Office for Institutional Advancement
Development & Alumni Relations
Always Grateful
We build a more just and compassionate world by operating for the benefit of all our students, by ensuring that Edgewood College will thrive, and by remaining a great place to learn. Your gift supports our Mission and enriches students in ever-evolving ways, preparing them to meet the needs of a
changing world.
Recently retired after a fulfilling career as a non-profit executive
In 1937 Mary Frances “Mickey” Green Murphy arrived in Madison from Woodstock, Illinois and began what her daughters would call “A Love Affair with Edgewood College.” Daughters Eileen Murphy ’69 and Sue (Murphy) Hereley ’65 would follow her lead to Edgewood College and discover their own passions for a place their mother truly loved. In July of 2003, prior to their mother’s passing, Eileen created the Mary Frances Green Murphy Scholarship to honor their mother and financially support students, who like Mickey, are dedicated to theatre.
In addition to annual gifts, Eileen has created an endowment for the Mary Frances Green Murphy Scholarship to permanently honor her mother’s legacy.
“My spirit is lifted, while my heart mourns
On May 21, 1994, my mother flew to Madison from Memphis, Tennessee, to attend my graduation. I remember us feeling like it was her graduation too. It is a day I will never forget.
Shortly before the Lord called her to eternity, I shared with her that her dedication to motherhood, the sacrifices she made for us as a single mother, and her faith in and advocacy of higher education, would live on in her name at Edgewood College. The Myrtis Nickelberry Memorial Scholarship celebrates her unwavering faith, unshakeable confidence, and unquestionable style.
And this year, in my estate plans, I created the future Dr. Odell Nickelberry Memorial Scholarship to support undergraduate students in financial need and to give back to a College and an education that has supported and enhanced my personal and professional life.
Forever together – in the true spirit of Cor Ad Cor Loquitur (Heart Speaks to Heart) – my legacy and that of my mother’s – will live on in each deserving student who benefits from our scholarships…today, tomorrow, and for decades to come.”
Sharifa Merchant and her husband, Saban, immigrated to Wisconsin from India so their children could pursue their college education in the U.S. Once that goal was achieved, things took a turn toward Sharifa’s own education, although that was not in the plans.
At her fulltime job in Madison, Sharifa had the opportunity to arrange and participate in a class for managers at Edgewood College. That one class led her to taking more classes. Over time, she was encouraged by her employer and by her professors to seek a degree program. Saban was supportive too and took over the home duties so Sharifa could fully concentrate on her commitment to work and school simultaneously. This encouragement resulted in Sharifa completing both her Bachelors and Masters degrees. Sharifa’s time here touched her personally. She feels Edgewood College, with its exceptional liberal arts education, was her stepping stone to a fuller life.
Now that she is retired, she wants to give back, both to her community and to Edgewood College. She has established estate-planned scholarships for talented students in financial need in both our School of Education and in the Henry Predolin School of Nursing.
Her purpose is to enable students to fulfill their academic and career goals, which could then become THEIR stepping stone to serving their communities and laying the groundwork for others to benefit and serve. She hopes to create opportunities for future generations to keep the cycle of learning and compassionate giving alive.
“My parents weren’t too sure about me playing collegiate sports, because I was pretty disorganized as a high schooler,” he recalls. Things worked out pretty well, though, as Scott now has lifelong friends from the team, and has used the skills he gained as a student athlete to enhance his professional career. Scott currently serves as Senior Experience Owner – AmFam.com at American Family Insurance.
His parents remained connected with Coach Al Brisack and the team, with Coach Brisack sending his mom, Joyce, pep talks and inspirational videos while she was battling cancer. Sadly, Joyce passed away in 2021.
This prompted Scott to get his own affairs in order. “I don’t take part in a lot of risky activities, but something could happen at any time,” he shared. With the support of his financial advisor, Scott established the Von Rueden Family Baseball Fund through his living trust, giving future players the opportunity to enjoy the game and the student athlete experience as much as he did – for generations to come.”
Support for our students and programs
Edgewood College understands the hurdles that students face to receive an education and are committed to ensuring access for all students. We have a variety of designations to help support our students and want to align your philanthropic interests with areas you are most passionate.
