Kansas Wesleyan announces $700K gift from former trustee's estate
Kansas Wesleyan University announced a $700,000 donation from the estate of a community member of Salina and the school.
The gift comes from Gretchen Morgenstern, a former member of the KWU board of trustees who died in 2022.
The university said it believes this gift to be one of the 10 largest single gifts from an individual in school history.
“We are extremely appreciative of this generous gift,” said Ken Oliver, KWU’s executive vice president of advancement and university operations. “KWU was just a small part of what Gretchen Morgenstern gave to the community, and we are truly grateful to have been a recipient of her service. She clearly was an individual dedicated to serving her community, and that is worthy of enduring respect.”
According to KWU, Morgenstern was a well-known member of the community who dedicated much of her time to service work within that community.
More: Kansas Wesleyan will hold Christmas by Candlelight at Stiefel Theatre this year
KWU said she fostered 75 children in a 12-year period and served as both the vice president and treasurer of the Saline County Foster Parent Association.
Additionally, she served as board chair for Youthville, a Kansas nonprofit, board president for the Salina YWCA and president of the Salina Chapter of the American Association of University Women.
Finally, the school said Morgenstern was a lifelong member of the First United Methodist Church in Salina.
According to the school, the $700,000 gift will become a part of the university's endowment and be used to fund additional student scholarships. This gift also raises the total for the school's Power of AND Campaign to nearly $34 million.
This article originally appeared on Salina Journal: Kansas Wesleyan receiving $700K gift from former board member's estate
