How Does it Work?

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How does it work?

Members' donations are deposited into a restricted fund.  Faculty, staff and students are invited to apply for funding from the WKU Sisterhood.  The full membership of the group votes on distribution of the funds at the annual business luncheon each fall.  Each member has one vote.

Membership Levels

Each member commits to a gift of $1,000 per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Your gift may be paid through a one-time amount or installments made throughout the fiscal year (monthly/quarterly/biannually), whichever is most convenient for you.

Additional membership levels:
The Junior Membership Level is a commitment of $500 per fiscal year (July 1 to June 30). Junior Memberships are available to women who are age 35 and under or within five years of the date of the member's most recent degree was conferred. Individuals are only eligible for Junior Memberships for two consecutive years with the expectation they will continue their membership in the WKU Sisterhood.

The Lifetime Membership Level is a one-time commitment of $25,000. Payment of a Lifetime Membership pledge may be made over a maximum of 10 years, with a minimum payment of $2,500 paid each year beginning the calendar year the pledge is made. The initial $1,000 of a Lifetime Membership pledge shall be allocated to the grant funds available to be disbursed during the calendar year in which the initial contribution is received, with the remaining balance thereof to be allocated to the permanent WKU Sisterhood endowment. Previous contributions are not eligible to be counted towards a Lifetime Membership pledge. Lifetime Members shall not be required to contribute annually after payment or pledge qualification to maintain membership in the WKU Sisterhood. During the period of the pledge, the Lifetime Member must keep her Lifetime Membership pledge in current status to have no annual dues requirement and to maintain her status as a Lifetime Member.

For more information on how to become a member, please contact Aarika Gunn at sisterhood@wku.edu.

To become a member today, please click here.

How are funds awarded and tracked?

The full membership body of the WKU Sisterhood votes on distribution of the funds.  Award recipients are required to either make a short presentation at the annual business luncheon or to provide a written annual report.  The amount of money available for distribution is dependent upon the number of members and can vary each year.  Although funds stay within the WKU community, benefits extend beyond the university campus, even some with international impact.

For a list of previous grant recipients, please visit our Previous WKU Sisterhood Grants page.