Howard Cooper Knows a Good Opportunity

“Who’d want a funny car like that?” asked Howard Cooper when he was approached in the 1960s about opening a Volkswagen dealership. The answer: a lot of people. When offered the Ann Arbor franchise, he took advantage of the opportunity, and during the more than 40 years since, he’s added Porsche, Audi and Honda to Howard Cooper Import Center. When he learned about the new Pension Protection Act of 2006, he knew he’d found another good opportunity.

“I had been thinking about making a gift to the University of Michigan Health System, and this new legislation offered a great opportunity to do it. There are so many places in the Health System that are deserving of this; I wish I could give to all of them.”

Howard Cooper is supporting the U-M Health System through the new Pension Protection Act of 2006, which provides a limited-time opportunity for individuals aged 70 1/2 or older to make tax-free charitable contributions directly from Individual Retirement Accounts to qualified charitable organizations like the University of Michigan. Before December 31, 2007, individuals may take advantage of this unique giving opportunity. For more information, contact Jim Thomas in the U-M Office of Medical Development at (734) 998-7705.