UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

HOW TO GIVE

Realize your vision

Giving benefits the whole Warhawk community — including you! Through cash today or assets in the future, you can leave your mark on the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. We are honored by your generosity, and our expert staff can help you discover the best way to give back in ways that reflect your passions.

Bolstered by scholarships, first-gen Warhawk driven to help peers

Marco Cortes-Lema, recipient of the Thomas M. Smith Accounting Scholarship, uses his skills and resources to build community on campus through student organizations.

Read Marco’s story

Scholarships

Make a long-lasting impact by donating to an existing scholarship or establishing a new one. Scholarships reduce overall student debt and reward the hard work our students put in while applying for internships, jobs and graduate school.

We are continually overwhelmed with gratitude for the generosity of our alumni, staff, friends and business partners. Because of donors like you, we are able to offer hundreds of scholarships to support students from all walks of life.

Warhawks have benefited from both endowed and general scholarships for generations. Thanks to the philanthropic leadership and generous support of alumni, emeriti and friends, UW-Whitewater offers scholarships to:

  • honor cherished professors, faculty and staff
  • support veterans, returning adults and students from all backgrounds
  • assist first-generation students and students from specific hometown areas
  • award students in an array of academic fields
  • and more!

Contact foundation@uww.edu, and let us help you find an established scholarship to support.

We’re proud of the scholarships generous donors have established. We welcome you to take this meaningful philanthropic step and establish a new scholarship. You can directly impact students’ lives and bolster recruitment and retention through your scholarship.

There are four options for establishing a new scholarship:

  • Endowed Scholarships with specific and donor-designated criteria (including the recipient’s major, program area and hometown) are established with a minimum principal gift of $25,000 over a period of five years or less. See Endowments for more information.
  • General Scholarships with specified and donor-designated criteria are established with a minimum $1,000 annual commitment.
  • Planned Gift Scholarships with specified and donor-designated criteria are established through a minimum $25,000 estate gift documentation. See Will and Estate giving for more information.
  • Non-Designated Scholarships support the university’s general scholarship fund through gifts between $1-$999.

Contact foundation@uww.edu to determine the best scholarship option for you.

Annual and cash gifts

You can support UW-Whitewater and our students through an annual gift or a cash donation. Every gift — no matter the size — makes a difference, and we appreciate your generosity.

Attention International Warhawks
If your address lies outside the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, please see our alternative offline giving options or contact foundation@uww.edu for secure donation options.

Use our secure online form to give now!

For your security, do not email anyone your credit card information, bank account details or other personal information.

Give now »

To donate offline, you can make a check payable to UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. In the check’s memo line, please include the name of the fund you wish to support. Then mail your check to:

UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc.
Alumni Center
800 W Main St
Whitewater, WI 53190

You can also donate through a credit card over the phone by calling 262-427-1105. We’re available to answer your call Monday through Friday from 8 a.m to 4:30 p.m. CST.

You can support our students years into the future by making a multi-year pledge. You can make a pledge for up to five years by selecting the “Make a Pledge” or “Recurring donation” button at the top of any secure online giving form.

You can make a recurring gift through your credit card or an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) through our secure online form or by mailing in the EFT Enrollment Form.

If you’re a UW-Whitewater employee, you can make automatic payroll deductions to support the causes on campus that are most important to you.

Contact us at foundation@uww.edu or 262-472-1105 for an employee payroll deduction form and your donations will begin the following payroll period.

Endowments

Yellow daffodils bloom in front of a UW-Whitewater sign.

 

Endowments are a cornerstone of our university, and they extend the impact of a donor’s generosity well beyond their lifetime. Endowments provide lasting support for current and future needs as the funds grow over time.

UW-Whitewater benefits from several existing endowments that support the university’s mission, including endowed scholarships, professorships and strategic priority funds. You are welcome to support any existing endowments with gifts of all sizes.

If you’d like to establish a new endowment, the UW-Whitewater Foundation offers fund templates to facilitate the process. Contact us at foundation@uww.edu or 262-472-1105 to establish a meaningful fund and support the long-term health of the university.

The minimum investment to establish an endowment is $25,000, which can be contributed in installments over a period of up to five years. Once the fund meets this minimum, the UW-Whitewater Foundation can use the fund to support your cause.

The UW-Whitewater Foundation will invest your gift and use a portion of the fund’s value each year to support your cause. To protect the fund from erosion due to inflation, the foundation will add the remaining portion of the investment return back to the principal.

IRAs

Giving from an IRA account benefits both UW-Whitewater and you. IRA holders who are 72 or older must take a Required Minimum Distribution from their IRA account. You add that distribution to your Adjusted Gross Income and pay federal taxes on it.

But there’s a more tax-efficient option. By making a tax-free gift directly from your IRA account to a qualified public charity like the UW-Whitewater Foundation, you can avoid the additional taxes and higher tax brackets.

When you make a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from your IRA account directly to the UW-Whitewater Foundation, the QCD will not count towards your income and avoids additional taxes. However, the QCD will count toward your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD).

You can donate up to $100,000 from your IRA account tax-free. The gift must come from your IRA custodian to the qualified public charity.

After determining your gift with your IRA custodian, contact foundation@uww.edu and let us know about your gift! Please include:

  • the donor’s name
  • the check stub or an included memo
  • the fund you want to support
  • a notation indicating that the donation is from the donor’s IRA account or is a QCD

Your gift must be processed by December 31 in order for you to receive the tax benefit for that year. Consult your tax preparer or financial advisor to learn what’s best for you.

