WAYS TO GIVE

As SoLAcc grows and changes to meet the needs of the economy, it is imperative that the College maintains adaptability to meet those changes. Contributions made to the area of greatest need provide executive leadership the flexibility that is often needed in decision-making regarding allocation of scarce resources.

Annual Scholarship

Donors may wish to create and name a scholarship with a minimum contribution of $500.00. Once the proceeds from the scholarship have been awarded to a student(s), the fund is depleted and the scholarship ends. Donors have the option of contributing to their scholarship on a recurring annual basis to ensure that the fund remains in effect.
 
The Foundation Executive Director will work with the donor to determine the criteria for awarding the named scholarship. For example, a donor may choose to create the John B. Doe Scholarship in Industrial Technology for an entering student in a credit program from the surrounding five-parish area.

Endowed Scholarship

A donor may wish to create and name an Endowed Scholarship by making a one-time or pledged contribution (payable over a period of up to five years) of a minimum level of $10,000. Once the minimum endowment level of $10,000 has been reached, the funds are invested for one year. After one year, the interest earned from the funds may then be awarded to the student(s). The principle will remain intact in perpetuity. Funds may be added to the named endowed scholarship at any time.
 
The SoLAcc Scholarship Office will work with the donor to determine the criteria for awarding the named endowed scholarship. For example, a donor may choose to create the Jane P. Smith Scholarship for a student studying nursing with the scholarship available during the duration of their studies as long as they maintain an overall grade-point average of 3.0 or higher. The donor may, instead, wish to leave the determination of the award criteria to SoLAcc.

SoLAcc provides classroom instruction, hands-on training, and field experiences that are unmatched in many higher education settings. As such, the financial needs for supporting these programs vary according to technology needs, equipment requirements, instructional costs, supply expenses, etc. The Foundation will work closely with the donor to identify the area within the College that would best benefit from the donor’s generosity.

Providing adequate financial support for faculty development assists the College in recruiting and retaining competent and skilled instructors.  In order to remain current in their specific field of study, faculty must take advantage of training opportunities by attending industry-specific conferences and peer institution workshops. Faculty also needs access to industry-specific books, publications, periodicals, or other research. Since state-appropriations for higher education have eroded over the past decade and travel funds for state employees are often frozen or the first to be cut from the budget, securing outside funding to support faculty development is imperative. The Foundation will work closely with the donor to identify which faculty can most benefit from the generosity of the donor.

Gifts given to the Foundation in memory of, in honor of, or in special recognition of an event, such as someone's birthday, anniversary, graduation, etc., are a generous and thoughtful remembrance of that person. When you make a tribute gift, the honoree or family member is notified that the gift has been given in their name. (The dollar amount of the gift is never revealed.)

To make a tribute gift, simply include the tribute information as an enclosure or attachment with the gift. Please include the individual’s name, address, city, state, zip, and the reason for the tribute. If you choose to make a memorial gift, please include the name and full address of the person(s) whom we should notify that the memorial gift has been made. SoLAcc’s new Legacy Tree is an excellent way to make a tribute gift.

Did you know you can double your donation to SoLAcc through our matching donation program? Many employers sponsor a corporate matching gift program that allows you to double, triple or quadruple the amount of your gift. Matching gift programs are not always limited to the corporate employee; they are often also available to widows/widowers of the employee and retirees. The impact of your gift can grow considerably when tied to a matching contribution from an employer.

To find out whether your or your spouse's employer offers a matching gift, you can:

• Contact your employer directly
• Speak to the Foundation Executive Director, at 337-521-9026 or foundation@solacc.edu. 
• Search our Double the Donation matching gift database

If your company is a matching gift employer, request that they provide you with a matching gift form. Once you have completed the form, please submit it along with your gift to the Foundation for SoLAcc, 1101 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette, LA 70506.

Planned gifts or planned giving is another way to support the Foundation and often enables the donor to make a larger gift than normally might be made through annual income such as wages. A planned gift may be made during one’s lifetime or at their death as part of an estate plan. Planned gifts may come in the form of appreciated stock, real estate or proceeds from a life insurance policy, an IRA beneficiary designation or a retirement plan designation. It is important that the donor notify the Foundation of the gift to ensure that it will meet the criteria of the Foundation’s Gift Acceptance Policy.
 
The donor is encouraged to discuss the planned gift with a qualified charitable gift planner or other professional advisor to determine the most appropriate gift that will meet their needs as well as the goals of South Louisiana Community College.

There are many naming opportunities for individuals, businesses and corporations interested in attaching their name to a building, laboratory, classroom, study area, or other area. Your investment will go towards program equipment and furnishings, technology, building maintenance fund, endowed scholarships, and capacity building.
 
Naming opportunities can be made with an outright gift paid in full or as a pledge payable over three years. Current naming opportunities include the following:

Health & Sciences Building (Lafayette Campus)

Evangeline Campus (St. Martin Parish)