A Secretive Charitable Trust Gives College $250-Million to Endow Scholarships

In his 40 years as a college fundraiser, Richard Trollinger had never dealt with a prospective donor who demanded so much secrecy.

Yet his unorthodox relationship with a trust in Bermuda has paid dividends because last month it brought $250-million to Centre College, a donation $20-million larger than the value of the Kentucky liberal-arts college’s entire endowment.

The money, which will pay for scholarships for economics and science majors, came from a trust created by Eugene Brockman, whose son Robert attended Centre for two years. Those years were meaningful to the family: After Robert Brockman created software that made him a rich man, he became chairman of the college’s board and has financed a residence hall, among other gifts.

Before Eugene Brockman died in 1986, he had expressed a desire to help the college but wasn’t explicit about what he wanted. Following up on that interest was a challenge for Centre because Mr. Brockman liked to keep his financial dealings quiet, and the trustees of his estate only entertain appeals made in writing. So Mr. Trollinger ended up depending on FedEx, rather than the usual approaches fundraisers would take to woo a wealthy parent.

Low-Key Efforts

The path that led to the $250-million gift began in 1959.

Eugene Brockman drove Robert to Danville from St. Petersburg, Fla., to start his freshman year at Centre College. Packed into the car was a trunk containing a sweater and an Army blanket from World War I for the first cold winter that Robert would experience.

The restless young man loved Centre, where he found focus and drive. But after two years, he decided he wanted a business career, so he left the liberal-arts college and transferred to the University of Florida, graduating at the top of his class.

In 1970, Robert Brockman started a business developing management software for automotive dealerships in the dining room of the duplex apartment he shared with his wife, Dorothy. He bought pre-cut letters from a store and placed them over the arched doorway of the room to spell “Universal Computer Services.”

In 2006, the privately held company merged with Reynolds and Reynolds in a deal worth $2.8-billion. Mr. Brockman is now chairman of Reynolds and Reynolds, in Houston.

He never forgot how Centre College shaped him and kept track from afar of what happened at the college. After an absence of more than three decades, Mr. Brockman visited Centre’s campus in 1996. Two years later, he joined its Board of Trustees and was eventually elected chairman.

He has maintained a low profile. Mr. Trollinger says that when the college wanted to install a plaque thanking him for his donation in 2010 for a new residence hall, Mr. Brockman nixed the idea. Nor would he disclose to the public how much he has given to the college.

Expanded Support

Eugene Brockman shared his son’s gratitude to Centre. Because Robert knew that, he suggested to Mr. Trollinger in 2009 that he reach out to Gordon Howard, the trustee of his father’s trust.

The introduction proved successful. Mr. Trollinger and Mr. Howard exchanged a few letters in which Mr. Trollinger suggested that the trust might finance a residence hall at Centre.

Then Mr. Howard died in a house fire. So Mr. Trollinger got in touch with his successor, Evatt Tamine.

When Mr. Tamine visited the campus in 2010 to work out details on what became a $19.5-million gift for a residence hall, Mr. Trollinger told him the college wanted to raise money to offer more scholarships.

Mr. Tamine encouraged Mr. Trollinger to keep him informed about the scholarship plans. In June, after the college began formulating the idea of a $500-million campaign, Mr. Trollinger wrote seeking $175-million for the scholarships.

Mr. Tamine agreed, stipulating that the scholarship money should be used to support students majoring in economics and the sciences. He also added $75-million to Mr. Trollinger’s original request.

“It was a happy surprise to learn he was thinking bigger than I was,” says Mr. Trollinger.

Continuity Counts

One factor that influenced Mr. Tamine’s interest in donating beyond the requested amount was the positive reception he got from those on campus when he visited the college in October to see the new residence hall. He says he was impressed that students and staff members introduced themselves and made a point of telling him how much they valued the student housing.

Mr. Trollinger, who has worked at Centre for 19 years, says the relationship with the Brockman family shows why colleges should avoid turnover in the development office.

“We often say in fundraising, particularly in college and university development work, that it’s a relationship business, but development officers oftentimes don’t stay long enough to build relationships,” says Mr. Trollinger.

But the biggest lesson of the Brockman gift, he says, is that “you’ve got to establish credibility through your stewardship of gifts.”