For Lora Hollingsworth, every gift is more than just a donation—it’s a story waiting to be told. With a passion for connecting people’s legacies with causes that are meaningful to them, Hollingsworth is forging lasting relationships that will help shape the university’s future. She joined UCSC as Executive Director of Gift Planning in the summer of 2023.
When Hollingsworth speaks about philanthropy, her eyes light up with passion and purpose.
“I love being able to advance the university’s mission,” she says, “and, by guiding donors through gift planning, help them meet their personal, financial, and philanthropic goals.”
Hollingsworth (College Nine ’06, anthropology) is a dedicated nonprofit development professional with 16 years of experience building relationships with donors and facilitating meaningful philanthropic gifts. She began her fundraising career in community-based nonprofit organizations. She has worked in higher education for the last eight years focusing on major and planned gifts. Hollingsworth is a UC Santa Cruz alumna and holds a master’s degree in Latin American Studies from the University of Texas, Austin. She is a certified specialist in planned giving through the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies at CSU Long Beach.
Hollingsworth was drawn to planned giving because it gives her the opportunity to help donors structure a donation that makes sense for them and benefits the cause they wish to support. She enjoys learning about people's philanthropic interests together with their financial, personal, and family aspirations, to provide gift options that can meet their goals. Her love for learning inspires her to stay on top of current best practices and financial and legal changes to guide donors to create the gifts they want to make and leave a lasting legacy.
“The best thing about planned giving is that I get to work with donors and help them find ways to make a meaningful gift that they may not have imagined possible,” she says. “Maybe it’s a gift in their will or estate plans where they can imagine leaving a legacy. Maybe they aren’t sure they can make a donation today, but they know that they want to do something meaningful that extends beyond their lifetime. Or maybe it’s a gift of assets that doesn’t impact their cash and can provide some additional tax benefits. I love exploring with donors on the options that allow them to make a larger, more meaningful, impactful gift than they realized they could do.”
Hollingsworth shares a story about working with a donor who wanted to support student scholarships in honor of his wife, a teacher, who had passed unexpectedly. They sat together at his kitchen table, and he shared with her the values that mattered most to his wife. By the end of their first conversation, she says, she felt as if she knew his wife, her accomplishments, and the many lives she touched throughout her career.
“It was clear how such a permanent scholarship in his wife’s name was the most meaningful way he felt he could celebrate her life,” Hollingsworth says. “We worked together to create a scholarship that we both felt confident reflected his wife’s values and helped meet the needs of our students. It’s an honor to work with people who want to make a difference through philanthropy and to see those gifts have an impact.”
Hollingsworth is excited for the future of planned giving at UC Santa Cruz, noting that they will soon launch new exciting events and opportunities for deeper engagement for Legacy Circle members. The Legacy Circle celebrates donors who have shared with the university that they have included UC Santa Cruz in their wills or other financial plans.
“We have a vibrant campus with students and faculty doing inspiring and interesting work,” she says. “I’m looking forward to inviting our committed donors to experience our education and research missions firsthand.”
For more information about UC Santa Cruz’s planned giving program or to connect with Hollingsworth directly, please visit plannedgifts.ucsc.edu.
