLLI seminar, the presenters illuminated a perfect alternative, the QCD.

Through a QCD, donors aged 70½ or older can direct their IRA custodian to transfer up to $111,000 annually (as of 2026) directly to a qualified charity. Such transfers aren’t considered taxable income. It suddenly dawned on the couple that “instead of sending a big check to the IRS, we could help create well-educated humans.”

Working hand-in-hand with UAF's development team and their own IRA custodian, Richard and Rachel used the inherited assets to endow a permanent scholarship, the Kacsur Family Endowed Scholarship.

Today, their legacy forever supports UAF electrical engineering and computer science students facing financial hardship.

Thanks to a chance workplace connection, educational outreach through OLLI and the guidance of UAF Development, a moment of personal frustration was transformed into a lifetime of opportunity.

Harry Need is the UA Foundation’s executive director of philanthropy.