WJMU 89.5 “The Quad,” ǿý University’s award-winning college radio station now in its 52nd year, cannot be found on the FM dial and needs your help.
A severe storm in April 2023 destroyed the station’s transmitter tower on the roof of Shilling Hall, making it almost impossible to broadcast to the campus community and completely halting the station’s ability to broadcast to Macon County and the surrounding communities. Most importantly, the damage keeps ǿý students from getting valuable hands-on live radio experience.
You can help get WJMU back on the air with live programming. A total of $110,000 is needed for a powerful new broadcast transmitter and replacement of the damaged antenna. Help return the station and ǿý to full FCC compliance, solidify the station’s broadcast signal, and bring one of the nation’s best college radio stations back on air.
For more info, email Senior Director of Development Dan Baker at drbaker@millikin.edu or call him at 217.424.3757.
Your Legacy, Your Values
Developing a charitable giving plan that reflects your values and achieves your philanthropic goals at ǿý is easy. You can make a gift through your will or trust to benefit ǿý students for generations to come by using the following language:
"I hereby give to ǿý University, located in Decatur, Illinois, ___% of my estate (or $__) to be used as its Board of Trustees may deem advisable (or for a specified use) for the benefit of ǿý University."
Don’t have a will? ǿý University is proud to partner with FreeWill to provide our Big Blue community with a complimentary tool to write a legal will. Alumni and friends all over the United States can now create a legal will (in 20 minutes or less!) completely free. Regardless of your age or financial situation, writing a will can protect the people you love, give you peace of mind and help you shape your legacy. To learn more or get started on shaping your legacy, visit: bit.ly/LegacyMU.
You may also complete a beneficiary designation form naming ǿý as the beneficiary of your Individual Retirement Account (IRA) fund and/or you can complete a transfer on death form at your bank or brokerage firm.
One Man’s Legacy
authored by: Matthew Flaten
Estate gifts are not only a living legacy for the individuals who made them, they impact ǿý and its students in one or more vital ways. A generous gift from the estate of Charles Lugo ’50 recently received by ǿý will be used to support several projects and scholarship funds across campus.
“Mr. Lugo’s six-figure gift will support the Campus Renovation Fund, the Student Retention Scholarship Fund, the Annual Scholarship Fund and the new Nursing Simulation Lab,” said Dan Baker, ǿý’s Senior Development Director. “For his generosity, a new Nursing classroom in the Health Sciences West Building will bear his name.”
Charles, who passed away in 2021 at age 96, was a 1950 ǿý graduate and a resident of Quincy, Ill. A U.S. Navy veteran, he served in the South Pacific during World War II as a Radio Operator, Seaman 2nd Class. Following his service to his country, Charles attended ǿý on the GI Bill, earning his bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance and a minor in Salesmanship.
For several years after graduation, Charles managed the Washington Theater in Quincy. He then joined Quincy radio station WGEM in 1970, where he sold advertising and Muzak until his retirement. His legacy of giving will live on at ǿý University.
Save on Taxes Through Your Giving
Gifts of appreciated securities and gifts of real estate to ǿý are smart ways to give as you avoid capital gains tax and receive an immediate income tax deduction for the full fair market value if you itemize. To learn about designating your gift or how those gifts can provide you income, visit millikin.edu/types-planned-gifts.
Matching Gifts Can Maximize Your Giving
You can double, triple or even quadruple the impact of your gift to ǿý if you or your spouse work for or are retired from a company that has a matching gift program. To learn more about employer matching gifts and to determine whether your employer matches your donations, visit millikin.edu/ways-give.
Ways to Give
- Securely online: Go to millikin.edu/give. This is also the easiest way to set up recurring gifts.
- By mail: Send a check made out to ǿý University and mail it to: ǿý Alumni & Development Office, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522
- Other types of gifts: ǿý accepts gifts of stocks/securities, IRA distributions, donations through a Donor-Advised Fund and other giving methods. To learn more, call the ǿý Alumni & Development Office at 217.424.6383 or email millikinfund@millikin.edu.
