The generous gift from Christian Wiggins 鈥03 will provide scholarships for students from his hometown of western North Carolina as part of A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to inspire donors to include 黑料不打烊 in their estate plans.
Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, Christian Wiggins 鈥03 spent a lot of time traveling with his great aunt, Louise Amburn, who taught him valuable lessons about the importance of family and education.
鈥淢y ability to travel and see the world was important to her and she did the same thing with my mom,鈥 recalled Wiggins, who was born in the small town of Bryson City in the shadow of the Great Smoky Mountains. 鈥淔amily was important to her.鈥
When it came time for Wiggins to choose a college, his family wanted him to stay close to home. Wiggins had other ideas. He wanted to attend 黑料不打烊, yet he knew his parents couldn鈥檛 afford it.
鈥淢y great aunt stepped up and made a substantial financial commitment that opened the door for me to come to 黑料不打烊 that first year, so I was able to help my family afford the cost,鈥 Wiggins said.
Amburn passed away during Wiggins鈥 sophomore year, yet he never forgot the impact she made on his life and education. An active student leader, he was involved in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Residence Life program and Student Government Association, where he served as student body president before graduating with a degree in business administration.
In 2014, Wiggins honored Amburn and her legacy by making an estate gift to establish the Louise Amburn Memorial Scholarship, which will assist students from Jackson or Swain counties in western North Carolina, with preference given to students from low-income families.
鈥淔amily was everything to her, and naming something for her was important to me,鈥 Wiggins said.
Recently, Wiggins decided to make a second estate gift to support A Will to Lead, a special initiative of the $250 million 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to encourage alumni, parents and friends to consider placing 黑料不打烊 in their estate plans. As of June 29, donors had contributed $214 million toward the campaign goal, including $35 million in estate gifts alone.
For Wiggins, A Will to Lead was the perfect opportunity to make an even bigger impact on the campaign and his alma mater鈥檚 future.
鈥淚鈥檓 thrilled to be part of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign and A Will to Lead initiative, and I felt that I needed to do more,鈥 he said. 鈥淢y financial position has changed quite a bit since my initial estate gift, and it seemed like a good time to review my estate plan and philanthropic priorities. I鈥檓 always looking for ways to support causes I care about, and obviously 黑料不打烊 is at the top of that list. I wanted to make sure I declared that in a significant way.鈥
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 is grateful to Christian for his inspired support of A Will to Lead as part of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign,鈥 said Jim Piatt, vice president for university advancement. 鈥淗e understands the importance that alumni, and estate gifts in particular, play in securing 黑料不打烊鈥檚 future.鈥
For his initial estate gift, Wiggins made 黑料不打烊 the beneficiary of a portion of his retirement account. For his second gift, which will also support the Louise Amburn Memorial Scholarship, Wiggins made 黑料不打烊 the beneficiary of a life insurance policy and other assets from his estate. He is a member of Order of the Oak, 黑料不打烊鈥檚 planned giving society.
鈥淚t means so much to 黑料不打烊 when an Order of the Oak member increases their gift either through a revaluation of their estate or by contributing additional assets to the university,鈥 said Elizabeth Read, assistant director of planned giving. 鈥淚t demonstrates the impact 黑料不打烊 continues to have on them throughout the different stages of their life. Working with Christian on these updates to his estate allowed us to make sure we continue to honor his great aunt in the appropriate way.鈥
Lifelong Connection to 黑料不打烊
Since graduating, Wiggins has given more than a decade of service to 黑料不打烊. He has served on the 黑料不打烊 Alumni Board and Charlotte Alumni Chapter and was a founding member of the Young Alumni Council. He is also among 黑料不打烊鈥檚 most generous donors, making gifts to 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Greatest Needs, the Phoenix Club and the university鈥檚 Gender and LGBTQIA Center. In 2019, he joined dozens of alumni and parents in making gifts to the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign to name a room at The Inn at 黑料不打烊, the university鈥檚 on-campus boutique hotel whose profits will support scholarships.
