The Titan Matching Challenge and Planned Giving

In 2023 Illinois Wesleyan University received notification of a distribution from a trust designated for scholarships at IWU. University leaders, in consultation with the family, saw an opportunity to inspire even more philanthropic support. The Titan Matching Challenge was the result. This challenge leverages the anonymous bequest to encourage others to create new endowed scholarships for students. New endowment gifts of $30,000 are matched by $30,000 from the bequest matching fund. $10,000 of each fund is immediately available to benefit students, and the balance is invested in the newly endowed scholarship.

Tom '79 and Leanne (McCoy) Pech '80 know the value of their IWU education and have seen it firsthand in current students through their involvement with mentoring accountant interns at State Farm and Country. This prompted them to consider ways to give back to IWU. "When it came to charitable giving, we could help some students out at Wesleyan," Tom said. The Titan Matching Challenge gave them an opportunity to make an even greater impact in the lives of students through an endowed scholarship, which they funded using appreciated stock. After learning about this opportunity from IWU's advancement office, Tom concluded, "it was a win-win for everyone."

Rod Adams '95 also understands the value of his IWU education, noting that, "the broader education and the liberal arts makes graduates better at broader thinking in any field. . . that will help them thrive when they enter the workforce." Rod gives back to IWU through his service on the Board of Trustees and the Presidential Search Committee. He has also been interested in what it would take to set up a scholarship for incoming accounting students at IWU. "So, when this opportunity came up where someone had committed funds as a carrot for others to make their money go further, it was a really good opportunity to create an endowment that will pay for a scholarship in perpetuity." Rod was able to set up his endowed scholarship using his Donor Advised Fund.

The Titan Matching Challenge was made possible by a generous donor conscious of supporting generations of future Titans. It has generated 16 new scholarships with $160,000 available for immediate grants, and at a minimum of $50,000 per fund, it will generate over $800,000 in endowment funds. Gifts like these ensure that IWU continues to educate students for generations to come.