Annual Gifts | SIU Foundation | SIU

The annual giving program is extremely important to Southern Illinois University. Each year, the annual gifts contributed by alumni and friends of the university help provide scholarships to students, travel awards, funding for research efforts, equipment and other needs that cannot be provided by state support alone. The annual giving campaign is an excellent opportunity for alumni to maintain close contact with their college or department. Annual gifts enable the university to maintain or enhance programs that are faced with limited budget allocations from other sources.

There are many ways in which you will be contacted by the program. Our student callers contact our alumni in an effort to raise restricted and unrestricted support for SIU. A team of about 75 student callers contact alumni and friends each semester in an attempt to verify information, provide updates to prospects regarding the campus and other news, and also to solicit contributions. When you receive such a phone call, please take a few minutes to speak to the student. Your support, regardless of the size of the gift, is very much appreciated by our students. Annual gifts may be restricted by the donor for use by a particular school, department or program or for any specific purpose, such as to establish a scholarship or an endowed chair. Gifts can also be unrestricted, in which case, the funds are used where the need is greatest.

The annual giving program also makes an effort to stay connected with alumni and friends through direct mail appeals. You may have received the fall mailing and/or the mailing labels from the annual fund. You may also have received email appeals periodically for various areas of campus life. In addition, we are striving to develop opportunities through which our students and parents can support the institution.

Your annual support plays an essential role in ensuring students and faculty have the best resources available to pursue their academic endeavors. Any kind of private support is crucial and will have a positive and lasting impact on SIU.

For more information about the annual giving program, please contact Matt McCoy at 618/453-6096.