Give to Kentucky Wesleyan College

Did you know that 98% of students at Kentucky Wesleyan College receive financial aid directly from the institution in order to pursue their degree?

Investors who make annual cumulative contributions of $1,000 or more to their passion at Kentucky Wesleyan College are recognized as members of the 1858 Society. The President’s Circle was introduced in 2015 to recognize and thank donors. The rebranded 1858 Society continues to celebrate and recognize our leadership donors and features six circles including the GOLD Circle for graduates of the last decade.

All 1858 Society members receive benefits of membership including two tickets to the annual President’s Gala in the spring, invitation to members-only events throughout the year and special communications from the President’s Office.

Founder’s Circle – $25,000+
Trustee’s Circle – $10,000
Ambassador’s Circle – $5,000
Chairman’s Circle – $2,500
President’s Circle – $1,000

GOLD Circle
0-5 years post-graduation – $100
6-10 years post-graduation – $500

Cumulative gifts of $1,000 or more to the College during the fiscal year (June 1 – May 31) qualify donors for membership in the 1858 Society. This includes gifts to the Wesleyan Scholarship Fund or any other College fund of the donor’s choosing.

You can join the 1858 Society by making:

Your gift plus a matching gift from your employer. Ex: You give $500 & your employer makes a $500, 1:1 matching gift. Some even match 3:1, meaning your gift of $250 + their match gets you in the 1858 Society! Contact your Human Resources office about your company’s matching gift program.

A gift of $1,000 outright

Monthly drafts of $83.34

Quarterly drafts of $250

The Minerva Society at Kentucky Wesleyan College recognizes consecutive years of giving by our alumni and friends, no matter the size of the gift. Wesleyan appreciates and values the annual investment of so many generous benefactors, and the Minerva Society symbolizes that. Your investments make a sustained difference at Kentucky Wesleyan through scholarship support, academic programming, spiritual growth and campus life.

Individuals are automatically welcomed into membership once they make a gift five years in a row. To remain in the society, simply continue to give every year. Members are recognized with tokens of appreciation and in College publications at every fifth year of consecutive giving, starting at Year 5. We are humbled to have 48 entities who have given 25 years or more consecutively!

Why Minerva?

As all alumni and many campus guests know, a bust of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, has a prominent place on campus between the Winchester Center and Barnard-Jones Administration Building. The bust was once on the administration building that was destroyed by fire at the Winchester campus. Minerva survived the blaze and was moved to the Owensboro campus. One of the traditions unique to Wesleyan is painting Minerva, which sometimes happens on a daily basis.

Kentucky Wesleyan College has two societies that honor the generosity of donors whose cumulative giving to the institution totals $100,000 or more.

Through these societies, the College honors the extraordinary support of alumni, friends, faculty and staff. Private donors have a vital role in shaping the College’s future, and the Lifetime Giving Societies provide the means to recognize these most generous supporters.

The Winchester Society

Members of the Winchester Society have made commitments of $1 million or more to the College.

The society is named for Kentucky Wesleyan’s second campus located in Winchester, Ky. from 1890-1951. It was at the Winchester Campus that Kentucky Wesleyan admitted the first women as students, that intercollegiate athletics were introduced and that Minerva became a symbol of the Kentucky Wesleyan College spirit.

The Millersburg Society

Members of the Millersburg Society have made commitments of $100,000 or more to the College. 

The society is named for Kentucky Wesleyan’s first campus in Millersburg, Ky. (1858-1889). Millersburg is where Kentucky Wesleyan began classes, held its first commencement and transitioned from a training school for preachers to a liberal arts school.

How to Join

Individuals become members of leadership giving societies based on their outright, cumulative giving over time to the Wesleyan Scholarship Fund or any other College fund of the donor’s choosing. Cumulative giving includes employer matching gifts. 

The Heritage Society was established to recognize the generosity of alumni and friends of Kentucky Wesleyan that have documented a deferred gift to benefit the College.

By including Kentucky Wesleyan in your estate plan, you will join a group of devoted individuals who have taken significant steps to help sustain the College’s future.

