Supporting Cadets Through Philanthropic Giving

Friday parade
Friday parade

I am often asked about how to help cadets at The Citadel who have unmet financial needs. The Citadel Foundation has quite a few avenues available for anyone who would like to help.  I asked Lori Tuttle of the foundation office to send along the names of few funds that would directly impact cadets. This is not a complete list. If you have a specific interest I encourage you to call the foundation offices.

Of course donating to an unrestricted fund like The Citadel Fund is always welcomed. The description of the fund can be found on the Donate Now webpage:

The Citadel Fund offers every member of the college’s family an opportunity to support and enrich student life. Unrestricted gifts have an immediate and enduring impact on campus priorities.  By giving to The Citadel Fund, each donor helps to address the college’s most urgent needs, providing the flexibility to support its most critical objectives.

Gifts to The Citadel Fund continue the college’s longstanding tradition of providing cadets and graduate students with an exceptional education in a disciplined environment, deep bonds and lasting friendships, and above all, the ability and confidence to face whatever challenges come their way.

Every dollar makes a difference, every day, in the lives of each cadet and graduate student on campus.

I’ll post a few of the many cadet related Funds here. Each department on campus, as well as special interests, have funds to which you may contribute.

Go to The Citadel Foundation page and click on the red Donate Now button. To find cadet related funds enter “Cadet” in the “Fund Description” search window, or “Academic” for various related funds. You can also select a department or office from the department drop down menu to see the funds available in each department.

The highlighted names below will bring you to the donation page for that fund.

1.       Commandant of Cadets Discretionary Fund

a.       Provides ongoing resources for the Commandant’s department.

2.       Cadet Relief Fund

Provides financial resources to respond to ongoing requests from students who display immediate financial need.  Preference is given to applicants who, without aid, could not remain enrolled through graduation.

3.       Krause Center for Leadership and Ethics

The Krause Center of Leadership and Ethics coordinates, promotes, and enhances the development of curricular and co-curricular programs in leadership and ethics that support The Citadel’s vision to lead in the development of principled leaders.

4.       Academic Endowment

The Academic Endowment Fund plays a critical role in underwriting academic programs at the college. Each year, a distribution of the Academic Endowment Fund is made to the college for academic enrichment opportunities for faculty and students.  A gift to the Academic Endowment can provide funding for:

  1. Research and teaching support for faculty
  2. Academic program enhancement
  3. Technology upgrades and improvements
  4.  Recruitment and retention of students

5.       Career Center Fund

Supports career planning and expanding preparation programs and services provided to cadets, CGC students, and alumni of The Citadel.

6.       Cadet Activities Fund

The Cadet Activities department is dedicated to providing a rich and robust college experience to all cadets. Through an exciting array of programs and events, cadets are encouraged to socialize, donate their time, experience cultural events, participate in clubs and much more. All of this is oriented to rounding out the education of cadets and helping develop principled leaders for our nation.

A rather new fund is the Palmetto Ring Fund. From the donation web site:

Each year, The CAA is approached by senior cadets, parents, or others to ask for assistance in purchasing their Citadel Ring. With the current cost of a Citadel Ring exceeding $1,000.00, affordability has become an area of concern. Confirmation of need varies on a case-by-case basis. The CAA then reaches out to local clubs to help raise the money to assist the cadet in purchasing the Ring. The CAA cannot predict the sustainability of any external, private efforts, thus we cannot plan for those to cover all cadet shortfalls. When all of these efforts have been exhausted, The CAA has purchased a ring using general funds. As the need for assistance has grown, so has the need to create a more formalized process for approving, funding, and accounting for these Rings and their recipients.

The Summerall Guards and other groups also have a fund you can support. They rely on your support to help with their expenses.

To see if there is a fund for a group you would like to support, just enter a word into the “Fund Description” search window.

Many people ask, why give? The following is an answer to that question provided by The Citadel Foundation on their webpage titled Why Give?

The Citadel’s mission is to educate and develop its students to become principled leaders in all walks of life by instilling core values of Honor, Duty, and Respect in a disciplined and intellectually challenging environment.

Accomplishing this mission will require substantial additional resources, together with a continued commitment to efficiency, a focus on top priorities, and a determination to work hard. Gifts from individuals, companies, and organizations provide resources that will be used to recruit and retain outstanding students and professors, provide them with state-of-the-art technology and facilities, and enrich campus life through athletic and cultural activities.

Remember, if you have any questions, contact The Citadel Foundation staff.

The Citadel Family Takes Care of Its Own

The Ring
The Ring
photo by Stanley Leary

Each fall on the campus of The Citadel a ritual takes place during Parent’s Weekend. The seniors receive their hard-earned rings. I wrote about this tradition last year in a blog post, The Citadel and the Fellowship of THE Ring.

The ring for the Corps of Cadets isn’t just any college ring. They have to earn the right to wear it. Unfortunately for some the cost of the ring stands in their way. For years the alumni have stepped up to the plate to help the few cadets who need it.

There is now a fund through the Citadel Alumni Association and The Citadel Foundation  to help these cadets meet the cost of the ring, The Palmetto Ring Fund. The alumni take care of their own and this is just one more example of how they take care of their newest brothers and sisters.

The Palmetto Ring Fund fund and the SGT. Aaron X. Wittman, USA, ’07, Memorial Scholarship fund are two funds I support.  Aaron was in the same battalion as my oldest son when he was killed in action in Afghanistan this year. I had the privilege of attending the burial service for Sgt. Wittman earlier this year. You can read my entry about that experience here, In Memory of Sgt. Aaron Wittman, An American Hero.

I invite you to join me in supporting current cadets in this way. Please visit the websites for: The Palmetto Ring Fund and the SGT. Aaron X. Wittman, USA, ’07, Memorial Scholarship fund to make your contribution.

SGT. Aaron Wittman's tree on Warrior's Walk at Fort Stewart.
SGT. Aaron Wittman’s tree on Warrior’s Walk at Fort Stewart.