Endowments: A Spirit of Generosity

Growing up in Columbus, Ga., Dr. Lou Day's father would tell him stories about life during the Depression. He, like everyone else, struggled financially, but he was generous with what he had, providing food and medicine to those in need. Lou remembers his father saying, "I wish I were rich, so I could give away my money to the poor." As Lou heard these stories, it kindled in him a spirit of generosity that would last a lifetime.

Lou is Alumni Professor Emeritus of the LSU Manship School of Mass Communication. An expert in media law and ethics, Lou has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses and has received many top honors and awards for his teaching and research.

He is a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Baton Rouge, where he serves on the Church Council and is the primary teacher for the Aldersgate Sunday School class. The class is known for its generosity, donating monthly to HOPE Ministries of Baton Rouge and setting up its own endowment fund at the Foundation for youth mission trip scholarships.

Lou has put his generous spirit into practice by establishing the Louis Day Leadership Fund, an endowment at the United Methodist Foundation to support youth leadership development. The principal of the endowment fund is kept intact and only the annual earnings are used to fund current needs.

Lou has directed the annual Required Minimum Distribution from his IRA to the endowment to hasten the growth of the principal. As the fund grows, the earnings will increase and the mission—to develop leadership skills in young adults—will continue in perpetuity.

The first project is the hiring of a communications intern at the Foundation office. The Foundation staff partnered with the LSU Manship School to find a top-notch student to assist with its ever-growing communications efforts. A third-year public relations student from Baton Rouge will begin the internship in August.

Lou feels that an internship is beneficial to both the Foundation and the student. While the Foundation will benefit from the student's most current knowledge of digital marketing and communication techniques, the student will gain practical knowledge to build upon classroom experience.

"I have no children, so the endowment is my way of passing on the spirit of generosity that my father instilled in me, forever," Lou added.