Campus Campaign 2003-04:
Planned gifts offer promise
for the future

Every day, Cecilia Wendler gives of her talent through her work as a UW-Eau Claire associate professor of nursing. But she wants to be sure her contributions to her profession won’t stop when she’s no longer around.

“My professional work is an expression of my creative energy in the world and constitutes my legacy to the nursing profession,” Wendler said. “Since I’ve dedicated most of my academic career to the wonderful community of UW-Eau Claire, I would want that work to continue after my death.”

Wendler is among a number of UW-Eau Claire faculty and staff who have participated in the university’s Campus Campaign by making planned gifts through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.

“For many donors, planned gifts provide the best way to balance their charitable giving goals with the need to meet their many other financial obligations,” said Heidi Fisher, the Foundation’s director of annual giving and donor relations.

Planned gifts are an important part of the “mix” of contributions to the Foundation for the university’s people and programs, Fisher said. “These types of gifts are critical because they provide specific departments and programs with means to plan for the future.” (Find out more about planned giving.)

Cecilia Wendler

Wendler said planned giving offers a way to balance her philanthropic desire with the need to support her dependent children in the event of her death. Through her giving plans, Wendler has designated 5 percent of her estate, by way of a life insurance policy, for the School of Nursing’s advancement fund through the UW-Eau Claire Foundation. Because she sees many needs in the school go unmet, she hopes her planned gift will help faculty and staff meet such needs in the future.

“The Nursing Advancement Fund supports such activities as the yearly scholarship banquet, the holiday party and shared responsibility for the annual Sigma Theta Tau Research Day,” Wendler said. “I want to see all these lovely traditions continue at the School of Nursing long after I’m gone.”

Linda Haag, program assistant in the School of Education’s associate dean’s office, and her husband, Chuck, also have made gift plans that include UW-Eau Claire.

“A planned gift seems a great way to ensure that whatever assets remain in your estate are handled as you would want them handled,” Haag said. “We believe if you don’t plan, things just don’t happen!”

Linda Haag

The Haags have earmarked a portion of their estate to support a scholarship for classified staff. The gift is intended to sustain and strengthen the quality of UW-Eau Claire’s support staff, said Haag, a member of the classified staff for almost 37 years. She noted that supporting staff members’ efforts to complete coursework for job enhancement or for personal development becomes more difficult during fiscally challenging times at the university.

“I earned a degree at UW-Eau Claire in 1978, entirely while working full time,” Haag said. “This type of support is thus near and dear to my heart. This is just a small way to hopefully make a lasting impact on an institution that’s been a big part of my entire adult life.”

Ida Hinz, professor emerita of physical education, decided a planned gift of insurance was the way to continue her support for what she valued most during her 34-year career at the university: promoting the importance of physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Ida Hinz teaching a 1960s-era first aid class

Hinz’s $24,000 planned gift will endow the Dr. Ida Hinz Physical Education Fund, which was established by students at her retirement in 1983. The fund will provide an annual $1,000 scholarship for a UW-Eau Claire student preparing for a teaching career in physical education.

In determining the criteria for the scholarship, Hinz said it was important that her support go to future physical education teachers who will focus on teaching students “physical fitness and things they can do for the rest of their lives. I want to support the teaching and learning of lifetime activities.”

Read more about making a planned gift to the UW-Eau Claire Foundation.