ENDOWMENT

ESTABLISHING SCHOLARSHIPS

Contributing to the future success of a student has many benefits that go far beyond the initial contribution. Scholarships open doors to educational opportunities, supporting leadership and academic excellence.  There is a wide variety of giving options. Help us celebrate the journey and impact the future. 

Designating Your Gift

What a donor chooses to support is entirely up to them. It can be designated for any purpose that contributes to Hutchinson Community College's educational mission that is acceptable to the Endowment Association's Donor Guidelines. However, the most useful gifts are those that are designated for where the need is the greatest. These unrestricted gifts offer flexibility. Donors who make unrestricted gifts can be confident that their gifts will be put to the best possible use. 

Annual Scholarships provide a yearly award to students meeting the criteria established by the donor and the Endowment office. The scholarship may be created with a one-time gift with awards being made until the funds are depleted, or the donor may contribute the amount of the award each year. In some circumstances, a one-time scholarship is possible.

Endowed Scholarships enable a donor to establish a scholarship creating a lasting legacy. Few charitable investments are as productive and rewarding as endowing a scholarship. A minimum contribution of $15,000 is required to establish the scholarship. This can be a one-time gift or a pledged amount over a given period of time. The principal of the funds is invested to produce income, and an annual award is made to the student scholarship program. The principal is untouched, which means the endowment can generate funds indefinitely. That fact makes them uniquely valuable to the College, and therefore especially attractive to the donor who wishes to leave a legacy to Hutchinson Community College. 

Gift Agreements

Whenever a gift fund is set up, it is wise to create a gift agreement. The agreement sets out the donor's specific criteria for how the Endowment will utilize your gift. It ensures that the gift will always be used for exactly as the donor intended. It also may set provisions for alternative uses, should it become impossible or impractical for the Endowment to carry out your original intention. (For instance, a given field of study becomes obsolete.) Hutchinson Community College Endowment Association requires that all new funds have a written gift agreement on file. The Endowment staff will work with the donor to draw up the agreement. 

As with any financial decision, we encourage you to discuss your plans with a financial advisor/planner for the tax benefits of funding a scholarship. 

To establish a scholarship or learn more, contact Cindy Keast at 620-665-3565 or keastc@hutchcc.edu