Giving to Richards
Preparing students for positions of responsibility in business and society.
We take pride in our role in educating the next generation of business leaders. We are committed to seeking funding and building partnerships that will provide greater opportunities and open more doors for our students.
We share a commitment to the principles of honesty and integrity in all interactions and undertakings, and respect the rights, differences and dignity of others. To create the best possible educational environment and experience for our students, we need support from you, our alumni, friends and community partners. Our students represent diverse cultural and economic backgrounds and many are the first in their families to attend college. Annual gifts and pledges are important in helping us to provide much needed student scholarships and programming; however, long-term support is equally important as these critical funds provide for the growth, innovation and rigor for which the Richards College of Business is known.
Ways to Give
The Visionary Endowment will play a critical role in expanding our national reputation for transforming lives and changing perspectives.
Private financial support from our alumni and business community enables us to attract and retain the most talented faculty and students. The Visionary Endowment supports an array of opportunities for our students beyond the classroom to fully prepare them for positions of responsibility in business and society. Your gift will enable us to create the very best student experience and make a first-class business education possible for our diverse student population. The Richards College of Business Visionary Endowment will also be used to fund faculty fellowships, faculty and staff development programs, student research and travel, outreach programs, and other programs as determined by the Dean of the Richards College of Business.
Why Give?
Private support is essential in recruiting and supporting talented faculty and students. Private gifts fill a significant need not met by state funding. Your gift to the Richards College of Business Visionary Endowment will make a difference in the lives of students today and for generations to come. Gifts to this endowment will provide a stable source of funding for:
- Student research and travel
- Faculty fellowships and research
- Community outreach
- Mentoring programs
- Study abroad opportunities
Thank you for your investment in making educational dreams come true.
To make a secure on-line contribution on the UWG on-line giving page, click here. Gift designation as Richards College of Business and Visionary Endowment should be entered in the box. Be sure to indicate if your company has a matching gift program. You will be recognized for the total amount of your gift plus your employer's match.
You'll be in great company with other Visionary Circle of Giving members.
Scholarship Investment Options
Annual Scholarship
An annual scholarship is a tax-deductible donation given before December 31, which is awarded the following year. Annual pledges are made for either a set number of years or until the donor discontinues funding. A minimum annual gift is typically $1,000 (or more) and the contributions are usually divided between two semesters; i.e. for a $1,000 gift $500 is awarded in the fall and $500 in the spring. The scholarship criteria such as GPA, financial need, and campus involvement is decided by the donor who establishes the fund and the university scholarship committee to allocate the scholarship is discussed and decided by the donor.
Endowed Scholarship
Endowed scholarships are critical in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest undergraduate and graduate students. An endowed scholarship is a long-term investment that will provide an annual award to hardworking and ambitious students year after year, generation after generation. Scholarships can be endowed with a gift of $25,000 or more; which is made payable over a 5 year period, and are awarded based on a variety of criteria.
Once the endowment reaches the $25,000 it is invested by the UWG Foundation and the interest earned, up to 5%, serves as the scholarship award each year. These scholarships like the others can be set up by an individual or a group.
Hybrid Scholarship
When a donor wishes to contribute a lump sum to be awarded annually until the fund is depleted or reaches the endowment threshold, we create a hybrid scholarship. Gifts can still be added to this fund and, at $25,000, the scholarship can be endowed. For example, if you or your company contributed $10,000 and decided on an annual scholarship award of $1500, we would award $1500 to the student(s), then set $8500 aside to build toward an endowment. Your company or group could then contribute $10,000 for each of the next two years consecutive years. Each year, $1500 would be awarded and $8500 would be set aside toward the endowment. After three years, you would have awarded $4500 in scholarships and created an endowed fund of $25,000, which could provide much-needed student assistance for years to come.
Learning Labs and Conference Rooms
The mission of the Richards College of Business at the University of West Georgia is to educate and prepare students for positions of responsibility in business and society. Students lie at the heart of any university. However, for the University of West Georgia and the Richards College of Business, students are the heart. Everything we do centers around providing them with a quality education and preparing them for bright futures.
UWG and the Richards College of Business continue to be leaders in providing access to technology to students. Wireless internet connections are available. Conference rooms and student labs are equipped with Pentium 4 computers, high-speed internet connections, and business-related software and databases.
Having your company’s identity associated with a learning lab and or conference room goes beyond merely providing a physical space. It demonstrates the importance of your company to the UWG community, defining a successful company as more than one that makes a profit. The identity of your company associated with these vital and well used resources for Richards College students will raise students’ awareness of your standing as a community partner and potential employer.
Your company’s sponsorship of a learning lab and/or a conference room will be utilized to build the Richards College of Business Visionary Endowment. The Visionary Endowment provides a source of funding for areas of greatest need at the Richards College and plays a critical role in expanding our national reputation for academic excellence in a personal environment. The Visionary Endowment supports an array of opportunities beyond the classroom to fully prepare students for positions of responsibility in business and society.
Gifts to this endowment fund technological upgrades, student research and travel, faculty fellowships and research, mentoring programs and study abroad opportunities. For more information please contact Ketty Cusick at 678-839-4168 or at kcusick@westga.edu.