Endowments

Q: What types of endowments may donors create?

A: There are three common types of endowments that donors establish at SMWC.

• Endowed Scholarships—The most common type of endowed fund at SMWC is the endowed scholarship. These endowments provide perpetual annual support for student’s educational expenses. Students depend upon scholarship aid to reduce the cost of a Woods education and trim their post-graduation debt.

The minimum gift to establish an endowed scholarship is $50,000. Gifts may be made over a period of multiple years, usually five or less. See the difference endowed scholarships make in the lives of SMWC students. Read this story.

• Endowed Programs—Donors also provide funds to support academic and co-curricular learning opportunities for students. The annual distribution from these endowments provide enhancement funds enabling SMWC to provide students with robust opportunities inside and beyond the classroom.

The minimum gift to establish an endowed program fund is $100,000. Depending on the program and the donor’s desired impact may require a larger endowment. Visit this story to see the how an endowment has enhanced SMWC’s academic programs.

• Endowed Faculty Positions (Chairs/Professorships)—Investing in our faculty is an investment in our students and the future of SMWC. Building long-term success by strengthening educational offerings through the enhancement of our quality faculty will not only contribute to additional enrollment growth by attracting high-achieving students, but it will bring esteemed professionals to the Colleges and grow our academic teaching environment.

The minimum gift to establish an endowed faculty position is $250,000. Interested in learning more about what Woods faculty do? Read this story about one faculty member’s visit to the White House.

Growth in any of these areas provides additional College operating dollars to be directed to other needs, as appropriate on an annual basis. All endowed gifts may be funded over a period of time. For more information, contact the Advancement Office between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST, toll free at 888-769-0013. Or, email your questions to advancement@smwc.edu.

Q: How do I create an endowment?

A: An endowed scholarship or endowed fund agreement is a simple contract signed by the donor(s) and the College. By accepting the donor gift and entering into the agreement, the College agrees to follow the terms of the agreement when awarding the scholarship, distributing the program fund or endowed faculty dollars.

SMWC strives to match the donor’s passions with the needs of The Woods. Working with an Advancement professional can help you find the right opportunity for your endowment.

Q: What assets may be used to establish an endowment? Or, how do I make a gift to create an endowment?

A: An endowed scholarship or endowed fund may be established with an outright, one-time gift or through a pledge that is paid over a period of multiple years, typically five years or less. For more information about the types of outright gifts that may fund an endowment visit the Ways to Make Outright Gifts table below.

An endowed scholarship or endowed fund may also be established through a planned gift. Arrangements may be made with the College in advance for clarity of the endowment restrictions to ensure donor preferences are clearly defined. For more information about the types of planned or deferred gifts that may fund an endowment visit the Gift Planning page.

Once the endowment is established, anyone may make additional gifts to increase the fund’s value. Outright and deferred gifts to benefit endowments are encouraged at any point in time.

Q: How will I know who is benefitting from my endowed fund?

A: Stewardship of endowment donors is paramount at SMWC.

Donors will receive a report annually that includes the current market value of the endowed scholarship or fund they have established, or for which they are the designated contact. The report will also include the amount distributed and awarded for that year as well as the name(s) of and information about the scholarship recipient(s). For non-scholarship endowments, donors will be updated about the progress and activities of the program or initiative as appropriate.

Our students learn the value of philanthropy before they enter the classroom. Often, scholarship recipients are writing thank you notes before they experience their first Woods course! Our endowed scholarship donors receive these personal notes of appreciation during the fall semester.

We strive to build personal relationships and connect donors and recipients whenever possible. At the heart of SMWC is the individual bonds people have with one another…students and professors, alums, even donors and scholarship recipients.

Use Credit and Debit Cards

Make your gift today online Give Now or call us toll free 888-769-0013 during office hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST. We accept MasterCard, Visa, American Express, and Discover.

