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Your support of our work is a direct action of liberation and social justice.

Meadville Lombard nurtures learners from diverse faith traditions to embody the collaborative work of liberation through congregational and community leadership. We carry the Living Tradition of Unitarian Universalism through our degree programs and lifelong learning programs at LIGHT including the Fahs Collaborative’s programs such as Beloved Conversations.

We can’t do our work without you.

Your financial support will help us prepare the next generation of progressive faith leaders who are critically needed in our world.

Below are the areas where you can make a difference. Set up a recurring gift, make a one-time gift online, or explore more ways to support Meadville Lombard.

I would not have been able to pursue my call to ministry at all without the scholarship. Especially during the pandemic, I would have had to withdraw and delay my progress. This scholarship kept me supported and on track. My sincere gratitude for allowing me to be successful and harness my potential. My career goals are still achievable despite a global pandemic, and it is because of the generosity of this scholarship. Eternally grateful.
Verdis RobinsonMDiv ‘23
My work in the internship congregation focuses on climate justice. I'm also assisting a small congregation in exploring new ways to grow its membership. As I get ready to enter the world of professional ministry, I'm so very grateful to be existing this phase of formation without dragging a mountain of debt behind me. I feel incredibly lucky to have been granted a full scholarship. I know that I have more freedom to pursue the path that calls ou tto me, to dream and to dare.
Kristina Church2019 Stanley D. Chistianson Scholar

Become a sustainer with a recurring gift

Your monthly or weekly gift provides dependable support for Meadville Lombard students and helps us make choices, not compromises. 

You can make changes or stop the gift at any time—just give us a call or email us at developmentoffice@meadville.edu.

Give by phone

Kim Sloan,
Development Assistant

Email Kim at:
ksloan@meadville.edu

(312) 212-0676

Mail in gifts:

Attn: Development Office
Meadville Lombard Theological School
180 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601
*Please indicate any specific program you wish to support.

Printable Online Gift Form

More ways to support MLTS

There are many ways to support Meadville Lombard’s mission of nurturing and cultivating the transformation of those from diverse traditions who are called to learn and grow into socially engaged, intercultural, and spiritually grounded faith leaders. Your generosity will change lives to change the world!

Your Partnership in Transformation

For over 180 years, Meadville Lombard has been a beacon shining brightly in theological education. Today, we invite you to become a partner in this sacred work of repairing, rebuilding, and restoration—preparing leaders who will carry forward our vision of justice, equity, and compassion into every corner of our world.

We invite you to explore other giving pathways to join our mission. As you consider your unique situation, interests, and capacity, one of the following ways of giving can increase the impact of your generosity in support of our students.  Consider that increasing your support of our mission may have an added tax benefits advantages when you give through stock gifts, the flexibility of donor-advised funds, or the lasting impact of legacy commitments.

Many companies offer to match donations made by employees as part of a corporate philanthropy program. This often doubles an individual’s donation.

Check whether your company participates in this program. If so, request a matching gift form from your employer and mail the signed form in with your donation. Meadville Lombard staff will take care of the rest.

You can gift appreciated stock or mutual funds held over one year and receive a charitable deduction for tax purposes. Meadville Lombard is an exempt institution and pays no tax or gains.

What is the procedure to gift stock or mutual funds?

You need to transfer your stock or mutual fund shares in writing. The date the stock is transferred is the date used for Meadville Lombard Theological School’s calculation of your charitable contribution.  For stocks, the average of the High and Low Trading Price for the day is used; for mutual funds, NAV (Net Asset Value) is used.

One brokerage account we use for gifts is at the investment firm RBC Wealth Management.  Please contact Linda Cowan or Andy Cowan at RBC Wealth Management and inform them that you will be transferring stock to Meadville Lombard Theological School. 

They can be reached at:

Linda: (414) 347-7088
Andy: (414) 347-7139
Email: linda.chernow@rbc.com
Fax: (414) 347-7670

If your broker holds your stock certificates

Contact your broker about transferring your stock to Meadville Lombard Theological School with a letter in writing stating the following:

To [Name of Your Broker]:

Transfer [number] shares of [name of stock] to Meadville Lombard Theological School Account #305-69773 RBC’s DTC # is 235.

