The Illinois Intramural-Recreational Association (IIRSA) has officially partnered with the NIRSA Foundation to establish the IIRSA Endowment. Beginning at NIRSA 2020, this endowment will provide NIRSA Annual Conference registration scholarships for two students from Illinois schools. A future goal is to add a conference registration scholarship for an Illinois professional.
Planning for this initiative began over 20 years ago. IIRSA members have always considered student scholarships a priority. Initially, members raised funds annually—through silent auctions and T-shirt raffles at the state workshop—to support student scholarships in the following year. But the generosity of IIRSA members, and healthy sponsorship proceeds from a state extramural basketball tournament sponsored by Nike, increased the fund balance to a point where more sustainable options could be considered.
IIRSA is proud to partner with the NIRSA Foundation to establish the first endowment through a state organization. The NIRSA Foundation Board of Directors approved this endowment at its November 2018 meeting and is enthusiastic about the opportunity to deliver NIRSA Foundation scholarships at a state level. It looks forward to meeting the evolving needs of the NIRSA members.
- For more information about the Illinois (IIRSA) Endowment, please contact James S. Koeppe, Director of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois Springfield. For more information about the Illinois State Workshop, please contact Illinois State Director Jay Swenson, Assistant Director of Intramurals and Club Sports at University of Illinois Springfield. For more information about NIRSA Foundation scholarships, please contact NIRSA Foundation Coordinator Kameron Carroll.
James S. Koeppe is currently the Director of Campus Recreation at the University of Illinois Springfield.