Edgewood College Fund
The Edgewood College Fund supports the greatest needs of the College. Gifts to this unrestricted fund make an immediate, direct impact and allow the College the flexibility to use the dollars where they are needed most.
Scholarships
- Annual Scholarship Fund: Gifts to the Annual Scholarship Fund are awarded annually to deserving students in financial need.
Named, Endowed, and Multi Year Scholarships
Named Annual and Endowed Scholarships provide consistent and lasting impact on our students. Scholarships can support students with a specific major, be named in memory/honor of a loved one, be created with a one-time gift or a multi-year commitment. Contact us to help you create a meaningful scholarship.
“I decided to pursue nursing, and the more I learn the more my passion grows for working in healthcare. I came to Edgewood because the program aligned with the values I hold dear as a caregiver. Thank you so much for awarding me this scholarship. You have given me such an amazing gift. I hope in the future, I have the means to extend the type of generosity to others that you have shown to me.”
Emerging Leaders Program
The Emerging Leaders Program is Edgewood College’s premier student leadership program created to support students from historically underrepresented populations.
“This scholarship is not just a financial support system; it symbolizes the belief and investment that others have placed in my potential. It has instilled a sense of responsibility in me to utilize this opportunity to its fullest, not only for personal growth but also to contribute meaningfully to society.”
The Cutting – Edge Program
The Cutting Edge® Program was the first program at a four-year college in Wisconsin to offer a fully inclusive college experience for individuals with
intellectual and developmental disabilities. Since its inception, the program has continued to grow, now supporting 30 students per academic year, and offers individualized wrap-around services to support students in academics, student housing, social experiences, and practicums/internships.
Zoie is a student within the Cutting Edge® Program at Edgewood College where she has been an active member in the community. Her internship experiences= include working in the Admissions Office, the Multicultural Student Lounge, and off-campus at Twigs and Community Living Alliance. Her future plans include moving back home to Illinois and working in an office setting at Northwest Community Hospital.
Her advice to college students is “to never give up. Keep on striving. Taking time for yourself is also really helpful.”
Athletics
Gifts to our Athletic Teams and Athletic Booster Club support the equipment, training, and space improvement needs of our growing number of student-athletes.
“I transferred here at the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year and do not regret it at all. I am double majoring in Accounting and Finance and pursuing my CPA. I am involved in athletics at Edgewood College as a member of the Men’s Baseball team. I have had nothing less than an excellent experience with my teammates. I instantly had 35 best friends and there is not one thing I wouldn’t do for those guys to help them succeed on or off the field.”
Planning Giving
Your planned gift creates a personal legacy by helping to ensure future generations of lifelong learners
at Edgewood College.
There are several Planned Gift options available:
- Bequest in a Will or Living Trust
- Naming Edgewood College as beneficiary in a life insurance policy, IRA, 401k, checking or savings
account - Creating a Charitable Gift Annuity
- Stock or Real Estate
Washburn Society
Those who include Edgewood College as a beneficiary of their planned giving are welcomed to the Washburn Society, a giving society named to honor the legacy of Wisconsin Governor Cadwallader Washburn, who gifted his villa and 55 acres of land to the Dominican Sisters of Sinsinawa in 1881. The
gift was to be used for educational purposes, and the land would be known as Edgewood.
“Working full-time and going to school nights and weekends in the Master of Business Education program was challenging. I loved my graduate school experience. The schedule was convenient while working full-time, and I appreciated that professors taught the classes, not teaching assistants.”
Pamela S. (converse) and Thomas P. Miller Endowed Scholarship
For over 30 years, Pam, and her husband, Tom, an Edgewood High School alum, have generously supported students at Edgewood College, both with financial gifts and volunteering. Pam and Tom wish to make others’ educational journeys possible, even beyond their own lifetimes, by committing a
portion of their estate to create the Pamela S. (Converse) MBA ’91 and Thomas P. Miller Endowed Scholarship . Together, Pam and Tom firmly believe in the power of education, something once gained, remains with you forever.
