Foundation & Development: About Us - Western Illinois University

About Us

The Western Illinois University Foundation encourages and manages private support to strengthen and develop programs and facilities to enhance the educational experience for our students. Our vision is to make Western Illinois University the leading comprehensive university in the United States. This will require increasing private support from our alumni and many friends who share this vision for WIU to build on its existing strengths and to meet the many challenges of delivering higher education in a constantly changing environment.

Private contributions, when added to State resources, add an extra dimension of support that otherwise would not be possible. Over the past five years the WIU Foundation has provided more than $15 million in gifts, grants, and endowment-generated earnings to the University. The effects of these gifts are clearly visible in every aspect of University life–

In scholarships that bring the most talented students to Western while keeping a Western education affordable and accessible
In faculty development programs that help assure our students will continue to learn the latest developments in their disciplines; and
In funding for advanced faculty and student research projects, instructional technologies, facility improvements, intercollegiate athletics, and a host of cultural events that represent a vital dimension of University life.