Retired Professor's Generosity Shines

James Binkley enjoyed a successful career as a long-time professor of Agricultural Economics at Purdue University. After spending most of his years living in West Lafayette, he returned to his hometown of Jasper in 2022. It was upon settling into retirement that he began to consider his estate planning. Encouraged by his brother Paul, he sought the assistance of the Community Foundation to help craft a meaningful estate plan that would include charitable giving.

Drawing from his teaching background, James wanted to support education by helping students with their post-secondary dreams of obtaining a college degree. This commitment materialized in the creation of the James Binkley Scholarship. Through his scholarship fund, three scholarships will be awarded annually to Dubois County graduates: one for a student attending his alma mater, Indiana University, and two for students attending Purdue University.

In addition to establishing a scholarship, James set up the James Binkley Endowment, a designated fund aimed at providing annual support to Purdue programs, as well as contributing to health, animal welfare causes, and organizations that promote the arts. The latter is a special interest for James, a skilled artist himself, after having taken several studio classes at Purdue. Through his endowment, there are also various one-time grants allocated to organizations that held significance to James during his lifetime, both in West Lafayette and in his hometown.

Through a thoughtfully tailored plan that fulfills his passions, James will extend his philanthropy beyond his lifetime.