Doubling the Impact

Board of Trustees Launches Scholarship Endowment Matching Challenge

At the direction of Chairman Mori Hosseini (HonDoc ’13; ’78, ’79, ’82), the Embry-Riddle Board of Trustees has launched a Scholarship Endowment Matching Challenge to provide more students with tuition assistance, in perpetuity.

The challenge will match, dollar for dollar, cash gifts or pledges of up to five years that total $100,000 or more that are directed to scholarship endowment funds at the university. Leading the charge to build the scholarship endowment, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees Jim Henderson (HonDoc ’13) (pictured above) was the first to take the challenge.

“I can’t identify a better use of money than to help a student get through college,” Henderson says. “And there is such a visible benefit of that gift.”

A trustee since 2003, Henderson has been connected to Embry-Riddle since 1969, when he served as the school’s external auditor.

“I started a scholarship several years ago, and this contribution honors and builds upon that commitment,” says Henderson, who designated his gift to support business students with financial need.

Henderson, who is chairman and CEO of AssuredPartners, a private insurance brokerage firm, says the board’s matching incentive was attractive, but he also made his gift to encourage other trustees, community members, alumni and friends of the university to support scholarships, as they are financially able.

In addition to Henderson, board of trustees’ members Joe Martin (HonDoc ’18; ‘74), Neal Keating and Glenn Ritchey, and University President P. Barry Butler and his wife, Audrey Butler, have also made scholarship commitments to take advantage of the challenge.

“This pool of matching funds is limited,” explains Senior Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement Marc Archambault, “so those wishing to seize the opportunity to double the impact of their own contribution are encouraged to reach out promptly.”