For years to come, future students who may not have had the opportunity otherwise will have the Millers’ support in following their dreams. A decision Pam knows from personal experience they will not regret.”
For more information on Planned Giving and the Washburn Society, please contact Jen Stewart.
Ways to Give
There are many ways to support students in their pursuit of being a community of learners committed to building a just and compassionate world.
Online, Mail, Phone
- Give Now
- Mail: If you would like to mail a check, please print this form to include with your gift.
Gifts can be mailed to: Office for Institutional Advancement, Edgewood College, Attn: Advancement Office, 1000 Edgewood College Drive, Madison, WI 53711 Printable Give Form attached - Phone: Please call the Advancement Office at 608.663.3328 to make a credit card gift over the phone. Advancement staff are available to answer any questions you may have about your gift.
Matching Gifts
Many companies match gifts made by current employees, retirees, and spouses, and may help you double or even triple your gift to Edgewood College. Please contact Erin Boris at 608.663.2377 or eboris@edgewood.edu or (jump down to Erin under Meet the Team) for help finding appropriate matching gift documentation
Gifts in Kind
The College welcomes contributions in the form of goods or services. To ensure proper crediting and distribution of your gift, or if you have questions, please contact Erin Boris 608.663.2377 or eboris@edgewood.edu or (jump down to Erin under Meet the Team).
Stock Gifts
If you are considering a gift of appreciated property, such as stocks or bonds, note these
financial benefits:
- You receive a tax deduction for the full, current fair market value of the donated
property. - There may be capital gains tax incentives for you by making a gift of stock.
Please contact Katie Vesperman at 608.663.3224 or KVesperman@edgewood.edu or (jumps down to Katie under Meet the Team) with your questions and to receive stock transfer instructions.
Donate a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) from an IRA
The IRA Charitable Rollover is a simple method of charitable giving that allows benefactors to direct gifts from their IRA directly to a qualified charity, like Edgewood College. Please contact Jen Stewart at 608.663.6813 or at jstewart@edgewood.edu or (jumps down to Jen under Meet the Team) for more information on qualified charitable distributions.
Make a Planned Gift
Planned gifts are a way for you to tie your legacy with that of Edgewood College. Please contact Jen Stewart 608.663.6813 or at jstewart@edgewood.edu or (jumps down to Jen under Meet the Team) for more information about how planned gifts can support our work.
Donor-Advised Fund
Meet the Team
Abby Bjerke joined Edgewood College in 2018 and serves as the Director of Annual Giving & Alumni Relations. She previously served for three years in University Advancement at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. She earned her master’s degree in arts leadership from Seattle University and completed her undergraduate degree in art education at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors, rooting for the Chicago Cubs, and spending time with her family.
ABjerke@edgewood.edu
608.663.2309
EBoris@edgewood.edu
608.663.2377
Al Brisack joined Edgewood College in 1999 and serves as Associate Vice President for Athletic Development and Head Baseball Coach. He was previously the Edgewood College Director of Athletics from July 2006 to November 2022. Al has also served as a member of various NCAA and Conference committees and two terms as the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference’s Director of Athletics Chair.
Prior to joining the College, Al was the 1998 ABCA National Coach of the Year and is a member of the Humboldt Crabs Baseball Hall of Fame as a member of the 1990 team and coach with the 1998 team. Al holds a degree in History/Secondary Education from Marian University.
Al is married to wife Michele and the couple has been blessed with two beautiful children.
abrisack@edgewood.edu
608.663.3289
Kari Gribble joined Edgewood College in 2002 and the Advancement Team in 2023, and currently serves as the Associate Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Prior to this role, she worked in Enrollment Management at Edgewood College for 20 years in various roles and most recently served as the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management and Director of Financial Aid and Edgewood Central. Prior to joining the College, Kari served as Associate Director of Financial Aid at Carthage College where she played volleyball and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing in 1999. She earned her master’s in business administration from Edgewood College in 2009. Kari is also the CFO and Treasurer for Tri-Fecta Farms, a 500-cow dairy with 2,000 acres, that she owns with her siblings, Nick and Kate along with her parents, Keven and Cheryl. Additionally, she is on the Gribble Family Foundation Board and serves as the Secretary.
