Rising to the Challenge
Friends of Carnegie Mellon University: the Board of Trustees is challenging you to step up your involvement and investment in the university's future.
As CMU enters the homestretch of the Inspire Innovation campaign, the Trustees have come together to create a "Trustee Challenge" encouraging alumni, parents and friends to join them in enhancing alumni involvement and accelerating support for students.
This challenge is being made possible through the generous financial contributions of CMU Trustees, who are acting as "challengers" in supporting the three components of this initiative:
Loyal Scot Trustee Challenge
Become a Loyal Scot and help your college win.
The CMU college with the highest percentage of Loyal Scot alumni by the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2013), will receive a $100,000 endowed student support fund from the trustees that will benefit CMU students for years to come.
Loyal Scot is a program that recognizes alumni who show their pride in CMU each year by: staying informed, getting involved through events and volunteering, and making a gift.
Last year, the Board of Trustees challenged our alumni chapters around the world. The Pittsburgh Chapter won the 2012 Loyal Scot Challenge and naming rights to a $100,000 endowed student support fund.
ACS Legacy Scholarship Trustee Challenge
Help create new Andrew Carnegie Society (ACS) Legacy Scholarships for undergraduate students who need financial support.
Through this limited opportunity, CMU Trustees will provide $3,000 toward the usual $10,000 cost of establishing an ACS Legacy Scholarship.* Here's how it works:
| Year | Donor gift | Trustee match |
| 1 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| 2 | $1,500 | $1,000 |
| 3 | $2,000 | $500 |
| 4 | $2,500 | $0 |
| TOTAL | $7,000 | $3,000 |
The entire gift will immediately benefit the undergraduate student recipient.
For many donors who give through an ACS Legacy Scholarship, the best part is the personal and rewarding relationship with the student. Donors and students often get to know each other through emails, letters, visits to campus and special events.
Donors can choose to support students in a particular school or college, as well as name their scholarship in honor of a loved one.
Contact the ACS team to learn more.
Endowed Scholarship Trustee Challenge
Help create new endowed scholarships that will benefit CMU students for generations to come.
CMU Trustees will provide $20,000 toward the usual $50,000 cost of establishing a new endowed scholarship.**
| Donor gift | Trustee match | |
| Scholarship | $30,000 | $20,000 |
Donors can choose to support students in a particular school or college, or designate their gift to a specific scholarship initiative, such as the Margaret Morrison Scholarship Program for women. Donors can also name their fund and continue to give to it over time, creating even greater impact.
Each endowed scholarship will exist in perpetuity, meaning that it will continue to provide critical funding for students each and every year.
Contact our team to learn more.
Dietrich College Trustee Challenge
Help support the newly named Marianna Brown Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Trustee David S. Shapira and the Giant Eagle Foundation are offering approximately $800,000 in matching funds to support the college. Any gift of $500 to $100,000 made to the Dietrich College Dean’s Innovation Fund will be matched on a dollar-for-dollar basis. For example, a donor’s $500 gift to the fund will be matched with an additional $500.
To further enhance this effort, Mr. Shapira will also direct to the Dietrich College Dean’s Innovation Fund:
- $3,000 for each new scholarship—designated for a Dietrich College student—that is created through the ACS Legacy Scholarship Trustee Challenge
- $20,000 for each new scholarship—designated for a Dietrich College student—that is created through the Endowed Scholarship Trustee Challenge
*Eligibility for ACS Legacy Scholarship Trustee Challenge
This match is limited to individuals (including their spouses/partners) who have not yet made gifts (outright gifts or pledge payments) totaling $2,500 or more to CMU during any one fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Each individual/couple may create only one ACS Legacy Scholarship through this Trustee Challenge.
**Eligibility for Endowed Scholarship Trustee Challenge
This match is limited to individuals (including their spouses/partners) who have not yet made gift commitments (outright gifts or pledges) totaling $30,000 or more to CMU during any one fiscal year (July 1 – June 30). Each individual/couple may create only one Endowed Scholarship through this Trustee Challenge.