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Like Dalton Stanfield, young donors want to make an impact – at Wichita State and far beyond
Dalton Stanfield, shown here hiking in the Mojave National Preserve in southern California.
Dalton Stanfield has this to offer when asked what motivates him to make a significant philanthropic gift at the young age of 28:
“You know the saying, ‘The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not expect to sit.’ I want to sit in the shade of that tree I planted, so I’m going to plant it young.”
A 2016 graduate of Wichita State University who majored in international business and biological sciences, Stanfield is among a small but passionate group of young alumni giving back to Wichita State. He recently pledged $12,500 to provide research support to Mary Liz Jameson and Leland Russell, two biology professors he admires and considers friends.
“I respect them for being very good teachers, and they’re also the kind of people who take the time to help when you have questions or problems,” Stanfield says. “And I know that research funds can be hard to acquire. I just want to help out.”
Studies show that people generally are more philanthropic in later years, with peak giving between the ages of 61 and 75. Stanfield says he believes it should be a priority for younger generations, too, because of the impact philanthropy makes on the world.
“I’d like people to consider whether they need everything they think they do, or whether instead, you can live simpler and be better off and still have the ability to help others,” he says. “At least think about supporting the causes you believe are important.”
He also believes young people are becoming more philanthropic. “A lot of people my age want to give back, but don’t have the means.” Stanfield considers himself luckier than most. Selected to be a Dean’s Scholar, nearly all of his undergraduate study at Wichita State was covered through scholarships. Raised in Garden Plain, he was a first-generation college student whose parents had limited ability to help him with college expenses.
After getting a master’s degree from Florida State University, Stanfield founded his own consulting company as a wildlife and environmental compliance specialist. He is based in Las Vegas and works throughout California, Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
Stanfield believes his support of the research conducted by Russell and Jameson is an investment in planet Earth.
“One way for me to make things better is to give money where I think it will make a difference, such as their lab,” he says. “They continue to teach the next generation of students who will discover and conserve and save things. I want to be a part of that in any way I can.”
Young and philanthropic
Wichita State is fortunate to have hundreds of young donors who support the university according to their means. Many make annual contributions to the Shocker Fund, which provides unrestricted money to the deans of each academic college at WSU. Others make substantial donations to areas they feel passionately about. Here are a few examples:
Collyer and Jami Burbach, both in their 30s, recently gave $100,000 to endow the Burbach Family Education Scholarship, earmarked for students studying to become classroom teachers. Their gift honors a strong family legacy in education and teaching.
Joey and Brittany Ross, in their 30s, donated $5,000 to help build Woolsey Hall, the new home for the W. Frank Barton School of Business
Jared Rice, 39, and his wife, Krista, have committed $12,000 to support the Jabara Scholar Legacy Scholarship. Jared was a Jabara Scholar while at Wichita State and feels strongly about honoring the late Fran Jabara through his gift and supporting future student recipients.
Jason Cotter, 39, pledged $35,000 to endow the Mendi Kathleen Cotter Scholarship/Fellowship in memory of his wife, a WSU student who died in a car accident in 2019.
Interested in learning more about ways to support Wichita State? Contact Darin Kater, WSU Foundation vice president, at 316.978.3887 or darin.kater@wichita.edu.
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