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A still image from the award winning video, WIU Foundation Donor Spotlight - Lorraine Epperson," produced for the 2024 donor banquet.
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The WIU Foundation earned recognition for its 2023-24 endowed fund and scholarship impact reports.
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WIU Wins CASE Best of District V Awards

November 17, 2025

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MACOMB, IL - - The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) recently announced Western Illinois University as the winner of two 2025 Best of District V Awards, recognizing the creativity and innovative ideas produced by WIU's staff in 2024.

In the Videos: Fundraising and Stewardship (Long) category, WIU received recognition for "WIU Foundation Donor Spotlight - Lorraine Epperson," a video produced for the 2024 donor banquet.

The video, fully created by an in-house team, tells the story of one of WIU's longest tenured and most generous donors, Lorraine Epperson `48 `52. The production team for the video included Director of University Television Ryan Severs `15, Director of Donor Relations and Special Events Drew Donahoo `11 and then-Director of Development for the College of Fine Arts and Communication Mick Cumbie.

In the Fundraising Publications: Annual Reports and Fund Reports, WIU earned recognition for the 2023-24 WIU Foundation endowed fund and scholarship impact reports.

For 2024, the annual endowed fund report publication was fully redesigned and expanded to improve the quality and quantity of information shared with endowed fund donors, including a wrap-around cover, a more clear individual endowed fund report and profiles on the recipients of the donor's scholarship. The project team included Donahoo, Foundation Accounting Senior Specialist Sara Fitzjarrald, Director of University Scholarship Activities Ally Magee `15, Marketing and Design Associate Caren Bordowitz and senior photographer Rachael Keating '15.

CASE is the global nonprofit association dedicated to educational advancement—alumni relations, communications, development, marketing, and advancement services—and championing education to transform lives and society. District Five, the Great Lakes District, is one of CASE's eight geographic regions and encompasses more than 400 member institutions from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

The 2025 Best of District V Awards Gallery is available here.

Posted By: Drew Donahoo (AM-Donahoo@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing