Concord University Foundation, Inc.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

The Concord University Foundation, Inc. was established in 1974 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose mission is to grow charitable resources, enhance the University’s reputation, and strengthen relationships with alumni and friends of Concord.

Governed by a dedicated board of directors, we are committed to responsible stewardship of the gifts entrusted to use by our many donors.  Through the generosity of these alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and individuals, foundation and corporate friends, the CU Foundation continues to grow to support the needs of Concord University and its students.  Through the generosity of countless donors, the Concord University Foundation now has over $54 million in assets.

An investment in Concord University is not merely a gift to a university – it is truly a game-changer.  Your financial support will impact our students, faculty and allow efforts to improve the physical campus.  Each donation provides opportunities for students, faculty and the community that would not otherwise be possible.  On behalf of the CU Foundation, Concord University and the entire Mountain Lion community, thank you for your support.

Yes. The Foundation is the fundraising arm of the University. The Foundation exists for the exclusive benefit of Concord University. The Foundation’s executive director manages the operations of the Foundation.

The Board of Directors is made up of top business leaders from across the country: financial planners, bank executives and investment counselors, who are dedicated to putting their extensive skills to work for you and for Concord University.

The Foundation offers comprehensive planned giving services and our staff is available to help you understand how the Foundation can benefit you at tax time. Contact the Foundation office for more information at 304-384-6056.

Here are just a few of the options donors can consider as they create a giving approach that makes sense for their financial situation:

  • Direct Support – Donors may make direct gifts to the Foundation to support endowed scholarships, capital projects, campus improvements, faculty  awards or the university endowment.
  • Bequests – A bequest is an act of giving through one’s estate. The will is the most popular manner for making gifts through one’s estate.
  • Charitable Remainder Unitrust – The most popular and flexible type of life income plan is a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT). Cash, securities, real property, or other assets are transferred into the trust. The trustee manages the trust assets and pays the donor a variable income for life or for a term of years. When the trust terminates, the remaining assets in the trust are transferred to the beneficiary.
  • Charitable Remainder Annuity – This trust pays a fixed percentage (at least 5 percent) of the initial value of the trust at least once a year. The payout is constant regardless of fluctuation in the value or trust earnings. In an annuity trust, if trust earnings are insufficient to make the required payments in any year, the difference is paid from trust principal.

You may donate

Art, cash, check, securities, salable real estate, life insurance, personal property

Direct Support

You may make direct gifts to the Foundation to support endowed scholarships, capital projects, campus improvements, faculty awards, athletics or the University Endowment.

Consider a Tribute Gift

You can make a gift supporting any area of Concord University in memory of or in honor of a teacher, student, relative, friend, individual, memorable time of your life or for any admirable reason you would like. These gifts will be administered as you direct or, if not specified, will be added to the General Unrestricted Fund.

Contribute to an Existing Fund

A contribution of any size for the charitable needs of the campus community can be placed in the General Unrestricted Fund or in a scholarship or other established fund that meets your purpose in granting.

Create Your Own Fund

A gift of $25,000 or more, which may be paid over the span of five years, permits the creation of a perpetual endowed fund, with your selected name and charitable purpose. These individual funds are accounted for separately under the umbrella of the Foundation and the proceeds are paid out as determined by the Concord University Foundation, pursuant to the guidelines you specify. Please contact the Foundation Office if creating your own named designated fund would meet your charitable needs.

Leave Your Legacy to CU

You can specify a certain dollar amount or designate the Foundation as a residuary or contingent beneficiary of your estate free of estate and inheritance taxes.

Contribute by Giving Stock Gifts

You may give gifts of marketable stocks or mutual fund shares that have appreciated, which can have an immediate impact on your favorite Concord University program and can also create an immediate income tax deduction based on the assets’ current value.

Give with a Charitable Remainder Trust

You can donate by designating a charitable remainder trust to be paid to the Concord University Foundation, which may be specified as an unrestricted gift or used to establish a new fund in the donor’s name. A charitable remainder trust pays the donor or a beneficiary designated by the donor to receive regular income payments for life or a specified trust term (up to 20 years) and whatever remains will be transferred to the Concord University Foundation. The donor receives an immediate tax deduction for the present value of the gift in the year the gift is made.

Matching Gifts

You can multiply your generosity through your employer’s matching gift program. Ask your employer about their charitable matching program.

Payroll Deduction (for Concord University Employees)

You may fill out a payroll deduction form to have a certain amount deducted from each paycheck to be used by the Concord University Foundation in the General Unrestricted Fund.

Online & Phone Giving

Use our online options in the right column of this page or we accept your credit card donation via telephone: Please call 304-384-6266.

Cash or Check Giving

You can give by cash or check in person at University Point or you can mail your donation to the Concord University Foundation, Inc., P.O. Box 1405 Athens, WV 24712-1405. Please include on the memo line or on a separate sheet of paper the designation of your gift (unrestricted, Mountain Lion Club, area of greatest need, a certain project, or a specific scholarship fund).

Give to a Scholarship

You can mark your donation to be used for a scholarship program.  Click on the links below for more information on our Scholarship Programs.

Link Your Kroger Plus Rewards Card to the Foundation

Log onto www.kroger.com/communityrewards and link your Kroger Plus card to the Concord University Foundation. Each time you shop at Kroger and use your card, money will be donated to the CU Foundation.

For additional information on giving, please contact foundation@concord.edu

Purchase your seat here!

This is your chance to help make a difference at Concord, It Starts With You. Come take a seat with us and leave a lasting legacy at Concord University by naming a seat in the Fine Arts Center Main Theatre. The Main Theatre plays host to a variety of events, performances and traditions enjoyed by many at Concord University. Each year the Main Theatre is visited by thousands of students, alumni and individuals in the surrounding communities.

Supporting the A Seat for U campaign is a generous act of philanthropy that creates a lasting legacy for the donor in one of the most public spaces on campus. This special one-time gift will also take this project further by making renovations and upgrades in other areas of the Main Theatre.
Your investment of $350 grants the opportunity to name a seat in the Main Theatre.

Seats will come with an engraved plaque on each chair and may include the following naming opportunities:
• As an individual, couple or family
• For your children, grandchildren or parents
• In memory of a loved one
• Business or organization
• To honor a retiring employee

At the end of the purchase process, you will be asked for the verbiage to be engraved on your plaque.

An example is as follows:[First Line] in memory of[Second Line] Name[Date] 1969-2017