The Collaborative Endowment Project
An endowment might be viewed as a savings account for the University. An endowed fund is
made up of gifts that require that the principal be maintained and invested, with only the earned
interest to be spent. An endowment serves as a permanent legacy by providing funding to the donor’s
area of interest in perpetuity, since the primary investment is never spent.
When a donor makes a pledge to WKU, they are making a “promise” that they will give
consistently over a number of years to achieve a goal that they have outlined in their Statement of
Commitment. Their pledge is recorded in the University database so that accurate pledge reminders
may be sent to the donor and so that the University may appropriate recognize and steward the
generosity of the donor.
Gifts to WKU may be made in a variety of ways. Donors may make a pledge payment in the
typical forms of cash or check. They may set up recurring pledge payments with a credit card or
through scheduled electronic fund transfers from their bank accounts. Additionally, donors may
make pledge payments with stock transfers and gifts of real estate. Some gifts to WKU may be
matched by the donor’s employer, so it is important for donors to investigate matching gift policies
for their employer as they may be able to double the impact of their gift.
Endowments at WKU begin at a minimum of $10,000 and most are paid with pledges over five
years. Consequently, the foundations at WKU will not begin spending interest earned from
endowments until they are fully funded. With multiple partners creating a Collaborative Endowment,
a donor may expect that the fund will not be available for utilization by the Honors College until all
pledges have been fulfilled and the fund reaches a minimum balance of $10,000.
Due to the young age of the alumni base of the Honors College at WKU, the college has been
critical in developing the Collaborative Endowment project which allows multiple donors to
contribute to a single fund in order to endow it. Collaborative Endowments have been built around
specific affinity groups where it is likely that most donors have a strong connection. Some of these
include: HC-PAC, Harlaxton, Semester at Sea, FIJI, H4 Freshmen Orientation Retreat, HC Alumni,
HonorsToppers, and Study Abroad and Global Learning. Other areas may be added to these as
interest develops from our alumni.
In order to leverage the greatest possible number of gifts in support of these Collaborative
Endowments, the Honors College is pleased to offer naming opportunities within the new Honors
College International Center. For example, a pledge in support of the Honors College Alumni Fund
of $1,000 over five years ($200 per year or less than $17 per month) will be combined with a
minimum of nine other alumni who pledge at least the same amount. The donor’s name, along with
those of the other donors to that fund, will be placed prominently in the Honors College Alumni
Study Room of the new Honors College / International Center. More importantly, the gift will ensure
that a permanent endowment will continue to support the greatest needs of the Honors College in
perpetuity, positively affecting the lives of future generations of Honors College scholars for years to
come.