University Foundation

Why We Give

photo of Hacherl Research and Writing Studio

Impact: Hacherl Research & Writing Studio

The Hacherl Research & Writing Studio was made possible through the generosity of Cindy and Don Hacherl, and their son, Adam.

Carver Reopens with Hall of Fame Room

Enjoy WWU Athletics events, see the legacy of Western Vikings, and tour a state-of-the-art educational program in the renovated Carver Academic Facility.

“My experiences at Western and the individuals I met have inspired me to continue to push my limits. Our world needs individuals shaped by Western values.”
—scholarship recipient Michael Anne Tracy ('16)

Foundation News

Formula for the Future—Endowment Supports Chemistry...

Mark Wicholas (1940-2017) Reshaping the Landscape of Chemistry at WWU Mark Wicholas (1940-2017)Recently deceased professor emeritus of Chemistry Mark Wicholas dedicated his years teaching and as chair of the chemistry department to ensuring that students and new faculty had adequate funding for research and research-related travel. Wicholas joined the faculty in 1967 before student research was a part of the academic experience at Western. He shifted the chemistry curriculum from strictly on-campus classroom and lab focus to travel, research, and professional development, effectively engaging...

[field_image_alternate] Photo of Sculpture Woods.

Artist Ann Morris & Family Gift to WWU will...

Feb. 14, 2018 BELLINGHAM –Noted artist Ann Morris, her son Brook Morris of California, and daughter Clea Costa Van Voorhis of Illinois are providing Western Washington University and its students with an extraordinary gift—14.5 acres of Lummi Island forest that surround her studio and provide the setting for her figurative bronze sculptures sited in the wild quiet called Sculpture Woods. Under the generous philanthropic agreement, Ann Morris and her family are donating Sculpture Woods to the WWU Foundation. In turn, the university is committed to maintaining the sculptures and using the...

[field_image_alternate] photo of Paul Merriman

Merriman Provides Financial Education for WWU

2010 WWU Distinguished Alumnus Paul MerrimanPaul Merriman (‘66) attended Western Washington University to escape the cityscape of Seattle and find solace in a campus settled in the woods. Graduation led him down a path of corporate brokerage on Wall Street and then to the ownership of a large manufacturing firm. Following his first retirement in the 1980s, he turned his acumen for finance into a new career path and founded a financial management firm. As his success grew, he never forgot his alma mater. Upon retirement, he created The Merriman Foundation to continue his vision of sharing...

[field_image_alternate] photo of instructor and students

WWU Secures United Way Grant for Low-Income Youth

Children attending Bellingham’s most diverse and lowest-income elementary schools (Alderwood and Cordata) get to participate in free after-school clubs as a result of a grant Western Washington University Foundation secured from United Way to support a collaboration between Bellingham Public Schools and Woodring College of Education. A WWU student helps kids in the LEGO Club at Cordata Elementary School.The program, spearheaded by Associate Dean of Woodring Dr. Karen Dade, allows children to choose among after school clubs including photography, martial arts, Lego, ukulele, tennis, cooking,...

Together We Can Achieve Great Things

Western students need your help to be successful. Just as you've had mentors and supporters along your life's path, student success in today's socioeconomic and political landscape requires support from everyone: families, communities, alumni, donors, organizations, businesses and Western. Find out how you can participate in supporting each of the areas and colleges below.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Photo of WWU Women's soccer team winning the Division II cup.

WWU Athletics

Photo of line and bar graphs to represent CBE

College of Business and Economics

College of Fine & Performing Arts

College of Science and Engineering

Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies

Photo of the Environmental Science Building

Huxley College of the Environment

Western Libraries

Woodring College of Education

Moss Adams’ Decades of Dedication

Moss Adams’ relationship with Western began in the early 1980s thanks to two key WWU alumni, Rick Anderson (’73) and Russ Wilson (’79), who served as champions of Western at the company. Rick retired from Moss Adams in 2016 after serving as chairman and CEO. What started with a degree in accounting from Western became a long, productive career for Anderson, providing audit and consulting services. In 1999, he became the President and COO of Moss Adams LLP before taking the helm as CEO in 2004. He served as CEO until 2013. Anderson is a member of the WWU Foundation Board of Directors.