General Program Support
There are several opportunities to give directly to the programs and resources in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University that support our faculty, staff and students, from donating to build our journalism department to providing funding for the continued development of the Clifford Center.
Jack Clifford Center Endowed Fund
Jack Clifford, a proud WMU alumnus and the founder of The Food Network and other media businesses, is a generous supporter of the School of Communication. One of our initial major donors, Clifford provided substantial support for the Clifford Center in Brown Hall. The Clifford Center honors his contributions and his vision.
Contributions to this endowed fund support the goals of the center: To provide first-rate media education opportunities for School of Communication students and to collaborate with and engage community partners in projects that advance the community and University.
Journalism program fund
This fund supports activities specifically related to our journalism program, faculty and students. These activities include supporting faculty skill development via workshop attendance and providing students with funds to travel to journalism conferences and workshops. The fund is meant to be an open-ended support option for other journalism-related activities and opportunities that ensure our students are ready for the rapidly-evolving media environment.
School Director’s Endowed Fund
This School Director's Endowed Fund was established through the generosity of Dr. Steve Rhodes, professor and director emeritus, and his spouse, Ann Rhodes, in collaboration with Randall and Lisa Doran, Western alumni. Funds generated by this endowment are used at the discretion of the director of the School of Communication in consultation with the school's executive committee to meet the goals of the school as they relate to promoting, enhancing and improving the school for both faculty and students.
WMU School of Communication Fund
A gift to this fund is a donation to the general endowment for the School. This fund is unrestricted and expenditures from the fund are at the discretion of the school director with the advice of the School of Communication Executive Committee. This discretionary fund is very helpful in supporting a myriad of student and faculty needs and activities. Such funds provide the opportunity to fill in the gaps where other funds may not be available or may be tied to the specific goals outlined in the previous descriptions.