Gift Cart
Thank you for your willingness to support MU Extension. To direct your gift to a specific fund, choose from the options below. To make a gift to be applied to MU Extension’s area of greatest need, select the Excellence in Extension Fund.
Contributions to the Excellence in Extension Fund allow extension to support special opportunities for faculty, staff and volunteers to uphold the objectives of the organization. Opportunities may include chances to advocate at the national level for additional support of the land-grant mission, approval for special projects, and professional development or training for extension faculty.
Endowment funds are established for specific purposes, such as enhancing community development, supporting innovative programming efforts, or providing faculty and staff professional development opportunities. Read more about each one (You will not leave this page.)
These funds support the long-term viability of extension services at the county level. Not every county has established an endowment fund.
What's the difference between a gift fund and an endowment fund?
Contributions are available to local faculty to use for programming efforts and special projects. Not every county has a gift fund.
After selecting a fund, click next to continue. If you wish to give to more than one fund, you will be able to add another gift to your cart.
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Many people desire to be part of making their community and state a better place. There is pride in being an investor in programs that are relevant, reliable and responsive to people in your county and in Missouri. There are many ways to make a positive difference. Two are through making financial gifts and contributions to endowments.
Gifts are donations of money, tangible items, volunteer time or other valuable resources that can be used immediately to support the mission of University of Missouri Extension in the short run (one or two years).
Endowments are a long-term funding strategy whose proceeds are designated to be used for a specific purpose. The money put into this fund — the corpus — will be part of the fund forever to earn interest and grow. Only the earnings portion of the endowment will be spendable. The earnings are generally distributed monthly within a year of starting an endowment, or the endowment decision-makers can choose to put the earnings into the endowment. The larger the corpus, the more earnings it can generate — earnings that will be available in the future to support more significant programming.
Advantages
MU Extension has identified the following six strategic initiatives that focus on important societal concerns. Strengthening our ability to providing programming addressing these concerns will position us to best serve the needs of Missourians for the next 100 years.
The Excellence in Extension Fund supports MU Extension’s area of greatest need.
The Childhood Educational Attainment Fund supports programs designed to develop science-savvy, contributing and caring citizens through 4-H youth development.
The Environmental Conservation Fund supports educational programs that promote wise use of natural resources, with an emphasis on biotechnology, sustainable energy, and soil and water conservation.
The Community, Economic and Workforce Development Fund supports programs and services aimed at keeping businesses competitive, training employed and unemployed workers, and developing community infrastructure.
The Global Human Health Fund supports programs that address the issues of community health, food and nutrition education, and chronic disease management.
The Global Food Systems Fund supports programs that aim to boost agricultural production, support a safer food supply, and make nutritious foods attainable by all.
The C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship Fund awards an annual fellowship to an MU faculty member whose accomplishments advance the land-grant mission through extension, international education or agricultural economics programs.
The Carl N. Scheneman Excellence in Teaching Award makes an annual award to select staff members based on their teaching activities in the preceding 12 months.
The Community Development Extension Endowment Fund supports MU Extension community and economic development activities.
The Daniel J. (Duke) McVey Labor Research Endowment Fund funds approved research projects in the MU Labor Education Program.
The Dr. Ronald J. Turner Endowed Fund provides support for global educational opportunities for MU Extension faculty and staff.
The Missouri Cooperative Extension Service Endowment allocates monies to county extension councils and MU schools, colleges, divisions and departments in support of extension programs and projects.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Endowment supports the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which offers educational programs for people age 50 and over.
The Pat and Tom Buchanan Endowed Fund supports professional development of MU Extension faculty, with preference given to off-campus business development and human environmental sciences specialists.
The UMEA Professional Development Endowment enables University of Missouri Extension Association members to pursue professional development opportunities.
The Wayne L. Atkins University Extension Middle Managers Professional Improvement Endowment supports MU Extension middle managers or select others in developing or pursuing professional development, with an emphasis on persons responsible for field staff supervision.
The Willis E. Davis Memorial Endowment, also called the MCES Butler County Endowment Fund, supports MU Extension programs in Butler County.
The Harvey S. and Hattie I. Martin Endowment Fund supports MU Extension programs in Lincoln County.
The Frank Graham University of Missouri Extension Council Boone County Building Endowment provides the MU Extension program in Boone County with funds to maintain and improve its facilities.
The MCES Clinton County Endowment allocates monies to county extension councils and MU schools, colleges, divisions and departments in support of extension programs and projects in Clinton County.
The Louie and Thelma Van Buren Endowment supports the Clinton County Extension Council's human environmental sciences or youth specialist position, or both, depending on need.
The W.C. and Juanita Wombles Endowment Fund supports MU Extension work in Livingston County.