In addition to the personal satisfaction of knowing you have made a powerful difference in Wesleyan’s future, properly planned charitable gifts may provide you and your loved ones with tax and financial benefits.

Individuals are automatically welcomed into membership once they have documented a commitment to Kentucky Wesleyan College through any of the following gift vehicles:

• Bequest;
• Retirement Plan Beneficiary Designation;
• Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation; 
• Irrevocable Life Insurance Gift;
• Charitable Gift Annuity;
• Pooled Income Fund;
• Charitable Remainder Unitrust;
• Charitable Lead Trust; or
• Life Estate Reserved (Real Property).

If Kentucky Wesleyan College is in your estate plans, but we have not officially welcomed you to the Heritage Society, please contact us at 270-852-3274.

Kentucky Wesleyan College’s alumni and friends are invaluable partners in fulfilling our mission of education and service. Many of the College’s most popular programs in the arts, sciences, and athletics rely upon annual support. Our academic departments are able to enrich the student experience with curricular innovations, special lectures, and other opportunities funded through unrestricted gifts. Our relationships with individuals, businesses, and foundations provide our leadership with the resources to meet the challenges of running a complex institution in today’s rapidly changing world. They are an opportunity for donors at every level to communicate their vision for Kentucky Wesleyan College.

Each year, Kentucky Wesleyan College relies on the generosity of alumni and friends to provide immediate support for programs. Gifts made to the Wesleyan Scholarship Fund go directly to the programs that matter most to our alumni, students and friends.

Whether donors designate their gifts for a campus, a college, a department, or any other program, they make it possible for the College to provide quality education for every student.

Unrestricted gifts are essential to the continued success of the College. The President, deans, and faculty depend on these flexible resources to address Kentucky Wesleyan’s most pressing needs and create opportunities. These funds are applied to areas with the greatest need, like student aid, new academic initiatives and faculty recruitment.

This annual celebration brings together alumni, donors and friends of the college for a celebration highlighting the impact of KWC on its community and raising essential funds for the Wesleyan Scholarship Fund, directly benefitting students.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, the College will utilize a 7% administrative fee on all restricted gifts. This will allow for most effective management of your gifts and College resources and help propel us forward by stabilizing advancement efforts. This accountability includes our commitment to provide timely gift acknowledgement and receipt, accurate records, management of funds, and efficient disbursement of funds to programs at the College. Unrestricted gifts made to the College for the areas of greatest institutional and athletic need (Wesleyan Scholarship Fund and Panther Athletic Fund) are not assessed a gift fee.

What is the Kentucky Wesleyan College general administration fee?

The fee on gifts to Kentucky Wesleyan College, which are designated for a restricted purpose, is our cost of being accountable to you and each of our investors. This accountability includes our commitment to provide timely gift acknowledgement and receipt, accurate records, management of funds, and efficient disbursement of funds to programs at the College. Unrestricted gifts made to the College for the areas of greatest institutional and athletic need (Wesleyan Scholarship Fund and Panther Athletic Fund) are not assessed a gift fee.

How much is the fee?

Each donation for restricted purpose is assessed a one-time administrative fee equal to 7% (as of 1/1/2021) of donations to endowed funds and capital projects and 7% of donations to current use funds.

Why does Kentucky Wesleyan College have a general administrative fee?

The gift fee is simply our cost of doing business. While the College appropriates operating funds for the Office of Advancement, restricted funds carry additional direct costs for appropriate handling and stewardship of your generosity. As restricted gifts to benefit Kentucky Wesleyan College increase, the costs of gift receipting, accounting, investment and disbursement increase.

Do other colleges and universities charge general administrative fees?

Administrative fees are common practice in higher ed fundraising, and colleges and universities throughout the country make use of these fees to provide proper handling of donor investments. It is not uncommon for these fees to be 14-15% at peer institutions.

Do other non-profits charge general administrative fees?

Yes, though not often identified as such. All non-profit organizations have operating costs and revenue from contributions offsets those. Locally, United Way of the Ohio Valley, for example, typically charges fees of 18% or more to allow for administrative expenses.

Will the general administrative fee change?

