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BW Endowment: Gifts that Help Forever
”One of the best ways for donors to make a lasting impact at Baldwin Wallace University is through the establishment of a named, endowed fund.”
— President Robert Helmer
The BW Endowment links past, current and future generations. Our endowment is composed of individual funds established through charitable gifts held in perpetuity and invested in a manner that protects the principal. The investment income provides a stable funding source for scholarships, professorships, program funds, research funds and other special purpose funds.
Gifts to the endowment provide financial stability, encourage innovation and allow for flexibility to help BW move forward in important ways. Since endowment gifts continue to give over time, they ensure the long-term well-being of the University. In other words, your gifts will help enable generations of students to benefit from a higher quality of education, now and in the future.
Endowed Scholarships
Baldwin Wallace has a long history of endowed scholarship support from alumni, faculty, trustees and friends. More than 380 named scholarships provide in excess of $3.1 million each year, helping students attend, persist and graduate from BW. The minimum amount needed to establish an endowed scholarship is $50,000 which can be funded with a single gift or built over time.
- Consider Your Impact
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We ask donors to consider the impact they hope to make through their named fund. The answer often guides their philanthropic investment in BW. The chart below provides information about the expected annual distribution available for scholarship awards, based on endowment size:
Annual amount available for scholarship awards
Endowment value
$100,000
$2,000,000
$50,000
$1,000,000
$25,000
$500,000
$12,500
$250,000
$5,000
$100,000
$2,500
$50,000
Donors may choose to make an undesignated gift to the endowment, contribute to an existing endowed fund or direct their philanthropy in a personally meaningful way to support a variety of initiatives, including:
- Scholarships
- Program and research funds
- Professorships and faculty development funds
- Your Gift to the BW Endowment
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Each BW experience is unique. Our goal is to make sure all members of the BW community have the opportunity to provide endowment support in a personally meaningful way.
We offer a wide range of opportunities for you to carry forward your own legacy or honor a loved one:
- Scholarship endowments create a perennial, targeted source of funding for students.
- Faculty endowments provide direct faculty support including endowed or named chairs that enable BW to attract and keep the brightest and most engaging minds.
- Program endowments to initiate or expand opportunities for students, within and beyond the classroom.
- Unrestricted endowment funds or gifts to existing endowment that support University priorities and special needs.
Endowment funds can be established in a way that works best for you, including:
- Outright gifts of cash or appreciated securities, either all at once or built over time.
- Planned gifts that dedicate a portion of your estate to create an endowment legacy.
- Combination gifts of outright and planned gift support.
As you explore ways to make an impact at BW, we welcome your questions and conversation. For more information, please call the development office at (440) 826-2104.
- Endowed Funds Established in 2018-19
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Dr. Barry Betts Award
Andrew Betts '13 established this scholarship to honor the memory of his father, Dr. Barry Betts. An equine veterinarian, Dr. Betts never stopped educating himself and was always on the cutting edge of technology to improve the lives of his charges. The scholarship recognizes BW history and public history majors to stretch their minds and display creative thinking.
Austin E. Knowlton Foundation Scholarship
Mr. Austin E. Knowlton, also known as "Dutch," was the owner and Chairman of the Knowlton Construction Company, an organization started in Bellefontaine, Ohio, in 1937, whose predecessors dated back to 1906. Mr. Knowlton, through his company, was responsible for over 600 major and significant construction projects throughout Ohio and the Midwest, including school buildings, hospitals, libraries and post offices. The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation was established by Austin E. Knowlton in 1981. The Foundation's primary mission is to promote and advance higher education in the United States and to provide direct grants and contributions to qualified colleges and universities. The Austin E. Knowlton Foundation endowment at Baldwin Wallace University supports scholarships for STEM majors from Ohio or neighboring states.
Rollin '60 and Leda Linderman Scholarship
Rollin "Bud" '60, a retired mathematics teacher at Midpark High School and Leda, a retired elementary school teacher, established this scholarship to support Conservatory of Music students with need.
Debra and Roger Lyons Scholarship
Trustee Debra Lyons '94, a retired Westfield Insurance executive, and her husband Roger, a retired Ashland University coach, established this scholarship to assist BW Conservatory of Music students with financial need.
Massad Family Scholarship
Wade Massad '89, BW Trustee, and Margo Massad Roman '92 established this scholarship following the 2018 passing of their father, Isam, a long-time teacher and coach at Bay Village High School. The scholarship honors Isam's commitment to leadership and hard work while supporting graduates of Bay Village, Rocky River and Westlake high schools attending BW who demonstrate a commitment to student life and leadership and display financial need.
Outstanding Computing Student Scholarship
The Outstanding Computing Student Scholarship was established to recognize a top computer science major each year. The scholarship is supported by the BW student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and with gifts in memory of Ken Weiss, a former instructor in BW's Math and Computer Science department.
Paul and Miriam Pendleton Scholarship
Established by Paul and Miriam Pendleton, the scholarship honors the teachers and other interested individuals who encouraged them to pursue and complete their college degrees. The fund supports students majoring in education who demonstrate true grit, a burning desire to succeed, unique leadership capabilities and who have overcome some of life's difficult obstacles.
Gordon W. Riel Scholarship
Gordon Riel established this scholarship in memory of his father, Gordon W. Riel, who attended Baldwin-Wallace College for several semesters between 1915 and 1916. He took significant coursework in English and foreign language during his time at BW. The scholarship supports students who demonstrate significant financial need and work part- or full-time to support their pursuit of college degrees.
Georgia Swanson Scholarship
Al Swanson '55 established this scholarship in honor of the birthday of his wife, Dr. Georgia "Jo" '56 Swanson. Jo majored in speech communication and theatre at BW and went on to teach in the Berea school system. She joined the BW faculty in 1966 and retired as a full professor in 1999, receiving the Faculty Excellence Award and Outstanding Educator Award during her career at BW. The scholarship supports students majoring in communication-related studies.