Why We Give
Giving Back for Future Students
Dave and Sherry LaCerra made giving back to NIU a priority. A gift in their estate plan will support several areas—from scholarships to athletics. More
University Librarian Honors His Mother With Scholarship
Alex Wenner was quiet and frugal, but gave boldly to the endowed nursing scholarship he established in memory of his mother, Gisela. More
Putting Education Within Reach
Ann, ’67, MS ’81, and Don, ’69, Charleston believe everyone deserves an education, regardless of their financial situation. That’s why this alumni couple is supporting students today through scholarships and by committing a portion of their estate to the areas they studied while at NIU. More
Swansons Help Others 'Raise the Floor' to Achieve Big Dreams
At 3 feet, 7 inches tall, scientist Anne (Barrett) Swanson '70 had times when areas were out of reach. Instead of giving up, she learned to "raise the floor." To provide future Huskies a similar boost, Anne and her husband, David '70, built a platform of support through their estate. More
Celebrating Love With Scholarship Gifts
Knowing how important donations are to institutions like Northern Illinois University, Peter and Trudy Nicholls decided to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with scholarship gifts to benefit NIU students. More
Finney Fund Legacy: Nurturing 1,400 NIU Nursing Students (So Far)
Inspired by the care he received many years ago, Harold Finney and his wife, Janet, established a scholarship to support nursing students at Northern Illinois University for generations to come. More
Alumni Strengthen NIU Ties Through Scholarships
A pair of Northern Illinois University alumni who lived at the same time on opposite sides of Huskie Stadium—but never crossed paths—are proof that it's never too late to forge strong ties that benefit the NIU community. More
Sowing the Seeds for Perennial Impact
As NIU students in the 1950s, hometown sweethearts Carol Mulcay and Arlyn Waite enjoyed all that the college experience had to offer. Carol, who originally came to NIU to study what now is called early childhood education, had instead discovered her passion for accounting and was well on her way to becoming one of the first female graduates of the Department of Business Education. More
Home Sweet Home
Roberta Sell credits the great education she received at NIU for making living the good life possible. Now, she's paying it forward for future students with a gift that will ensure they too have a chance at an NIU education. More
NIU Law Professor’s Legacy Continues
Daniel Reynolds was known by many as an expert in ethics, a brilliant lawyer, scholar and exceptional teacher. He was also known for his wit, humor, breadth of knowledge, and for his love of the legal profession. More
Winners Give Back
Forty-five years passed between the time Bill Taylor graduated from Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC) and the afternoon he stood before a gymnasium filled with a new generation of bright-eyed grads at their commencement ceremony. More
NCAA Golf Championships Benefit From a Rich Plan
Northern Illinois University is to host the 2017 NCAA Division I Men’s and Women’s Golf Championships at Rich Harvest Farms. This May, some of the best college golfers and golf teams in the country will compete for a national championship on one of the best golf courses in the world, Rich Harvest Farms. More
Eunice Schwemm
It was the early 1920s when Eunice Schwemm '23, enrolled at Northern Illinois State Normal School to earn a certificate in teaching. Warren G. Harding was president, and women had only recently won the right to vote. More
Arthur and Sue Doederlein
Arthur and Sue Doederlein joined the faculty of Northern Illinois University the same day they celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. The couple saw their path to NIU reflected in their students' educational journeys and were inspired to make those journeys a little easier. More
Marianne and Leonard Rosen
"Our hope is that each year we give a student the opportunity to get the lifechanging and inspirational education we know Northern will provide," Marianne Rosen says. Their endowment will support students in Communication Studies. "We want to relieve some of the financial pressure so that students can relax and absorb all that the discipline has to offer," she explains. More
Dean Romualdas Kasuba
Former College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET) Dean Romualdas Kasuba's legacy continues today. Current CEET Dean Promod Vohra says that Kasuba "laid the foundation for the college and set the standards of excellence that have allowed it to excel during its first quarter century." Read more about his lasting impact today at NIU. More
Dick Noreen
Students enrolled in the University Honors Program in the 1980s and early 1990s may remember Dick Noreen as the face of the Honors Program. Honors students were his life. He treated them as he would his own children. His office door was always open for students to stop by for a chat. No matter how busy he was, he always took time to talk to them. Even on weekends he could frequently be found at his desk working and chatting with students who happened to stop by. More
An Artist's Vision: A Legacy Lives on Thanks to a Loved One's Generosity
Jonathan Ryan Lee saw the world through the eyes of an artist. Although Type 1 diabetes threatened his eyesight as early as graduate school, he never let the condition limit his artistic vision. When the creative and brilliant young man turned his eye toward Northern Illinois University, the picture he painted was vivid of his home away from home. More
Former Cruise Ship Doctor Gives Back
As a pre-med student at NIU, Dr. Pierre Guibor always knew his education would take him far, but he had no idea it would take him thousands of feet below sea level. More
A Starting Point for Careers and Love
As students at the same high school, Mark and Sharon Adams didn't have occasion to talk very often, but they had more in common than they realized. More
Who's in the Next Booth Over? Humble Donor Benefits NIU Professors and Students