The Board of Trustees and its Committees for Finance and Advancement will review the general administrative fee on an annual basis. In order to assure budgetary and financial stability for both the institution and our investors, it would change only rarely.

Can the general administrative fee be waived?

Gifts from private foundations may require waiving of the general administrative fee. Additionally, the general administrative fee may not apply to specific principal gifts to the institution. These will be reviewed and determined on a case by case basis by the administration of the College and its Board of Trustees.

An endowment to Kentucky Wesleyan College is a gift intended to permanently support a college program chosen by the donor. As seen in the graph pictured, our generous donors fund a variety of scholarships and programs at KWC. These funds provide a rich experience for our students by supporting athletics, academics, religion, the arts and more.

As of May 31, 2020 KWC’s endowment was valued at $32 million. It consists of a combination of the general endowment as well as more than 150 named, endowed funds (see below). Named funds allow our donors to create endowments in areas of need that they are passionate about while honoring a family member, loved one or another cause through naming the fund.

We are grateful for those who have contributed to this most essential aspect of the College’s financial health that enhances KWC and our students’ experiences, shaping them into future leaders. In FY20, the College’s endowment distributed 5% of the average fund value over the past nine quarters and is managed by an independent outside firm. KWC’s endowment follows a long-term investment strategy that invests in a 70/30 equity-to-fixed-income ratio.

Helpful links to learn more about endowments in higher education:

• Inside Higher Ed
• NAICU

Named Endowed Funds at Kentucky Wesleyan College

Academic Programming Endowment Fund

Barbara Rankin Scholarship

Ben Abbott International Soccer and Merit Scholarship Fund

Beth (Beeler) Howard ’86 Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund

Bevarly Scholarship Fund

Bishop Darlington Endowed Scholarship Fund

Boardwalk Pipeline Partners Scholarship

Bob and Erlene Himes Scholarship

Bruce Horrell Endowed Memorial Scholarship Fund

C.E. Field Scholarship

Carol Louise Walker Scholarship

Carrie Woodall Baldree Scholarship

Charles D. & Jeanette Bennett Scholarship

Charles J. Majors Scholarship

Charles Stauffer Memorial Scholarship

Charles Venable Scholarship

Chellgren Scholarship Fund

Clay Physical Education Award

Cochran Dorsey Memorial Scholarship

Cora Lillian Coakley and Henry Lewis Moss Scholarship

Crago-Britton Creative Writing Endowment

Dan C. and Elsie Ewing Scholarship

Dan King Library Science Memorial

Darr-Rader-Pfisterer Scholarship

Doug Kingsley Memorial Scholarship

Douglas Reid Sasser Scholarship

Dr. Billy B. Horrell Endowed Scholarship Fund

Drs. Connie White and Arba Kenner Chemistry Scholarship Fund

Dr. Diane Earle Endowed Scholarship Fund

Dr. Edward L. Beavin Endowment Fund

Dr. Ernest Abernathy Scholarship

Dr. John West Kinney Memorial Scholarship

Dr. Paul W. Hagan Music Endowment

Dr. Thomas and Mrs. Rhonda Mitzel Endowed Scholarship Fund

Dr. W.L. Magnuson Scholars Program

E.L. “Buddy” and Martha Gordon Memorial Scholarship

Ed Ryan Lecture Series

Edith Winn Scholarship

Ellen Sommer Purdom Scholarship

Elizabeth Munday Alumni Scholarship Award

Elizabeth Ray and Claude Caldwell Purdom Scholarship

Ellen Bourke Ewing Scholarship

Ellie Magnuson Literature and Science Endowment Fund

Ellie Magnuson Memorial Endowed Fellowship

Elmer Smith Scholarship

Elsum G. Hedges Scholarship

Eugene Minton Memorial Scholarship

Faculty Development Endowment Fund

Faculty Excellence Fund

Frank and Lucille Cox Scholarship

George Bagby Scholarship

George I. Alden Scholarship

George Rives Scholarship

Gilbert P. Robertson Scholarship

Gough-Martin Scholarship

Gracie Brashear Scholarship

Gus E. Paris Scholarship Award

Harold N. Taylor Scholarship

Hart Lecture Series Endowment

Hazel M. Roberts Memorial Scholarship

Helen Hart Endowed Scholarship

Henry M. Johnson Scholarship

Henry Milton and Nell Ball Pyles Memorial Fund

Henry P. Ford and Judith R. Ford Scholarship

Hilton (Lee) Kincaid Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund

Hope B. Scott Scholarship

Irvine D. Daniels Memorial Scholarship

J.L. Clark Endowment

James Graham Brown Scholarship

James and Marilouise Chamberlain Scholarship

James and Shirley Thurmond Scholarship

Jane and Edward T. Watson Scholarship

Jane F. Hartsough Scholarship

Jane Forgy Speech Drama Award

Jane and Foster Sanders Scholarship

Jeff White and Charles Schmeal Scholarship

Jeffery Stein Scholarship

Joan Gray Capps Scholarship

John Jones Scholarship

John Swann Scholarship

Joyce S. Taylor Memorial Fund

Karen D. Fisher Physics-Chemistry Award

Katharyn Spencer Demaree and Denzil Claxton Demaree Scholarship

Kentucky Wesleyan College Athletic Endowment

Larry Nofsinger Memorial Scholarship

Laura Connor Endowed Scholarship Fund

Lee Cralle Scholarship

Lester E. Yeager Scholarship

Lexie Bryant Taylor Scholarship

Louise Kramer Scholarship

Lucille Savage Rogers and Frank Hubbard Rogers Scholarship

Lucy Lauenstein Moss Scholarship

MacHir and Grace Hutton Scholarship

Magee Christian Education Endowed Fund

Major Family Endowment

Malone Gaynor Scholarship

Marcia Smith Lawrence Appalachia Scholarship

Margaret White Endowed Fund

Margarine Bivins Clark Scholarship

Marguerite Haile Dravo Scholarship

Marie Gobmyer Hartford and James F. Hartford Scholarship

Mark C. Hedges Memorial Endowed Scholarship

Mattie Hyams Scholarship Fund

Michael E. Horn Family Scholarship

Midwest Iron Workers Scholarship

Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Snyder Scholarship

Music Ministry Scholarship

Music Endowed Scholarship Fund

Nathan B. Allison Scholarship

Nathan Scott McGaw Scholarship

Osso Stanley Memorial Scholarship

Paul and Gladys J. Osborne Scholarship

Payton Adams Scholarship

Pearl Long Stiles Memorial Scholarship

Powell Peace Award

Pyles Scholarship Fund

Rev. Alvin Gilliam

Rev. Dr. Jerry Allen Smith and Carol G. Smith  Scholarship

Reverend Erskine L. Wade Sr. Memorial Scholarship

Richard and Julialee Brown Hudson Scholarship

Robert C. Dalzell Memorial Scholarship

Robert W. and Alta Moore Basketball Scholarship

Rose Bailey Slack Scholarship

Roy V. Pickerill Memorial Scholarship

Sara Brackett Roop Scholarship

Sloan Griffin Memorial Scholarship

Stanley Reed Lecture Endowed Fund

Sudduth Family Scholarship

Suzanne Ahnell Garden Fund

Talmage and Margaret Hocker Scholarship

T.D. and Rowena Everett Endowed Scholarship Fund

Terry Woodward Endowed Chair for Entrepreneurial Studies

Terry Woodward Scholarship

Theophia Oexmann Fine Arts Award

Thomas Kendall Chemistry Scholarship

Tom Ewell Drama Scholarship

Tommie J. Hillmon Scholarship

Traditions of Excellence Fund

Truman A. Morris Endowed Scholarship Fund

Vicki Lyle Combs Memorial Award for Distinguished Writing

Virginia Harris ”Shorty” Combs Scholarship

Wade Lecture Series Endowed Fund

William D. Crago Scholarship

William “Jack” Turbeville Scholarship

Wood and Marie Hannah Foundation Scholarship

Woodford B. Troutman Scholarship

Wyndall Smith Scholarship

Yu Hak Hahn Scholarship