Insurance

You can make a high-impact gift without a high out-of-pocket cost and provide financial security for your loved ones by giving through insurance. Donors commonly give through insurance by:

  • naming the UW-Whitewater Foundation as a beneficiary of an existing policy
  • transferring policy ownership to the UW-Whitewater Foundation
  • purchasing a new policy to support your cause

In all cases, you can designate your gift for a specific fund by submitting a Letter of Intent for a Future Estate Gift.

Real estate

You make a huge impact on campus when you donate real estate to the UW-Whitewater Foundation, and you could be eligible for certain tax benefits.

Donors commonly give:

  • residences
  • vacation homes
  • farms
  • vacant lands

In most cases, we’ll sell the land and use the profits to support your cause.

Contact foundation@uww.edu to learn more.

Securities

You can support our students and receive certain tax benefits by giving through securities. Appreciated stocks, bonds and mutual funds that have been held for over a year are great ways to leave your mark on UW-Whitewater.

Contact foundation@uww.edu to let us know you plan to give through securities.

The UW-Whitewater Foundation will keep in touch with you throughout the entire transaction process, and we’ll work with you to ensure your gift supports your cause.

Transfer your shares directly to UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. at:

Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
DTC# 0164
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 8598-3525
ACCOUNT NAME: UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc.- Stock Gift Account

Please note that all securities must be transferred directly to UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. to be eligible for tax benefits.

If you have any questions about this step, you can also contact the Fund Evaluation Group at:

201 E 5th Street
Suite 1600
Cincinnati, OH 45202-4156
Phone: 513-977-4400

Stay in contact with the UW-Whitewater Foundation. Get all the information you need about the transaction and ensure you receive the appropriate tax receipts.

Will and estate giving

A graduate holding red roses stands with a senior couple.

 

Share your legacy by naming the UW-Whitewater Foundation in your will or bequest. You can provide future support to UW-Whitewater with only the addition of a codicil or directive noting your wish to support the university.

To ensure your gift is properly recognized and stewarded, please discuss your plans with a member of our team. We also recommend you complete a Letter of Intent and work with our staff to create a personalized Gift Agreement, so we can utilize your gift exactly to your specifications.

Contact foundation@uww.edu for more information on bequests and to determine the best options for including the UW-Whitewater Foundation in your will or estate plan.

Read stories of alumni and friends who have established estate gifts »

In your will or living trust, you can simply state that UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. should receive a portion of your estate or a specific dollar amount. You may refer to our Sample Will Codicil when adding an addendum to your current estate plan.

Beneficiary designations
Retirement plans offer a convenient option to list UW-Whitewater Foundation, Inc. as one of your areas of philanthropy. By adding us on the beneficiary designation form, you can distribute a percentage of the proceeds or the entire amount. Not only is this an easy way to give, but it is also flexible—you can review and adjust beneficiary designations anytime you want.

IRAs and other retirement accounts
Retirement accounts that are not depleted during your lifetime can be subject to income tax for your heirs and possibly estate taxes upon distribution. Designating these funds as an estate gift can be a tax-efficient way to give.

Matching gifts

Double (or triple!) your impact on UW-Whitewater through your employer’s matching gift program. Your employer may match your gift — or add even more to your contribution — raising support for your chosen cause.

Search your employer to see if they offer a matching gift program!

Gifts that provide income

Support Warhawks and support yourself through a gift that generates income for you.

Through charitable gift annuities and charitable remainder trusts, you can fund our students’ success while receiving payments on a fixed schedule for years or even life. When the annuity or trust terminates, we’ll use the remainder of your fund to support your cause on campus.

There are three primary ways donors generate income from their generosity:

When you give through a charitable gift annuity, the UW-Whitewater Foundation will invest your gift and agree to pay you (or someone you designate) a fixed amount annually for life. When the gift annuity terminates, the Foundation will use the fund’s balance to support the program of your choice at UW-Whitewater.

When you establish a gift annuity but don’t currently need the extra income, you can defer the payments. Deferred Charitable Gift Annuities often offer higher payment rates when you do begin collecting and a greater tax deduction than traditional CGAs.

When you give through a charitable remainder trust, you make a gift to the trust, and the trust will pay you (or someone you designate) for no more than 20 years. When the trust terminates, the trust’s remaining assets will support the program of your choice at UW-Whitewater.

License plates

Be Warhawk Bold with university license plates! When you display your purple pride on your bumper, you spread the word about UW-Whitewater to the next generation of students.

Wisconsin plates are available for automobiles, motor homes, and private or farm trucks.

You can purchase your university plates when you renew your vehicle registration or at any point during the year, and you’ll receive your plates three to four weeks after your application has been processed.

Thank you for your support of current and future Warhawks!

  • The initial cost includes a $15 issuance fee, plus a $20 tax-deductible donation to UW-Whitewater to support student scholarships.
  • At each subsequent plate renewal, you will pay the annual vehicle registration fee and the $20 tax-deductible donation.
  • This donation is collected by the state of Wisconsin.
  • This donation is not processed by the UW-Whitewater Foundation.

Apply for plates now »

Forms

To obtain a copy of any of our giving forms, please contact us at foundation@uww.edu or 262-472-1105.

  • Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)/Automated Clearing House (ACH)
  • Gift-In-Kind Donation Form
  • Gift Pledge Form
  • Letter of Intent for a Future Gift
  • UW-Whitewater Employee Payroll Deduction Form
  • Sample Will Codicil
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