@ the Heart of It: Donor "Q & A"
As a mission-driven institution focused on its learners and their desire to make a difference, Union Institute & University has been fortunate to be able to attract learners, faculty, and staff who see our mission and vision in practice on a daily basis. Our success relies upon and is evident in the generations of highly motivated adults who have taken what they learned here and turned it into a life of learning and service. Each learner who graduates is proof that we, as a community, are living our mission.
Just as Union is one of more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States, it is also one of several hundred thousand not-for-profit organizations that seek private funding and donations every year to keep tuition costs low, enrich and grow quality academic programs, and provide much-needed scholarships. So why give to Union? We’ve asked Union’s donors to answer that question—explaining why they give back to the university and how their donations will make a difference in the lives of others.
We thank Dr. Virginia Wiltse, UI&U alumna and current member of the Board of Trustees, for taking the time to speak with us for this first installment of “@UI&U: Donor Q&A.”
Dr. Virginia Wiltse is a graduate of UI&U’s doctoral program in interdisciplinary studies and is director of development at Seton High School, a parochial secondary school for girls, as well as the director and vice president of Care Response Madagascar Foundation, a locally-based organization that provides extensive relief efforts to Madagascar. Dr. Wiltse also serves on the UI&U Board of Trustees as a member of the Advancement Committee, Finances Committee, and chair of the Human Resources Committee.
@UI&U: As a graduate of UI&U and a current member of the UI&U Board of Trustees, you have several strong ties to the university. However, you are also deeply involved with several other very worthy and active nonprofits. Why do you choose to give UI&U?
VW: I give to UI&U because, as a learner, I was well-served by this university. I was intellectually challenged here, my thinking matured, and my life was transformed by my UI&U studies. I give to UI&U for the same reason that I accepted the invitation to become a member of the UI&U Board of Trustees: I believe in the UI&U model, and I want to make sure it remains available to others.
@UI&U: How do you see your donation making a difference at UI&U?
VW: Tuition dollars simply do not cover the cost of operating the university. This is true for any private educational institution. If I – and others who have benefited from a UI&U education – do not give to UI&U, the university will not have the resources to spread the word to prospective learners who can benefit from its programs. Without my donation and the donations of others, the university will not be able to expand its programs or create new and better offerings. So I see my donation as important both for the survival of the university and for ensuring that others will be able to benefit from Union as I have.
@UI&U: Being a development director for a nonprofit, you have seen firsthand how financial support can lay the foundation for organizations to touch so many lives, both for the organization’s constituents and for the greater community. What do you think propels our donors to give to Union, and how does that impact our local and national communities?
VW: A lot of charitable giving is a response of the heart. My own UI&U experience touched me deeply. One reason that alums like myself give is because we are giving back to an institution that nourished us. Another reason donors give to UI&U is because we see that this university makes higher learning available to many people who could not access it otherwise, and our society is better for this. Of course, the UI&U model is distinctive because of its focus on service and social relevance. This is attractive to donors like me, too. That kind of training prompts one to ask very important questions, such as “How can I contribute to my local, national, and global communities?”-- and to search for the answers.
@UI&U: In what ways do you think individual donors personally benefit from giving?
VW: When you give to an organization or a cause you believe in, you unite your personal resources to a mission and vision that are bigger than yourself. I think this is not only healthy but actually critical to becoming an emotionally mature adult. Goals that transcend self-interest are satisfying because they acknowledge our individual responsibility to seek the good of the whole rather than just our own best interests.
@UI&U: How do you think your gifts to UI&U can encourage others to give?
VW: When I give to UI&U, I am speaking through my actions. My gift says that I believe in the UI&U model of delivering higher education to adults in a flexible, interdisciplinary, and socially relevant way. My gift is not only an investment in UI&U but also an example to others.