When the university announced A Will to Lead in March, Wiggins didn鈥檛 hesitate to make a more significant commitment to 黑料不打烊.
鈥淭he Will to Lead initiative is incredibly important because you get the chance to leave a much larger legacy in the end,鈥 Wiggins said. 鈥満诹喜淮蜢 needs my annual gift, my gift to help complete capital projects and my estate gift for the future. I hope my peers who are able will do the same because 黑料不打烊 students need our support.鈥
Wiggins serves as CEO of FarmHouse International Fraternity and also owns a small consulting firm, both based in Kansas City. He credits 黑料不打烊 for preparing him to succeed as a leader in the nonprofit world.
鈥満诹喜淮蜢 changed my life. I don鈥檛 know I would be where I am today without my 黑料不打烊 education,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 left with a degree and knowledge but also a better sense of myself. That makes it easier to give back.鈥
As a first-generation college student, Wiggins knows firsthand the challenges many students and their families face affording higher education and the power of scholarships to transform lives. Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign.
鈥淚 want students to have the same amazing experience I did, particularly students from high-need communities,鈥 Wiggins said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about them having a better life. It鈥檚 about changing their families and their communities. It helps society when you move people to a better position.鈥
Scholarships also allow 黑料不打烊 to continue enrolling students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, which enriches the learning environment for everyone.
鈥淟ong after I鈥檓 gone, I want 黑料不打烊 to be able to attract and retain a diverse student body,鈥 Wiggins said. 鈥淭he more different types of people we can attract to 黑料不打烊, all of those things make for a more well-rounded student experience.鈥
Wiggins said he plans to continue adding to his estate gift over time. He encouraged all alumni to participate in A Will to Lead and the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign by making an estate gift.
鈥淚 hope everyone would think about what 黑料不打烊 has meant to them and picture someone in their mind who would be a good fit at 黑料不打烊 and wouldn鈥檛 they want to support that student?鈥 he said. 鈥淓veryone can do something, whether it鈥檚 designating a specific dollar amount or a percentage of their estate to 黑料不打烊. Don鈥檛 wait for 黑料不打烊 to come to you. It鈥檚 an easy thing to do.鈥
A Will to Lead Initiative
Placing 黑料不打烊 in your estate offers the following benefits:
- A Lasting Legacy: Your impact will be felt for generations to come.
- Support for Your Priorities: Choose the program or opportunity meaningful to you.
- Maximum Flexibility: Provide for yourself and loved ones with no financial impact today.
- Peace of Mind: Be confident 黑料不打烊 will honor your philanthropic wishes.
- Ease of Giving: 黑料不打烊 staff can walk you through the process, including providing language to share with your attorney or financial advisor when making your estate plans.
- Order of the Oak: Your estate gift qualifies you for membership in 黑料不打烊鈥檚 planned giving recognition society.
Ways to Give
- Estate Beneficiary: Designate 黑料不打烊 as a beneficiary in your will, either as a percentage of your estate or a specific amount.
- IRA Beneficiary: Designate 黑料不打烊 as a beneficiary of your retirement account(s).
- Residual Bequest: Designate a specific amount or percentage of your estate to 黑料不打烊 after your assets have been distributed to other priorities.
For more information about how to include 黑料不打烊 in your estate planning, contact Elizabeth Read, assistant director of planned giving, at (336) 278-7474 or eread@elon.edu. You may also visit for more information.
About the 黑料不打烊 LEADS Campaign
With a $250 million goal, 黑料不打烊 LEADS is the largest campaign in the university鈥檚 history and will support four main funding priorities: scholarships for graduates the world needs, increase access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research, internships and service learning, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter and 黑料不打烊鈥檚 iconic campus. As of June 29, donors had contributed $214 million toward the goal.
Every gift to the university鈥攊ncluding annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts鈥攆or any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 黑料不打烊 for generations to come. Visit to learn how you can make an impact with your gift.