Use of Gifts

• Scholarships are often the first opportunity that donors consider when they plan their philanthropy. Indeed, scholarships are the life blood of any college or university. Contributions of any amount are accepted for inclusion in the Friends of Shawnee State Scholarship Fund. This general scholarship fund is designed to award academic, athletic, or artistic excellence and allow the University to choose the most deserving students.

• Contributions of a specified minimum amount will be accepted as a separate named scholarship. A minimum of one third of the annual tuition and fees will create a one-time scholarship named for the giver or a person of his/her choice.

• For a contribution of $25,000 or more, the University will create an endowed scholarship, named for the donor or a person of his or her choice. The principal will remain in place, and only yield may be used toward the awards. The investment policy of the Foundation has been formulated to encourage growth as well as earnings so that the scholarship can remain viable over time.

Shawnee State University also encourages the creation, through the Development Foundation, of endowed chairs, which serve to bring prestige to the professor holding the chair, the person who named it, and to the University. There are three ways in which to proceed, and we are eager to explore the options with you.

• A contribution of $1,000,000 will be accepted to endow a named faculty chair. The earnings will be used to cover or help defray the cost of salary and other related costs

• A contribution of $100,000 will be accepted to fund a one-year named professorship or visiting professorship. This will cover salary and other related costs such as secretarial assistance, etc.

• A contribution of $300,000 will be accepted to create an endowed visiting chair. In this instance, the corpus will be invested until such time that sufficient earnings have been realized to fund the position. It is expected that a visiting chair could be appointed every three years.

Won’t you be the first of Shawnee’s donors to consider the creation of such a prestigious commemorative opportunity?

Individual arrangements can be made in regard to lecture series, performing arts series, film series, art purchases, equipment purchases, etc. Friends wishing to underwrite those activities are encouraged to meet with Susan Warsaw, executive director of development, or heads of the departments involved in the proposed activity.
  
Opportunities also exist to have buildings or specific rooms within buildings named for the donor or a person they designate. Where state funds are allocated for buildings, a minimum of 40 percent of the construction cost of the building is necessary for a naming opportunity. Where state capital funds are involved, naming of rooms is based on utility, placement, availability, and attractiveness from a commemorative standpoint. In the event that state funds are not available, full cost may be involved in order to facilitate a naming opportunity.

The Foundation welcomes the input of the donors who wish to remain active in the decision making involving the use of their funds through Donor Advised Funds. To that end, donors who establish undesignated endowments are invited to meet the executive director of development to help make that determination annually based on the University’s needs, new opportunities, or donor interest.
  
Each of the suggestions listed are only that – ideas. We value your ideas as well and are eager to work with you to spend your money in a way that will make you proud.

Endowments

It is your choice as well whether you wish your funds to be endowed. If that is the case, the Development  Foundation will spend only the earnings of your funds, preserving your original gift and its buying power. You have our word that we will work diligently to be good stewards of the money you entrust to us so that you can feel assured that your legacy will not be forgotten.

To make creating an endowment easy we have developed flexible endowments. Flexible endowments are much like regular endowments in that they are funds from which only earnings are spent, ensuring that donors’ philanthropy lasts in perpetuity. Like all of Shawnee State’s endowments, they may be funded over time, for as long as ten years. A nice feature of flexible endowments is that they allow donors to give a long-term gift but to see short-term benefits as well. While building their fund, donors make an additional gift, in the amount of the fund’s expected earnings, which will be spent right away to fulfill the purpose of the fund.
  
That way, donors get two valuable benefits at once—growth in their fund and the joy of seeing their money being put to good use.