The Rising Tide Capital Campaign has galvanized thousands of supporters to align their aspirations for The University of Alabama and unleash a force of historic giving to the Capstone. Now, through the remarkable generosity of UA donors Mike and Kathy Mouron, our wave of philanthropy surges higher thanks to an inspiring and collaborative opportunity.
The Mourons, Co-Chairs of The Rising Tide Capital Campaign, have made an unprecedented $25 million matching gift commitment via their estate to The University of Alabama to encourage additional gifts to UA’s endowment and to strengthen The Rising Tide’s efforts to benefit the faculty, staff and students of the Capstone.
The Mike and Kathy Mouron Rising Tide Matching Gift Challenge will motivate donors for specific gifts to Campaign priorities identified by the University. The match follows the designation of the original gift dollar-for-dollar and will be funded through a planned gift that will mature via the Mourons’ estate.
“We believe there is much wisdom in the expression, ‘to whom much is given much is expected’ – and we have certainly been given a great deal. That said, one receives incredible emotional satisfaction in charitable gifting to worthwhile causes of some capital earned during a lifetime of hard work. We are graduates and advocates of The University of Alabama, and we can enthusiastically support many of the vast number of programs and initiatives offered on campus. Structuring our gift to the University as an integral component of our estate planning was an easy decision for us and one we would recommend others to consider.”
Qualifying gifts and priorities
Only endowed funds qualify. The donor’s commitment must meet or exceed UA System Board of Trustees Minimum Standards for Endowments. The match cannot be used to reach an endowment level.
- Endowed scholarships – minimum gift of $50,000 to qualify
- Endowed program support funds – minimum gift of $50,000 to qualify
- Endowed lecture series – $100,000
- Endowed graduate fellowship – $200,000
- Endowed distinguished lecture series – $250,000
- Endowed faculty fellowship – $250,000
- Endowed professorships – $500,000
- Endowed chairs – $1.5 million
Qualifying Units
The following colleges, programs and units have been identified by the Mourons as those that will qualify for gifts being matched via their estate gift:
Colleges
- Culverhouse College of Business
- College of Community Health Sciences
- College of Education
- College of Engineering
- Honors College
- School of Law
- Capstone College of Nursing
Programs and Units
- University of Alabama Crimson Tide Athletics
- Military-related Programs and Majors (including ROTC and the Office of Veterans and Military Affairs)
- University Libraries
- UA Museums
- UA Early College
- STEM Programs and Majors across all colleges and units
- The Adapted Athletics Program
- The McCollough Institute for Pre-Medical Scholars
- The Shelby Institute for Policy and Leadership
- The RISE Center
- The Capstone Center for Student Success (including First Gen Scholars and the REACH Program)
- Research Centers and Institutes administered by the Office of Research and Economic Development
- The Tide Together Student Support Program and similar programs in the Office of Student Care and Well-Being
- The UA Education Abroad Program
- The Capstone Men and Women Program
Every qualifying gift must be for endowment creation or enhancement and can be made to one of the following entities: The University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide Foundation, the UA School of Law Foundation and the UA National Alumni Association. All gifts, however, must fall within this list of colleges, programs and units to be matched.
NOTE: No single unit may submit more than $5 million in qualifying matching gifts during the first three months of the Challenge.
Timeframe
The Mouron Matching Gift Challenge will run from February 1, 2024 until the $25 million total is met.
NOTE: The Mouron Matching Gift Challenge will be funded through a planned gift via the estate of Mike and Kathy Mouron. Therefore, the matching funds will not reach the donors’ endowments until an unknown date in the future; ; however, please note there is no guarantee made the gift will be available when the Mourons’ estate matures.
Matching Gift Process
At the time a qualifying gift or endowment commitment is made, the donor must complete the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge gift addendum to acknowledge the terms of the Challenge and to request participation in the initiative. The total amount of the commitment, ranging between $50,000 and $1.5 million, will be added to a Memorandum of Agreement for the Mouron estate gift. That amount will then be matched dollar-for-dollar when the Mouron estate gift is received by the University and its affiliated entities.
In the event that a donor does not complete his or her pledge by December 31, 2030, the matching gift will be applied only to the funds received (assuming they are in excess of $50,000). If a donor’s total gift does not reach $50,000 by December 31, 2030, the gift will be removed from participation in the match. Any remaining matching gift funds will be applied to an endowed support fund for the UA Adapted Athletics program.
Related Questions
Do gifts to Athletics qualify for the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge? Endowment gifts made to the Crimson Tide Foundation meeting the established criteria will also qualify for the matching gift. Monies given to Tide Pride do not qualify given the transactional and current use nature of those gifts.
If I make an endowment gift of less than $50,000 or more than $1.5 million, will it qualify for inclusion in the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge? Gifts or gift commitments of up to five years that are below $50,000 will not qualify; however, those above $1.5 million can qualify for $1.5 million in matching funds from the Mourons’ planned gift.
When does the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge end? The official start date for the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge is February 1, 2024, and gifts and commitments to endowment made after this date will qualify. The Challenge will run until the entire $25 million planned gift has been claimed by qualifying contributions.
If I make a Qualifying Gift to a Qualifying Unit, will that Unit receive credit for the Matching Gift? Yes, at the conclusion of the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge, the Mourons’ estate gift will be designated across all qualifying endowed fund, and the participating units that hold those funds will receive fundraising credit for that portion of the Mouron estate gift.
What if I make an endowment gift to an area not included in the list above? All endowment gifts to The University of Alabama and its affiliated entities are appreciated; however, the Mourons have identified those areas across campus that match their philanthropic priorities. Unfortunately, endowment gifts made to areas outside the list provided will not be matched.
Does my gift have to establish a new endowment to qualify for the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge? No. A donor can make a new commitment to an existing endowment at the University or any of its three affiliated foundations to qualify for the match as long as it is to an area identified for inclusion in the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge and is between $50,000 and $1.5 million.
When are new endowments submitted for Board of Trustees approval? New endowments established in conjunction with the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge will be submitted for Board approval when the minimum required for that level of endowment has been met via payments from the donor. Thus, the Mouron Matching Gift Challenge will have no impact on the normal submission timeline for new endowments.
What is the maximum amount I can contribute to qualify for the match? A minimum gift of $50,000 is required to qualify for the match. Any amount beyond $50,000 can be contributed to a new or existing endowment to qualify for participation in the match; however, the maximum match for any donor is $1.5 million. So, for example, if a $3 million gift is made, $1.5 million in matching funds would be allocated to the endowment for a total investment of $4.5 million.