Your name and signature (both signatures if this is a joint account) 

Please disclose our name to Meadville Lombard Theological School.

This letter will make it easy for your broker to transfer your stock to our RBC Wealth Management Account through a back-office transfer. Your broker will need to include two items referenced in your letter:

  • RBC Wealth Management DTC #235
  • Meadville Lombard Theological School # 305-69773

If you hold your own stock certificates

Mail or bring the securities to:

Linda Chernow
RBC Wealth Management Suite 1100
833 E Michigan St
Milwaukee, WI 53202

You will need a stock power (or your signature on the back of the certificates) and a signed letter of authorization as follows:

To RBC Wealth Management,

Transfer [number] shares of [name of stock] to Meadville Lombard Theological School (305-69773) Your name and signature (both signatures if joint account)

Please disclose our name to Meadville Lombard Theological School.

If your broker holds your stock certificates

Decide which mutual fund shares you want to give as a gift. Contact the mutual fund company and inform them of your intent. Ask the Fund Company to fax the forms to Andy Cowan at (414) 347-7139. Andy or Linda will prepare the paperwork for you. Please call Andy at (414) 347-7039 or Linda Cowan at (414) 347-7088 to let them know that you will be transferring mutual fund shares.

It is our policy to sell all securities when they are received.

Andy or Linda will prepare a letter for you and Meadville Lombard Theological School that shows the amount of your charitable contribution for tax purposes.

A Planned Gift is the intention to contribute a future gift to a charity beyond a donor’s lifetime. Planned Gifts can take the form of cash, equity, or property.

Planned gifts are a future investment nothing now, yet they may give you a great deal of satisfaction to know that your legacy, or the legacy of one you wish to honor, will live on in and inspire future generations of students and faith leaders.

 

Simple ways to make a planned gift:

  • Leave a percentage of your retirement assets
  • Make a gift that pays you back
  • Donate a life insurance policy you won’t need
  • Appreciated Securities
  • Real Estate
  • Business Interests
  • IRAs/ Retirement Plans

 

How to make a planned gift

  1. Share this language with your lawyer or financial planner: “I bequeath $____ or ____ % of my estate to Meadville Theological School of Lombard College, 180 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 700, Chicago, IL 60601. Tax ID#: 36-6078270.”
  2. Complete and return our Planned Giving Form to developmentoffice@meadville.edu so that we can document your wishes and honor your request.
Planned Giving Form PDF

Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)
Age 70½ or older? Make tax-free gifts directly from your IRA while satisfying required distributions. Turn necessity into opportunity for transformation.

Thinks to know:  

  • You must be 70 ½ or older at the time of your gift.
  • The transfer generates neither taxable income nor a tax deduction so you benefit even if you do not itemize your tax deductions.
  • If you are over 73 years of age and have not yet taken your required minimum distribution for the year, your IRA charitable rollover gift can satisfy all or part of that requirement.
  • In 2025, the annual QCD limit is $108,000 per individual, indexed for inflation. If both spouses have IRAs, a household can give up to $216,000 in a single year. 

Contact us to discuss your options before December 31, 2025. Call our President, Elías Ortega, via phone (312) 212-0666 or email at eortega@meadville.edu to explore options for giving and conversations for area where your support will have the greatest impact. 

 

Join a community of sustainers who believe progressive faith leadership can’t wait. Your generosity creates a solid foundation for future leaders who will challenge systems, heal divisions, and lead with good courage. Together, we’re not just supporting education—we’re funding our faith movement.