Write a Check

Make checks payable to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and mail to:

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Office of Advancement
PO Box 70
Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876

Make an Electronic Funds Transfer

Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) is a convenient and cost effective way to support SMWC with an automatic deduction from your checking or savings account.

To make an electronic funds transfer, download the Electronic Funds Transfer Form or call 888-769-0013 to request an EFT form. Return the completed form to advancement@smwc.edu, or:

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Office of Advancement
PO Box 70
Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876

Gift Appreciated Stock

Appreciated securities include publicly traded or closely held stock and taxable or tax-exempt bonds. Stock gifts to the Woods Fund or restricted funds may be made in any amount and the shares may be delivered to SMWC electronically. Please contact, or have your broker contact, the Advancement Office at 888-769-0013 or 812-535-5270. The College’s broker information for electronic transfer of gifts of securities is:

First Financial Bank, Terre Haute, IN
Andy Decker, Director of Trust and Asset Management
812-238-6234 or 800-511-0045 x6234 (toll free)

DTC PARTICIPANT 0226
INTERNAL ACCT #628-967195
FBO SMWC ACCT #008429

Please include a memo stating from whom (i.e., Jane Doe, Class of 1965) the stock is transferred and that it is for the benefit of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

If you make a gift of real estate, tangible public property, or non-publicly traded securities, you will need to complete IRS Form 8283 for your personal income tax return.

Gifts from an IRA

You may support of the mission and legacy of The Woods by making a tax-free gift from your IRA. If you must take a required minimum distribution (RMD) from your IRA, you may make a gift of it to the College and bypass having to include it in your adjusted gross income. In order to qualify you:

• Must be 72 or older to make a tax-free charitable contribution
• Will need to transfer the money directly from your IRA to SMWC by December 31
• May give up to $100,000 tax free from your IRA and have it count as your RMD for the year

Ask your IRA administrator about making a direct transfer or you may have them send a check from your account to the College. You may also talk to one of our helpful team members at the SMWC Advancement Office by calling 888-769-0013 or 812-535-5270. To electronically transfer funds to the College, please consult a member of the Advancement Office team and use the following the transfer information:

First Financial Bank, Terre Haute, IN
Andy Decker, Director of Trust and Asset Management
812-238-6234 or 800-511-0045 x6234 (toll free)

Bank routing (ABA#): 074900356
SMWC Account: 6957552

Beneficiary: Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Beneficiary Address:
1 St Mary of Woods Coll
Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876

Please include a memo stating from whom (i.e., Jane Doe, Class of 1965) the gift is transferred, note that it is to be directed by the “Trust Department” and that it is for the benefit of “Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.”

Increase your gift’s impact with two easy giving opportunities at SMWC.

Recurring Gifts

Make a recurring gift and increase the impact of your annual gift without having a large impact on your annual budget. This program allows you to choose the gift plan that works best for you. You may spread your annual gift over 12 months, four quarters, or you may even schedule to have your gift recur at the same time annually.

See the difference smaller monthly gifts can make over the period of one year:

To get started, choose the gift schedule, gift amount and date you would like to have your gift applied to your debit or charge card. Visit the Give Now page to schedule your recurring gift and never miss an annual gift to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College again

Please note that you can cancel your recurring gift at any time by contacting us at 812-535-5234 or emailing us at thewoods@smwc.edu.!

Matching Gifts

Corporate matching gifts provide an opportunity for you to double or even triple your gift to SMWC. If you or your spouse work for or are retired from a company with a matching gift company, your gift may be eligible to be matched!

Use our search tool to learn if your company offers a matching gift program in support of higher education: matching gift finder service.

Please request a matching gift form from your company’s Human Resources office and follow the directions to initiate the match. Most companies now provide this information online. Submit the completed form to the SMWC Advancement Office advancement@smwc.edu and our staff will do the rest. Questions? Call us at 888-769-0013.

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Office of Advancement
PO Box 70
Saint Mary of the Woods, IN 47876