As an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, OLLI at Illinois is supported by The Bernard Osher Foundation, the University of llinois' Office of the Provost, membership tuition and fees, and the generous donations of OLLI members and friends. We are part of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Network, which includes 120+ Osher Lifelong Learning Institutes (OLLIs) and 130,000+ members nationwide. One of the core obligations that we have as an OLLI is to involve our members in central roles as volunteers and donors.

OLLI at Illinois relies on the generosity of members and friends to support our lifelong learning community. Our community has been so generous already, but there is even more that we can do together. Each and every gift we receive allows us to dream bigger – so we will continue to ask, and continue to dream. 

OLLI's Generous Donors & Honorees

Thank you to our generous donors - and to all who have had gifts given in their honor or in their memory!

OLLI Funds for Donors

We invite you to contribute to the following funds that enable us to maintain our current programming and ensure that OLLI will be able to support future lifelong learners.

1. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fund is our Current Use fund. Giving to this fund enables OLLI to support our instructors, purchase equipment and supplies, upgrade our technology to offer courses in person and online, assist with lease expenses, and cover many other expenses that our Osher endowment distributions, Provost Office support, and tuition and fees do not.
2. The OLLI Sustaining Excellence Fund was established as a quasi-endowment* to secure the future of OLLI at Illinois. The establishment of this fund in January 2026 coincides with the 20th anniversary of the founding of OLLI at Illinois. Throughout these years, we have grown and strengthened. And we are grateful for every source of support. As we celebrate what our member-driven organization has achieved, we are also looking towards the future to expand lifelong learning opportunities for the community over the coming decades. The Sustaining Excellence Fund is a crucial part of this strategy.

* A quasi-endowment functions much like a permanent endowment in that it is invested for long-term growth with annual income distributions to support OLLI. It differs, however, in a very significant way: a quasi-endowment provides the long-term flexibility to OLLI to spend from the principal should it be needed. OLLI’s quasi-endowment thus will allow OLLI to create a sustained source of funding from the income while giving the flexibility to spend from the principal if ever needed.

Matching gift challenge for 2026

• Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, we have undertaken a matching gift challenge for the OLLI Sustaining Excllence Fund that enables every donation to be matched with an additional 50% donation, up to $100,000, during calendar year 2026. Pledges made to this fund (minimum of $1000) in 2026 for up to 3 years will also qualify for the matching funds.
• To maximize this opportunity, OLLI needs to raise $200,000 for the Sustaining Excellence Fund between now and December 31, 2026. We respectfully ask that members consider donating to the matching challenge in addition to any regular donations they make to OLLI, since the latter play a vital role in OLLI's day-to-day operations. We recognize that this is a big ask, but it is one dedicated towards the long-term vitality of this wonderful organization.

• Goal: $200,000


• Donations to date: $25,325

Ways to Give

Your tax-deductible gift to OLLI will enrich the experiences of our members and partners now and into the future.

Online

To make a gift to OLLI through the UI Foundation’s secure site.

• Enter the amount of your gift (with an option to make it recurring).
• For the "Gift Designation" click drop-down box and select either the "Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fund" or the “OLLI Sustaining Excellence Fund"
• Enter your personal information
• Select your payment information.

By check

Make the check payable to ‘University of Illinois Foundation’ with a note indicating it is to be directed to the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fund (# 11342234) or the OLLI Sustaining Excellence Fund (#778271). 

The check may be mailed to University of Illinois Foundation, P.O. Box 734500, Chicago, IL 60673-4500 or delivered (by hand or mail) to OLLI at Illinois, 301 North Neil Street, Suite 201, Champaign, IL 61820.

IRA Qualified Charitable Contributions ("QCDs")

If you would prefer to complete a Qualified Charitable Distribution (“QCD”) from your IRA to the University of Illinois Foundation (“UIF”), there is a simple three-step process. The Foundation recommends you use your financial institution’s paperwork, as most firms will send a secure DocuSign form to avoid sending account information through email.

Please share the information below with your IRA custodian to help prepare the paperwork for your distribution to UIF:

1. Initiate the Transfer
2. Make the distribution payable to: “University of Illinois Foundation” (Tax ID 37-6006007)
3. Include on the Check’s Memo Line and accompanying stub:
   • OLLI Sustaining Excellence Fund #778271 or Osher Lifelong Learning Institute Fund # 11342234
   • IRA Account Holder’s Name

Mail the distribution directly to the UIF lockbox*: University of Illinois Foundation, P.O. Box 734500, Chicago, IL 60673-4500 

(*regulations mandate that you cannot receive a check from your IRA, deposit it, then gift that amount and still qualify for the QCD’s benefits.)

Or, if mailing using FedEx or UPS, please use this address: JPMorgan Chase, Attn: University of Illinois Foundation, Lbx 734500, 131 S Dearborn, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603

If a phone number is required for mailing, please use (312) 732-5365.

If your custodian wishes to send the QCD by wire transfer, please contact UIF’s cash Desk (217) 244-0352 for up-to-date transfer instructions.

Questions?

If you have questions or would like more information, please contact Kathryn Williams, OLLI Director (kfw@illinois.edu) or Meg Cline, VP for Gift Planning & Trust Services (mcline@uif.uillinois.edu).