Creating an Endowment

Endowed Scholarships

An endowed scholarship is backed by a commitment of at least $100,000, established through contributions of current funds over a period of up to 5 years, through an estate gift, or through a combination of these approaches.

A scholarship can also be created through an estate gift by including the following language in one’s will:

“I leave [INSERT % of estate, $ amount, or residue] to the University of Illinois Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation (Tax ID 37-6006007) located in Urbana, Illinois, to establish a permanent endowment in accordance with established policies and procedures at said Foundation. The endowment income shall be used each year to support scholarships in the College of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In all such uses, the funding source shall be clearly identified and appropriately recognized as the “[INSERT NAME] Scholarship Fund.”

Endowed Professorships

An endowed professorship is backed by a commitment of at least $1,000,000, established through contributions of current funds over a period of up to 10 years, through an estate gift, or through a combination of these approaches.

A professorship created through an estate gift can be established by including the following language in one’s will:

“I leave [INSERT % of estate, $ amount, or residue] to the University of Illinois Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation (Tax ID 37-6006007) located in Urbana, Illinois, to establish a permanent endowment in accordance with established policies and procedures at said Foundation. The endowment income shall be used each year to support an endowed position in the College of Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In all such uses, the funding source shall be clearly identified and appropriately recognized as the “[INSERT NAME] Professorship in Law.”

Endowed Fellowships

While the legal profession continues to see radical changes in hiring practices, recent graduates are now seeking alternate ways in which to start their careers. To that end, the College has developed an innovative Post-Graduate Fellowship Program, designed to launch new graduates into the careers as public interest and government lawyers. Fellowships range from 12-18 months and offer new graduates unique opportunities to pursue careers as prosecutors, public defenders, assistant attorneys general, municipal law attorneys, in-house counsel, and legal aid attorneys across the United States. Fellows build important skills while serving our fellow citizens.

In many instances, the College’s Fellowship Program has started careers in the very organizations we are placing our students. Our most recent graduates have secured fellowships with the City of Chicago’s Department of Law, Attorney General’s Environmental Bureau, Legal Assistance Foundation, Prairie State Legal Services, and many others around the state and country. As a result of the Fellowship Program, our students are gaining valuable experiences working in the center of the neediest legal services organizations in the country.

A fellowship at the College of Law is a partnership between organizations in need, the College, and generous alumni and friends. Fellowships are funded through a multi-year commitment, an outright cash gift, or a combination of both. The minimum commitment to fund a fellowship is $25,000. An endowed fellowship is backed by a commitment of $250,000. 

A gift agreement is drafted to create a shared understanding of the parameters of the fellowship and allowing the College to count the gift in our fundraising totals. As part of our stewardship program, fellowship donors will receive a thank you from the recipient and an update on their experiences in the program.

For more information about how to create an endowment or to explore the opportunity, please contact the Office of Advancement.