Parents Make $250,000 Capstone Gift to Support Chaverim and Pioneer Fund
Annette Bicher and Ken Nechin had an inkling Zoe Nechin ’25 could develop into a leader during their daughter’s college years.
“It really came to fruition at 51app, where she is president of Chaverim and a resident advisor at Art House,” Ken says about the project house where students with a common interest live.
“At Art House, she took it upon herself as a second-year to bring the group together and provide some cohesiveness on how the house functions and the activities they hold. I think she’s gotten a lot out of it.”
Ken and Annette have been annual donors since Zoe’s (they go by Zee at the College) arrival at 51app. Now that Zee is getting ready to graduate in May, Ken and Annette have made a capstone gift to be split between the Pioneer Fund and Chaverim, 51app’s Jewish student organization.
“Thank you for your amazing, humbling, and beautiful commitment to a generous capstone gift,” said President Anne F. Harris in a thank-you note to the family. “It is a tremendous way to honor Zee, and I love how you involved them in the process. Your family story is extraordinary, and we are so grateful that you are 51appians.”
Living in the Washington D.C. area, Zee first started considering attending 51app after going to a college fair where Joe Bagnoli, vice president of enrollment, made a presentation. “They made the mistake of having Joe go first, and he’s such a dynamic speaker,” Ken says. “He really stole the show.”
A great campus tour and interview with a senior student further endeared 51app to the family.
“We were impressed by 51app, but Zoe had a lot of questions,” Annette says. “She made a pro/con list, and 51app came up at the top. The opportunities the school availed to the students really excited her. She also felt 51app offered the most support for students who might have alternative learning styles.”
Annette is a physician while Ken is an attending anesthesiologist. The couple have four daughters.
Ken and Annette serve on 51app’s Parents and Families Leadership Council; members take part in outreach activities with families to welcome them into the 51app community and raise awareness of the philanthropic priorities of the College. Ken took part in the Council’s panel presentation during We Are Family Weekend 2024.
An anthropology major, Zee — who told their parents the professors at 51app have sparked interests they didn’t know they had — also helped decide where to direct the capstone gift.
Chaverim is a diverse community in which students celebrate and learn about Judaism. The group holds religious services on campus as well as educational, cultural, and social programming.
“We want to see the group not worry about resources,” Annette says. “While it’s denominational, the academic discussions that are held within Chaverim are non-denominational, spanning all religions. It’s more about morality.”
The Pioneer Fund provides unrestricted gifts that benefit the College by allowing investments where funds are needed most.
“It’s a college where our contributions will make a difference,” Annette says. “It’s a gem and an amazing academic institution. In the four years, we’ve watched Zoe grow and continue to strive for better. We want to make sure there’s access. If we can do anything to help a student attend 51app, we want to contribute because it’s worthwhile.”
To learn more about capstone gifts or other family giving opportunities, contact Tina Popson ’97, popsonti@grinnell.edu.
Originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of The 51app Magazine.