In her free time, Kari enjoys being outdoors, spending time with family, reading, cooking, doing Tae Kwon Do with her children, making spreadsheets, and playing with her three cats.
KGribble@edgewood.edu
608.663.2305
Max Nguyen is a 2018 MBA alum from Edgewood College and was a Graduate Assistant in Athletics Communications during his time here from 2016-18. Prior to returning to Edgewood College as a Gift Officer in July 2021, Max served as Associate Director of Development and Communications at St. Vincent de Paul Madison from 2018-2021. Max earned his bachelor’s degree at Simpson College near Des Moines, IA in 2014.
Max is involved in the community as the Communications Committee Chair at the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Greater Madison, on the DEI Committee at the Children’s Theatre of Madison and the Marketing and Development Committee at the Literacy Network. A proud Iowan (Go Hawks!), Max is a volunteer tutor at Literacy Network, loves strategy board games and TV shows (the Boys), and is an avid sports fan (Hawkeyes, Rams, Royals/Brewers, Bucks, PGA Tour, F1).
mnguyen@edgewood.edu
608.663.4417
Nicole Riewe joined Edgewood College in 2015 as the Grants Coordinator & Writing Specialist. Prior to joining the College, Nicole served in the Development Office at Madison Children’s Museum for six years. She earned a master’s degree in arts management and certificate in
nonprofit management from the University of Oregon and completed her undergraduate studies in Spanish and Studio Art at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.
Nicole is an active member in the Grant Professionals Association. Outside of work, she enjoys running, gardening, and other excuses to be out-of-doors.
NRiewe@edgewood.edu
608.663.2858
Jen Stewart joined Edgewood College in 2018 and serves as the Director of Leadership Giving and Planned Gifts. Prior to joining the College, Jen served as Director of Development and Marketing for the Boys & Girls Club of West-Central WI. She is a St. Olaf College graduate with dual degrees in Biology and Mathematics and later earned her master’s degree in Conservation Planning from Prescott College. She is a graduate of both Leadership Portage County and the Sauk County Institute of Leadership and has been a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) since 2022.
Jen is committed to lifelong-learning and appreciates professional trainings and informally learning from peers as a member of the Madison Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals, the Wisconsin Association of Charitable Gift Planners and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She is also driven to help others in her community and does so as a member of her church, Baraboo Women on a Mission, P.E.O and Friends of the Campus.
Growing up in the land of 10,000 lakes (MN), Jen developed a love for the outdoors and in addition to spending time in the natural world with her family and friends, Jen serves on the Board of Directors for Riverland Conservancy.
JStewart@edgewood.edu
608.663.6813
Keegan Talbott returns to Edgewood College as a Gift Officer after graduating in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology – Human Services. While Keegan was a student, he was an ambassador to the college and a captain of the Men’s Volleyball Team.
In his free time Keegan head coaches Edgewood High School Boys’ Volleyball and club volleyball. He also enjoys golf, pickleball, art, off roading, and being outside.
ktalbott@edgewood.edu
608.663.3398
Katie Vesperman joined Edgewood College in a professional role in 2007, and currently serves as Vice President for Institutional Advancement. Prior to joining the College, Katie served as Program Director for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. She is a 1999 Edgewood
College graduate from the School of Business. Her husband Mac graduated in 2015 from the Henry Predolin School of Nursing, and currently serves on the Venus Access Team at UW Hospital and Clinics.
Katie is an active member of the Madison Chapter of the Association for Fundraising Professionals, the Wisconsin Association of Charitable Gift Planners, and is a graduate of Leadership Greater Madison.
In her free time, Katie enjoys the outdoors, sports, and spending time with her family.
kvesperman@edgewood.edu
608.663.3224
Jamie Wojcik joined Edgewood College in 2018 and currently serves as Advancement Services Associate for Institutional Advancement. She has more than 20 years of administrative experience. Prior to joining the College, Jamie was the Development Office Manager for Madison Country Day School.
In her free time, Jamie enjoys being a lifelong Green Bay Packer fan, knitting, writing and baking.
JWojcik@edgewood.edu
608.663.3328