It was a typical winter morning in Amery, Wisconsin-a bone-chilling 35 degrees below zero. Into the Ida Mae Café walked Bill Doyle '59, his face beet-red and his eyeglasses iced over. The 66-year-old found his favorite booth. Wayne Tanner, a middle-aged construction worker, looked up from his breakfast. "It's a little cold out there this morning, Bill." More
A Mother's Advice: Memorable Words Steer Alumnus Down a Generous Path
There are two qualities John Hess' mother succeeded in instilling in her son: gratitude and humility. John says his mother put it best when she said: "Self-praise stinks." Throughout his life and in his career and marriage, those words have served him well. More
The Power of Words: NIU Retirees Support Their Favorite Programs
Avi and Elizabeth Bass have long known the power of words to inspire, motivate, educate, and entertain. That's one reason that these NIU retirees, through annual gifts and through bequests in their estate plans, continue to support NIU programs whose words have brought them pleasure. More
Mother Knows Best
Meet Josephine Korcek, a member of the Greatest Generation. Born in 1917, Josephine dropped out of high school as a sophomore to get a job and help support her family during the Great Depression. More
Opening Doors at NIU: Ellis Scholarship to Benefit Department of Accountancy
Looking back on his time at Northern Illinois University, Jim Ellis, '63 accountancy, says, "I was very fortunate to have good business professors who were very kind to me. They opened some doors that might not have otherwise been opened." More
An Exercise in Giving: Lane-Zimmerman Professorship to Benefit KNPE
Standing all of 4'10", the late professor Elizabeth C. Lane's legacy as a teacher, administrator, and leader still casts a long shadow within the NIU College of Education's Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education (KNPE). More
The Power of One Degree
Growing up as a child of first-generation Americans in Batavia, Illinois, Northern Illinois University alumnus Keith Liden developed a strong desire to give back. More
8.9 Percent Charitable Gift Annuity Benefits Retired NIU Professor
With 90 years of life experience to call upon, retired professor of education Leonard Pourchot, Ed.D., has a gift for telling a great story. Leonard laughs as he remembers his first job offer. More
Following His Passion: Smith Bequest to Benefit the Arts
Lester Smith believes in following one's passion. In his case, that means a lifetime devoted to the fine arts. By establishing two scholarship endowments for the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Lester is able to ensure that NIU students who share his enthusiasm for the arts are able to follow their passions as well. More
Endowments at Work: The Gordon W. and Jeanne M. Huber Fund
While discovering the Secret of the Old Clock and Hunting for Hidden Gold, Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys have held generations in suspense with their tales of mystery and adventure. Those tales, along with other childhood favorites, have found a new home thanks to Robert G. Huber. More
Professor's Estate Gift Forecasts Bright Future for NIU Meteorology
After earning his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin in 1969, Allen Staver had a difficult choice to make. He had been offered two teaching positions: one in sunny California at San Jose State, the other at Northern Illinois University. More
Ridnour Bequest to Benefit College of Business
It doesn't take long to see that Rick and Amy Ridnour have found an enviable balance in their relationship of 47 years. More
In Gratitude, Sue Doody Names KNPE Beneficiary of Annuity
Few people may recall a time in Chicago history when girls were not allowed to participate in organized interscholastic sports. Sue Doody remembers it well. More
Gift "Pays Dividends" for Spirited Huskie Alum
Looking out her west window in Elmhurst, Illinois in the spring of 1950, Margery "Marg" Meenen (B.S. '53, Education) says she could almost see the NIU physical plant smokestack in the distance. Teasing, she says that's how she decided to transfer to NIU to pursue her dream of being a teacher. More
Nursing a Dream
Yu Wang may be a few years older than her classmates, but the age difference doesn't matter in the classroom. With determination and 38 years of life experience, Yu is meeting the challenges of the nursing program head-on. Her story demonstrates how a scholarship can make a tremendous difference in one student's life. More
Update on Two NIU Living Legends: John and Margaret Christiano
Both former NIU faculty members, John and Margaret Christiano have helped shape the lives of NIU students during their time at the university and will continue to make a difference through the gifts in their estate. Keep reading to learn more about their story and how you can craft your own legacy. More
NIU's One and Only Coast Guard Lady
At 91 years of age, Lois (Guenette) Bouton continues to be a bright light to Coast Guard men and women serving our country around the world. In 1939, when Lois graduated from Northern Illinois State Teachers College, she had no idea what course her life would take or that she would gain celebrity status as "The Coast Guard Lady." Even though Lois lives miles away in Arkansas, NIU... More
Retired Professor Dwight King Creates Scholarship to Bring About Social Change
Few of us can boast about working alongside a U.S. president or helping change the direction of an entire country. And while retired Northern Illinois University professor Dwight King has those bragging rights, he's more likely to talk about what his students have accomplished. and raised in Hutchinson, Kan., into a Mennonite family and community, Dwight learned early... More
Sports Fans Show Their Huskie Pride
"Athletics play an important role in building a university." From the moment they first met, Gary ('72, Finance) and Gloria Baumgartner were completely certain about one thing: Sports would play a huge part in their life together. Today, Gary cheers for the White Sox. Gloria is a devoted Cubs fan. More
"I Am So Happy I Did It!"
