ENDOWED SCHOLARSHIPS & LEGACY SOCIETY

Endowed Scholarships

Awards, Prizes & Programs

The following endowed funds were established during the 2021-2022 fiscal year through contributions from alumni and friends of Westminster College for the purpose of providing supplemental sources of financial assistance to students who meet the criteria set by the donors.

William E. Blackburn Annual Fund Scholarship. Established by David A. Sarver ’73 and Kathleen D. Sarver ’73 to honor the life of William (Bill) E. Blackburn who was superintendent of Buildings and Grounds at Westminster for 40 years. Awarded to nursing and education majors.

Howard B. Eklund ’51 & Marietta Anderson Eklund ’51 Endowed

Scholarship. Established by Robert Eklund to honor his parents who met as students at Westminster. Awarded to math or science majors. R. Scott Kirschler Jr. ’88 Memorial Scholarship. Established by R. Scott Kirschler Sr. ’63 in memory of his son, R. Scott Kirschler Jr. ’88, a business major and former member of the Westminster golf team. Awarded to a junior in the Westminster School of Business.

Susan Anderson Lydon ’68 Endowed Scholarship. Established by Patrick J. Lydon ’70 in memory of his wife, Susan, to keep her conservative values, hard work ethic, passion for nursing, and fighting spirit alive. Awarded to nursing majors. Margaret Williams Migliore Memorial Scholarship in Education. Established by Daniel L. Migliore in honor of his wife, Margaret, who graduated from Westminster College in 1956. Awarded to a senior education major.

David R. Nesbit ’79 & Mary Jo Nesbit Accounting and Finance

Scholarship. Established by David R. Nesbit ’79 and Mary Jo Nesbit. David graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Business Administration/ Accounting in 1979 and was a member of the cross country team and the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity while attending Westminster. Awarded based on academic achievement to accounting or finance majors. Diana M. Reed Early Education Scholarship. Established by Dr. John R. Reed and the family and friends of Diana Reed in honor of her 31 years of service to the Education Department at Westminster College. Awarded to a junior or senior in the School of Education with a strong interest in becoming a Pre-K educator. Robert C. & JoAnn Richardson Scholarship. Established by Dr. Robert R. Richardson and Dr. Kathy B. Richardson in honor of Robert and JoAnn Richardson, to provide financial assistance for a promising student seeking higher education who has the ability, but not the financial resources to attend college. Awarded based on communication related or leadership activities.

Andrew L. Sands ’54 & Eileen J. (Drugmand) Sands ’54 & Lori A.

Sands ’80 Endowed Scholarship. Established by Andrew L. Sands ’54 in support of the mission of Westminster College and the opportunities that education and a strong work ethic can provide. Awarded to math, computer science, biology, chemistry or physics majors.

Elizabeth A. Smith ’81 Scholarship. Established by Betsy Smith ’81, who was a member of the Kappa Delta sorority and instrumental in establishing the first women’s softball team at Westminster. Awarded to a first-year student (preference to a female), in good academic standing and demonstrated leadership qualities, strong involvement in extracurricular activities and majoring in the fields of sports management, history or sociology/criminal justice studies. Linda S. ’70 & Glenn H. Thompson ’68 Nursing Scholarship. Established by Linda S. ’70 & Glenn H. Thompson ’68 in an effort to broaden traditionally underrepresented populations in the nursing program at Westminster College. Awarded to nursing majors.

Robert & Sharon Bond Scholarship Fund* Thomas & Kathie Nelson Current Use Scholarship Fund*

*Denotes multi-year annual fund scholarships

Legacy Society

Membership in the Legacy Society signifies the vision and commitment of donors who have chosen to make a gift to Westminster College through planned giving, which includes but is not limited to provisions in one’s will or estate plans or naming the College as the beneficiary of life insurance policies, charitable trusts, and other financial plans. To join the Legacy Society, contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 724-946-7018.

New members for 2021-2022 include:

Dr. Chester J. Chichin & Mrs. Yvonne (Vance) Chichin M’69 Robert J. Koepp ‘50* Joseph B. Kope* Robert Ross* Frances M. Sharp* Mrs. Linda J. (Wright) Simpson ‘81 Elizabeth R. Vates* Mabel M. Wimer ‘64*

*deceased

The Westminster College Endowment: Enduring Support for Promising Futures

Beginning on page 37 of this issue of the Honor Roll of Giving, you’ll see an impressive list of new endowed scholarships established during the 2021-2022 fiscal year. These newly endowed scholarships represent a special commitment by donors to our students, now and in the future, because endowed funds have the unique feature of providing support in perpetuity.

These newly endowed gifts are the latest additions to what is one of Westminster College’s many strengths: its endowment. Recently, the College’s endowment was valued at $132,721,401, representing the combined generosity of donors over the decades and sound investment practices overseen by the Board of Trustees.

Endowed funds are vital to the mission of the College because they help build the financial health of the institution and they help the College remain competitive and affordable for deserving students from all socio-economic backgrounds.

To begin a conversation about establishing an endowed scholarship in honor or in memory of a loved one, or in your own name or you family’s name, please contact the Division of Institutional Advancement, 724-946-7018. Effective Jan. 1, 2023, the minimum gift level for endowed scholarships will be $50,000. Endowed funds may be established with an initial gift and with the balance funded over a period of up to five years.

Donor-Advised Funds: Good for Westminster College

According to the National Philanthropic Trust, the number of individual donor-advised funds (DAFs) exceeded one million for the first time in 2021. Here at Westminster College, we are seeing an increase in the number of our alumni and friends who choose to give via donor-advised funds. The College’s Division of Institutional Advancement took a closer look at donor-advised funds recently and offers the following insights for our alumni and friends who have DAFs—and for those who might be considering a DAF:

• What is a donor-advised fund?

A donor-advised fund is a fund that is established by a donor and managed by a sponsoring organization, such as a community foundation. Donors make irrevocable, taxdeductible contributions to the sponsoring organization in the form of assets such as cash, stocks, etc. The DAF sponsoring organization then invests the assets with the goal of growing the philanthropic impact of the funds. The donor may then make recommendations to the sponsoring organization for grants to be made from the DAF to a qualified charity of the donor’s choosing.

• Why do some people choose to use this method of giving?

According to givingusa.org, many donors who use DAFs choose this method because they receive immediate tax benefits at the time the assets are transferred into a DAF; in this way, some donors find that there is more predictability and control over financial planning when using a DAF as the preferred method of giving. In addition, a key benefit of using a DAF is asset growth: donors can plan for future philanthropic gifts at a higher level than they may be capable of making today.

• If I have (or intend to establish) a donor-advised fund, can

I direct my gifts to Westminster College?

Yes! DAFs are intended to benefit qualified charitable organizations; Westminster College meets that standard as it is recognized as a tax-exempt organization registered with the IRS and recognized under Section 501(c)3 of

the Internal Revenue Code. Note, however, that methods for recommending grants from DAFs are subject to the procedures established by the DAF sponsoring organization and may include limitations on the number of individual contributions, minimum individual donation amounts, and minimum account balances.

Whether you choose an outright gift to Westminster or a gift through a donor-advised fund, know that your gifts are making a difference in the lives of our students and that we deeply appreciate your support.

Sources: National Philanthropic Trust, nptrust.org; GivingUSA, givingusa.org; Forbes.com

Westminster College does not endorse any DAF sponsoring organizations nor should the information contained herein be construed as financial advice. We encourage you to consult with your financial planner or tax professional to evaluate and select the method(s) of charitable giving that fit best with your goals and charitable intentions.