Development Programs

Dear Alumni, Parents and Friends,

I have the distinct privilege of overseeing the fund-raising efforts of the University of Notre Dame. It is due to the unparalleled loyalty and generosity of the Notre Dame family that we have come so far, and I can say with confidence that that same loyalty and generosity signal that our brightest days are yet to come.

Notre Dame’s president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, CSC, has called our benefactors “co-creators” in the University’s exciting educational ventures. Indeed, your gifts, large and small, have advanced Notre Dame’s mission and traditions in innumerable ways. In return, we have promised to abide by the Obligations of Stewardship, to ensure your continued trust in our ability to steward your gifts effectively and appropriately.

Notre Dame’s fund-raising efforts include the various programs of the Annual Fund, regional development offices located across the nation, and the targeted Offices of Law School Advancement, Arts Advancement, Athletics Advancement, Corporate and Foundation Relations, and Gift Planning. We hope you will take a few minutes to browse our website to learn about our fund-raising efforts and the impact your gifts have on our students and programs.

Every gift we receive is a blessing to the many students whose lives are transformed by their Notre Dame education. Be assured of my heartfelt gratitude and prayers for you, and for all of the men and women who support Our Lady’s University.

Yours in Notre Dame,

signature of Lou Nanni

Louis M. Nanni
Vice President, University Relations

Alum Replicates Research Experience for Others

Dr. Norb Weich (’60, ’63 MA) was among the first benefactors to create an endowment at Notre Dame aimed exclusively at undergraduate research. The Norbert L. and Linda Wiech Endowment for Excellence in Chemistry and Biochemistry provides summer research grants for undergraduates.

Image of Dr. Norb Weich with students Creating this endowment wasn’t just an act of charity; it was personal. As a student in the late ’50s and early ’60s, Wiech was one of only a handful of undergraduates researching alongside faculty. His work with famed biology professor and cancer researcher Dr. Morris Pollard and Dr. Bernard Wostmann convinced Wiech to pursue what is now a highly successful career in scientific research.

“I created this endowment because the research experience was so helpful to me,” says Wiech, who earned a doctorate from Tulane and works as a pharmaceutical entrepreneur developing treatments for rare diseases. “It allowed me to say, at a very early age, that this was the career path I wanted to pursue.”

Chemistry professor Paul Helquist calls Wiech a “model” for donor involvement: “He didn’t do this to meet some funding goal. He did it spontaneously, because of his own experience. We would love to see others come forward with this same level of enthusiasm.”

Wiech humbly concedes, “If I find any joy or satisfaction in what I’m doing, it’s in the students” whose research is supported by his endowment.

Endowments for Excellence can be established with gifts of $100,000 or more