Launched in Fall 2020, Forever Deacs recognizes supporters who have established an endowed scholarship or program fund or who have made a planned gift through their estate. Wake Forest is proud to recognize these individuals, who have created a permanent, lasting impact on Wake Forest Athletics.
Forever Deacs recognizes any individual who has left a forever impact on Wake Forest Athletics in any of the following ways:
- Establishing a Wake Forest Athletics Endowment
- Cumulative giving of $100,000 or more to Athletics Endowments, whether for scholarships or programs
- Including $100,000 or more to Wake Forest Athletics in an estate plan.
How Forever Deacs Make an Impact
Depending on your chosen area of support, gifts made as a part of Forever Deacs can help:
- Fund scholarships for student-athletes, including tuition, housing and meal plans
- Increase recruiting and coaching budgets to attract and retain top talent
- Expand academic support to student-athletes with tutoring, books and career resources
- Elevate training and sports medicine, including nutrition and strength & conditioning
Every year, dedicated and visionary Wake Foresters create endowed athletics scholarship funds or add to the funds they or others have already established. Their generosity ultimately benefits everyone who wears the Old Gold and Black with distinction.
Endowments dedicated to scholarships total approximately $47 million in 2023. Our goal in the coming years is to endow all scholarships fully; this transformational endeavor will require an investment of approximately $640 million.
“Wake Forest’s goal to provide a world-class student-athlete experience begins with that first scholarship offer from a Wake Forest head coach. The privilege to deliver that life-changing moment stems from the overwhelming generosity of an endowed scholarship donor. On behalf of these coaches and student-athletes, I extend my utmost appreciation to all those who create that forever legacy and opportunity for generations of student-athletes at Wake Forest.”
John Currie ('93)
Vice President and Director of Athletics
Welcoming new endowed scholarship donors will bring us closer to a goal of creating a one-to-one ratio of donors and recipients of these funds.
That matters because Wake Forest is built on collaboration in everything it does. Just as it encourages teacher-student interactive learning, it is proud to foster relationships between students and the benefactors who make opportunities possible. In the end, all participants become beneficiaries.
“I always treasured the opportunity to spend time with my scholarship donor and sit with him at the annual Scholarship Brunch. My scholarship donor is the reason I achieved my dreams and goals at Wake Forest.”
Emilia Migliaccio ('21), Two-time All-American
Planned Giving Options & Resources
Charitable Bequest
Designate Wake Forest as a beneficiary of specified asset(s) in your will.
IRA Charitable Rollover
Legally avoid taxes on Minimum Required Distributions by transferring up to $100,000 from your IRA to Wake Forest.
Charitable Gift Annuity
Transfer cash or property to Wake Forest in exchange for fixed payments from Wake Forest for the rest of your life.
Charitable Remainder Unitrust
Transfer cash or property to fund this trust, which will sell your property tax-free and provide income for a designated period of time.
Charitable Remainder Annuity Trust
Transfer cash or property to fund this trust, which will sell your property tax-free and provide fixed income for a designated period of years.
Charitable Lead Trust
Fund a trust that makes annual gifts to Wake Forest for designated time period. Your family receives the trust remainder at substantial estate and gift tax savings.
Sale and Unitrust
Gift a portion of property to fund a charitable remainder trust and receive cash income for life once property sells.
Give It Twice Trust
Transfer IRA to unitrust that will pay income to your family for a designated term and leave remainder to Wake Forest.
Life Estate
Gift property to Wake Forest now but retain the right to use that property throughout your lifetime
Beneficiary Designation Gift
Designate Wake Forest as a beneficiary of a retirement, investment, bank account or life insurance policy.
© 2022 Wake Forest University Athletics