Is there a faculty member who made your Case Western Reserve experience come to life? Perhaps a mentor who sparked your imagination or helped you solve a difficult problem with a fresh perspective? The university’s Faculty 100 initiative—an ambitious effort to hire 100 new tenure-track faculty members by 2028—is designed to help ensure CWRU can continue to attract the best educators to inspire and guide our students. But we can’t do it without alumni and friends like you. Hear from Amanda E. Pinney, JD, assistant vice president of strategic giving at Case Western Reserve, on how you can support this important initiative.
How can I be part of the Faculty 100 initiative?
Consider an endowment. Endowed professorships provide vital funding for research and creative endeavors, and are key to CWRU recruiting and retaining top scholars. The Office of Strategic Giving is prepared to assist you and your financial team in structuring a gift that meets your financial goals while making a lasting difference for our students.
What does “structuring a gift” mean?
Structuring a gift often involves looking at a list of possibilities and picking one, or even multiple vehicles, that work best for you. There are many options from which to choose, including cash, appreciated and depreciated securities, real estate, or even the use of a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
Can strategic giving aid in compliance with the SECURE Act?
In many cases, yes! When the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act went into effect in 2020, it mandated the entire balance of an inherited IRA be withdrawn within 10 years of the account owner’s passing, and included only a few exceptions. This change prompted an increasing number of people to explore options for using their QCD more effectively during their lifetime—including naming nonprofits, such as CWRU, as the beneficiary of some or all of their IRA, 401(k), 403(b) or other Qualified Retirement Plan.
What should I do next?
Regardless of the asset or vehicle, we are committed to working with you and your financial team to find an approach that works for you—and helps ensure our students have every advantage, including top-tier faculty mentors. Email strategicgiving@case.edu or call 216.368.6958 to speak with a member of our team and get started crafting your legacy.
Originally published in the winter 2024-2025 issue of Forward Thinking magazine