Donor Testimonials

I faithfully support Meadville Lombard (even though I am a graduate of a different UU theological school) because I believe Meadville Lombard is doing a superb job of preparing the next generation of ministers for our beloved spiritual tradition. In a nutshell: the world desperately needs UUism, and UUism fiercely needs Meadville Lombard!
Rev. Scott Alexander
Rev. Scott Alexander
I support Meadville Lombard because I believe in the power of seeding the future of Unitarian Universalist ministry. When I began seminary over twenty years ago, having just paid off my college debt, my seminary education was funded by supportive family members I know and love and strangers I'll never know and still love. What a gift to receive! By giving to Meadville Lombard, I am joining the cloud of Unitarians and Universalist strangers who believe in the power of seeding future ministries. And what a transformational experience to receive! I love the ways that Meadville Lombard is teaching its students — both professional and lay folx — to meet the challenges of our times with our theologies, grounded in collective liberation.
Rev. Emilie Boggis
Rev. Emilie BoggisMDiv '05
I had a dream and Meadville Lombard helped me fulfill it. I thought I could do good work in building community and ML gave me the tools to do so. That’s why I support Meadville Lombard.
Roger Doebke
Roger DoebkeMAR '14
Why We Love Meadville Lombard: We see Meadville Lombard as a foundation stone for Unitarian Universalism. The School has helped UUism to become what it is today. In 2006, I was recruited to join the UUA Congregational Study Action Core Team that was working on peacemaking. Dr. Sharon Welch, Provost of Meadville Lombard at the time, was a significant factor in our work. Her knowledge, spirit, and connections were key — this impressed me greatly. We also noticed that other lay leaders were supporting Meadville Lombard for the same reasons that we do, including the late Denny Davidoff, who had mentored Susan and me in our early days doing UU social witness. I was even involved in the Fahs Collaborative’s anti-racism program, Beloved Conversations. We continue to be impressed with what Meadville Lombard does and ministers educated at Meadville Lombard.
Mac Goekler, on behalf of himself and Susan Goekler
My commitment to Meadville Lombard reflects the School’s ability to change with the times. Meadville Lombard has successfully transformed itself from the traditional residential school to a flexible model of education in keeping with the needs of today’s students. Many of the activist-ministers of the 60’s came from Meadville Lombard. My Dad, a businessman, was proud to be knocking on doors on Chicago’s West Side to make sure people knew about Food Stamps thanks to the influence of Meadville Lombard seminarians. When UUs started to explore prayers, Meadville Lombard made a presentation at General Assembly on the topic. Most recently, as we renewed our commitment to antiracism work, Meadville Lombard developed the program Beloved Conversations. I am proud to support Meadville Lombard.
Winnie McDonagh
Winnie McDonagh
As a retired alum, I am enormously grateful for the offerings I received at Meadville Lombard. The academic rigor of our courses, combined with their practical application provided by the faculty, plus the opportunities for lifelong friendship with our colleagues, were the grounding necessary for my ministerial formation. I gladly support the School in order to enable this quality of education for generations to come. As Dag Hammarskjold says in Markings, "For all that has been — Thanks! To all that shall be — Yes!"
Rev. Dr. Janet Newman
Rev. Dr. Janet NewmanDmin '83
I support Meadville Lombard because it provides a robust education for students who embrace Unitarian Universalist principles and wish to engage in sharing their messages through ministry. The school is also flexible enough to make operational adjustments in response to the realities of life while effectively meeting the needs of the students. Such flexibility requires greater financial support and I feel compelled and honored to contribute
Janet Randolph
Janet Randolph
Progressive ministry matters now more than ever. We support both Meadville Lombard Theological School (Barbara’s Alma Mater) and Starr King School for the Ministry (Jaco’s Alma Mater) through annual giving and in our wills because we are deeply committed to the transformative education we know UU seminaries offer their students.
Rev. Dr. Barbara Wells ten Hove & Rev Jaco B. ten Hove
Rev. Dr. Barbara Wells ten Hove & Rev Jaco B. ten HoveMDiv ’85, DMin ’07
The world in which I was ordained for UU ministry in 1991 has virtually vanished. There are extraordinary new demands and expectations of religious leaders in this decade of global pandemic, climate crisis, recommitment to racial equity and justice, democracy under threat, and languishing consensus about truth. Meadville Lombard is preparing religious leaders to inspire and empower people in community to deepen their faith and develop their power to be agents of compassion and change for the long haul. Meadville Lombard is training leaders for the essential work of transforming a fractured world.
Rev. Ned Wight
Rev. Ned Wight
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