Sally Stevens' charitable gift annuity benefits her...and her NIU family. If a university could have a best friend, Sally Stevens would be NIU's. She has seen the university through good times and bad, spanning more than four decades. While she has seen Northern grow into a world-class academic institution, she has also witnessed challenges along the way... More
Home Is Where the Heart Is: Donor's Residence to Benefit Students Forever
Janiece Bollie has undoubtedly had her share of life's challenges. She could have used those challenges as excuses for not achieving her goals; but not Janiece. In fact, her trials have inspired her to donate her home through her will to Northern Illinois University, to establish the Janiece Bollie Scholarship Fund. "I want to help... More
Walpoles Help NIU Students Soar: Trust Gifts to Help Arts and Nursing
Barbara Walpole was her husband, Phil's, first passenger after he received his private pilot's license, and she's been his co-pilot ever since. The couple grew up in Arlington Heights and graduated from Northern Illinois University. Now retired, the Walpoles are taking steps to provide for their children and the charities they are passionate about, including NIU. Through gifts from their marital trusts... More
Bill and Eileen Breitzke
Bill Breitzke was an investor. "Bill loved numbers," recalls his wife, Eileen. "Investing wasn't work for him...it was like a game. He didn't care how much he accumulated. He just thought it was great fun." All that fun paid off. Bill was able to leave a legacy, a large part of which he left for students at NIU. Bill earned his bachelor's degree in marketing at NIU in education in 1969... More
Grateful, Proud and Giving Back
John and Margaret M. Christiano established a scholarship to help nontraditional students return to graduate school. Initially established with a cash gift, the scholarship is continually funded from a charitable gift annuity. They know they made a good decision. "NIU gave us the opportunity to develop our academic careers, and we are very grateful," John says. John came to the United States from Italy... More
Ed Odom's "Rock Solid" Gift Creates Endowment for Geology
If you're like most people, you've never even heard of bentonite. But for NIU geologist Ira Edgar "Ed" Odom, the very fine clay material was everything. At his May 2003 funeral, his sister remembered, "Ed could weave tales about bentonite that sounded like romance novels." His enthusiasm for studying rocks and minerals was contagious. From 1964 to 1981 he built a strong program in mineralogy at NIU... More
Donor Spotlight: A Lesson in Living and Giving
"I would like to be remembered as a good teacher who helped many students," says NIU 1957 College of Education graduate Bernice Kirkus. Bernice never doubted that she wanted to be a teacher. It's been more than 30 years since she stood in front of her class of third- and fourth-graders at the elementary school in her hometown of Waterman, Illinois. "I might have been having a bad day, but... More
Northern Illinois University has designated the NIU Foundation as the charitable organization to receive and manage all gifts on its behalf.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.
A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave the NIU Foundation a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.
an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan
The official bequest language for Northern Illinois University is: "I, [name], of [city, state, ZIP], give, devise and bequeath to Northern Illinois University Foundation (TAX ID # 36-6086819) [percentage of the estate or written amount or description of property] for wherever the need is greatest."
able to be changed or cancelled
A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.
cannot be changed or cancelled
tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient
the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation
the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase
the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on
The person receiving the gift annuity payments.
the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid
a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will
the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will
A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to the NIU Foundation or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.
An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.
Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.
Securities, real estate or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.
Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property or undeveloped land.
A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.
You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.
You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the NIU Foundation as a lump sum.
You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to the NIU Foundation as a lump sum.
A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.
A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and the NIU Foundation where you agree to make a gift to the NIU Foundation and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.