More Donor Stories

The story of Sun Ultimate Frisbee, a 501(c)(3) organization that established an endowed scholarship through the Truman State University Foundation, began when a group of alumni friends gathered over a meal.

The peers developed a friendship during the early 2000s while participating on the men’s (JujiTSU) and women’s (TSUnami) ultimate frisbee teams. The group saw a need for an organizing body of college-level ultimate frisbee tournaments. Soon after, Sensei Ultimate was born, which was later renamed Sun Ultimate Frisbee.

The Sensei Alumni Ultimate Frisbee Endowed Scholarship is designated to support students participating on either the men’s or women’s ultimate frisbee team with financial need who demonstrate leadership, inclusion, sportsmanship, selflessness and player/team development.

Alumni donors are more important than ever to ensuring Truman’s tradition of excellence continues. Every year, thousands of alumni contribute back to their alma mater supporting scholarships, academic departments, athletics and more. Regardless of the size of the contribution, these gifts enhance the quality of the Truman experience for students and help build for the future.

While it’s certainly true that donations of all sizes make a big difference, that is a message that can be hard to communicate – especially to younger alumni. Unfortunately, the more time that passes after graduation, the less likely an alum is to give back at all. And those who do give back longer after graduating tend to give less than those who start giving back right after college

In less than the allotted five years, Truman surpassed the $40 million goal in its “Pursue the Future” fundraising campaign. At the Truman State University Foundation Banquet, April 14, 2018, a surprise announcement revealed the campaign exceeded its original goal.

“I am grateful for each and every gift commitment that has been made during this campaign. It takes every single gift to reach a stretch goal,” said Charles Hunsaker, interim director for advancement. “With roughly seven years invested in this campaign, counting pre-campaign planning, it is so gratifying for our staff and volunteers to have surpassed this significant goal.”

Celebrating the Past, Pursuing the Future

The sesquicentennial year has been a great way to look back on the University’s history and celebrate the people, milestones and events that have shaped Truman. The 150th anniversary has also fueled a passion to build for the future – to ensure current and future Bulldogs have the same life-changing opportunities as the alumni who have gone before them. Two major fundraising efforts have centered around Truman’s special year: the 1867 Challenge and the renovation of Sesquicentennial Plaza.

“Pursue the Future” Campaign Tracking Toward a Successful Conclusion

With less than six months remaining in the campaign, more than $38.1 million of the $40 million goal has been generously donated/pledged by alumni, parents and friends of Truman. Gift commitments are supporting the four campaign priorities of: Scholarships, Faculty, Development/Academic Program Support, Athletics and Mission Enhancement/Truman Fund for Excellence.

The vision of the late Charles McClain, who served as president of Truman State University from from 1970 to 1989, has played a major role in shaping the University we know today. He strove to ensure Truman would support the intellectual and personal development of talented young men and women. To help achieve this goal, he created the General John J. Pershing Scholarship in 1974. Thanks to donors like Jeff and Deanna Burns, the endowment is now able to support one Pershing Scholar who will receive the distinction of being named the Charles J. McClain Pershing Scholar.

The first annual Charles J. McClain Pershing Scholar was announced at the annual Pershing Reception on campus. Judge Ann Covington, widow of Dr. McClain, presented the award to Jacob Fallman, a senior from Oak Grove, Mo.

The University, founded by Joseph Baldwin in 1867, will be celebrating its sesquicentennial this year. The 150 year milestone also provides an opportunity for alumni and friends to provide financial support to help support the next 150 years and beyond.

To enhance the celebration activities, Mike (’85) and Janet (’84) McClaskey of Castle Pines, Co., have designated $25,000 from their overall cash commitment of $100,000 to be used as a challenge gift for the sesquicentennial year. Mike, who is currently serving as the president of the Foundation Board of Directors, knows the importance private support will play in Truman’s future. He and Janet hope their challenge gift will encourage alumni and friends to join the pursuit.

In January 2017, Jennifer (’92, ’93) and Denis Austin made a $90,000 pledge in support of Truman State University’s School of Business. Jennifer, who received a bachelor and Master’s degree from Truman, is a partner at KPMG. She is working with colleagues to create a KPMG Excellence Fund. This new fund will provide multipurpose funding to strengthen Truman’s accounting program.

Personal setback struck Paul Garnett (’73) when the would-be starting point guard for the Bulldogs blew out his knee at the beginning of the ’70-’71 basketball season. Unfortunately for the two-sport athlete, a string of injuries would keep him off of the court, as well as the baseball field, for much of his college career. However, through a generous provision in their will, Paul and his wife, Alicia (’74), are ensuring that Truman’s rich athletic heritage will thrive.

Tiffany Shearer’s entire future, not to mention her ambition of attending college, was suddenly in peril when her mother abandoned her in 2012 at the start of her senior year at Affton High School.

“She said she was leaving to go on a three-week business trip and never returned home. The fact that my father has never been a part of my life, and my grandma had recently passed away, I really didn’t have any family or financial support,” Shearer said. Getting through her senior year was physically, mentally and emotionally draining.

An elevator pitch outlines the concept or idea for a product, service or project in a short period of time, typically from 30 seconds to three minutes. The length of the pitch mirrors the time spent waiting for and riding an elevator in a high-rise building. The purpose of the pitch is to spur the interest of a potential investor or financial backer.

Bulldog B.I.T.E., which stands for Business Innovation by Truman Entrepreneurs, allowed participants to pitch a for-profit or not-for-profit concept. Judges selected six teams to attend the live pitch competition in March in St. Louis to present their product to an alumni panel. Contestants were judged based on the problem, product/service solution, market, competition, value creation, seed money, a Q&A session and the presentation of the project.

With the goal of facilitating increased cultural exchange between his native country and the United States, Chi Cheung and his wife Candace are providing an annual gift of $10,000 to the Foundation to support interns from Truman.

After immigrating from his ancestral home in Da Tian in the People’s Republic of China, Cheung built a successful community-based business in Jefferson City, Mo. In addition to their support of Truman, the Cheungs have a well-established history of philanthropic endeavors. They previously financed the building of a school in Chi’s rural hometown in the mountains of western China. In the fall of 2014, Truman students Michael Fentress and Summer Santos received the Cheung Annual Scholarship for the Truman EFL Internship in China and spent the semester teaching English at the school.

Pyung and Sue Han of Mountain View, Calif., made a contribution of $25,000 to establish the Dr. and Mrs. Pyung E. Han Scholarship.
Designed to support high-achieving business administration students with financial need, the Han’s hope this scholarship will allow exceptional students the opportunity to attend Truman and develop extraordinary leadership skills. The scholarship will be available for upper-class business administration students who are already active in community and/or extracurricular activities and have demonstrated leadership.