Learn How One Caring Couple is Transforming Willamette University’s Future

For Claris C. Poppert BA’57 and his wife, Corky, supporting Willamette University Athletics was never just about today, it was about creating opportunities for generations of student-athletes to come.

That vision is now becoming reality through the $1 million Poppert Endowment, the largest endowed fund dedicated to athletics support in the university’s history.

Created through a Charitable Remainder Unitrust (an irrevocable trust that lets you donate assets to charity and draw annual income) established in 1994, the endowment provides approximately $50,000 annually to support athletics capital projects, deferred maintenance and strategic facility improvements.

The impact of their foresight is already visible. In the months ahead, new basketball hoops will be installed on Gordie James Court, funded by distributions from the endowment. Yet the true significance of the Popperts’ gift extends far beyond any single project.

As a flexible endowment, the fund empowers Willamette’s Director of Athletics to address emerging needs and seize opportunities that may not even be imaginable today. Athletics facilities and programs will continue to evolve, but the Popperts’ commitment will remain a constant source of support.

Claris, a life trustee of the university, understood that the needs of future students would differ from those of his own era. By including Willamette in their estate plans, he and Corky created a legacy designed to adapt alongside the university.

The Popperts’ estate gift demonstrates the enduring power of planned giving: a thoughtful act today that continues to enrich Willamette Athletics—and the lives of its students—for decades to come.

The impact that the Popperts’ far-reaching gift will make for Bearcats in the future is almost impossible to estimate today, but we know its effects—and how it will strengthen Willamette’s future—will be felt for generations. Please contact the Office of Gift Planning at 503-370-6546 or giftplanning@willamette.edu to begin a conversation about how you might shape tomorrow for Willamette.