Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy
The Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy develops future leaders through scholarships, mentorship, leadership training, and global experiences.
Helping Students Lead, Serve and Grow
Welcome!
Since 2000, the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy has helped develop the next generation of leaders at the University of Mississippi. An accomplished council of women leaders and philanthropists has built a nearly $20 million endowment that funds scholarships for outstanding students who demonstrate leadership, integrity, and a commitment to serving others.
OMWC goes beyond financial support. Scholars gain leadership training, career development opportunities, mentorship, cultural experiences, and access to a powerful alumni network. Scholars pursue study abroad programs, internships, and other transformative opportunities through the Global Leadership Circle, which can broaden their perspectives and strengthen their ability to lead and serve.
Resources for Students
Meritxell Ambrocio
"Studying abroad once felt out of my reach, but with the support and funding I received through the OMWC, it became a possibility. What I once only dreamed of became a reality, allowing me to experience a life-changing journey and create memories I will carry with me for a lifetime.”
Madison DeVaul
"The OMWC advisors have inspired me to become actively involved in both the campus and Oxford-Lafayette communities, helping me make a meaningful difference while building lasting connections.”
Parker Smith
“Being a recipient of the Ole Miss Women’s Council scholarship is one of the greatest aspects of my college experience. The Council women are nothing short of amazing and really make me feel like Ole Miss is my home away from home. Thanks to the OMWC, I’ve gotten opportunities to branch out in my career, community, and more that I would’ve never dreamed of without this amazing group of people.”
About the OMWC
Founded in 2000, the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy empowers student leaders through endowed scholarships, mentorship, and leadership development.
OMWC members share a commitment to expanding educational and career opportunities for students. Scholars receive a $10,000 annual scholarship for four years, plus access to mentoring, networking, leadership training, and unique community experiences.
The mission of the Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy is:
- To increase participation in philanthropy as a way of enhancing continuing excellence at the University of Mississippi, and
- To sponsor innovative programs that attract and develop students through leadership, scholarship, and mentorship, and
- To encourage our scholars to become philanthropists for their communities and for the University of Mississippi while on their life’s journey as caring, ethical leaders.
Join the Ole Miss Women's Council
An endowed scholarship educates students in perpetuity. Your gift of $125,000 will establish a general scholarship open to all students, while a gift of $250,000 allows you to designate the award for students in a particular field of study or from a specific geographic region. Scholarships may be named in honor or memory of a loved one, and your name as the donor will be permanently displayed in our Rose Garden.
To discuss an Endowed Scholarship, contact Suzanne Helveston, development associate, at 662.915.2956 or shelveston@olemiss.edu.
Asbury Foundation Council Scholarship
Baptist Memorial Hospital/Desoto County Council Scholarship
Barbara Caperton Council Scholarship
Barbara D. Arnold Council Scholarship
Betty West Sherman Ole Miss Women’s Council Leadership Scholarship Endowment and Prescott Alden Sherman Leadership Council Scholarship
Catherine “Kitty” Bryan Dill Memorial Council Scholarship
Celia and John O. Emmerich, Jr. Council Scholarship
Celia Carter Muths Council Scholarship
Christine Hickonbottom Council Scholarship
Donna H. Glenn Scholarship
Donna Ruth Else Roberts Council Scholarship
Dr. Louis Pojman Council Scholarship
Elizabeth Brevard Council Scholarship
Exie Guyton Gafford Council Scholarship
FedEx Council Scholarship
Gertrude Hudson Turner Council Scholarship
Global Leadership Circle Endowment
Gloria Clark Cox Council Scholarship
Gloria Dodwell Kellum Council Scholarship
Jennie Mosby Cochran Council Scholarship
Julia Grimes Council Scholarship
Karen Bell Moore Council Scholarship
Kathryn Healy Hester Council Scholarship
John P. and Wanda Alice Henderson Council Scholarship
Lannie E. Gafford Council Scholarship
Lena Mitchell Marquette Council Scholarship
Lillian Graham Carson Memorial Council Scholarship
Lindsay McCauley Kirkley Council Scholarship
Lori Sneed Council Scholarship Endowment
Lynda M. Shea Council Scholarship
Madison Charitable Foundation Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship
Margaret Denton Khayat Council Scholarship
Margaret Pryor Barker Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship
Marion Mullin Kelly Gordon Council Scholarship
Marjorie Wallace Peddle Council Scholarship
Martha Dale Fritts Council Scholarship
Mary Donnelly Haskell Council Scholarship
Mary Jane and Edward R. Wilson Council Scholarship
Mary Sharp Rayner Council Scholarship
Mary Susan Gallien Clinton Council Scholarship
Mildred H. Center Council Scholarship
Nancy Harrelson Akin Council Scholarship
Nobel and Dorothy Harrelson Council Scholarship
Oxford Business Women’s Council Scholarship
Patricia Lott Council Scholarship
Patsy Moore Bogen Council Scholarship
Paula Salter Council Scholarship
Phyllis Shane Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship
Rachel McPherson Council Scholarship
Sally McDonnell Barksdale Council Scholarship
Sandra McGuire Guest Council Scholarship
Sarah and James Powell OMWC Scholarship Endowment
Sarah Meisenheimer Council Scholarship
Shirley Wagner Crawford Council Scholarship
Stephanie Gibson Barrett Council Scholarship
Susan Barksdale Howorth Council Scholarship
University of Mississippi Foundation Council Scholarship
Vicki L. and Harry A. Sneed Council Scholarship
Programmatic Endowments:
Ellen Robinson Rolfes Ole Miss Women’s Council Rose Garden Endowment
FedEx Employer Ole Miss Women’s Council Leadership Mentorship Endowment
Madison Charitable Foundation Ole Miss Women’s Council Leadership Endowment
Ole Miss Women’s Council Legacy Endowment
Olivia Lewis Nabors Ole Miss Women’s Council Leadership-Mentorship Endowment
Robert. C. Khayat Endowment Scholarship
Sally Barksdale Leadership-Mentorship
Deferred Scholarship Endowments
Bardwell, Brumfield, and Dial Council Scholarship
Billie Nell Jensen Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship
Becky Jones West Council Scholarship
Dorothy Graham Brown Council Scholarship
Edith Kelly-Green Council Scholarship in Accountancy
Elizabeth Wight Quirk and Neal J. Quirk Family Endowment for Ole Miss Women’s Council
Emma Stroud Griffin Council Scholarship
Geraldine McGuire Heffernan Council Scholarship
Ginger Guice Clark Council Scholarship, in Memory of Frances Rivers Clark and Jo Hornsby Guice
Ida Jo Gallant Ole Miss Women’s Council Scholarship
Janet S. & Robert D. Murphree Council Leadership/Mentorship Scholarship
Jayna Michelle Kelly Council Scholarship in Biology
Kathryn H. and David J. Brewer Council Scholarship
Lena Byrd Jones and Ted Thames Pendley Council Scholarship
Rosa Healy Hester and William E. Hester, Jr. Council Scholarship
Sloan, Allison, and Elizabeth Weakley Council Scholarship
Sue Hodge Council Scholarship
Mentoring Tomorrow’s Leaders
We stand on the shoulders of the mentors who’ve helped us in life-- those who guided, nurtured, and motivated us. We consider ourselves fortunate to have had people like this along our paths.
And if we can help fill that role for someone else, the cycle of rewarding experiences continues. The Ole Miss Women’s Council for Philanthropy offers to a select group of University of Mississippi students those intentional encounters that provide exceptional support to scholars who will go on to become tomorrow’s leaders.
Scholarship. Leadership. Mentorship.
The OMWC scholarship program is open to both men and women studying on the Oxford campus. In addition to financial assistance, Women’s Council scholarships include leadership and mentorship components. It’s these three pillars – scholarship, leadership, and mentorship – that make our program remarkable. We believe in fostering personal connections and offering leadership training, career development and cultural experiences to help students grow.
Who Are Women’s Council Scholars?
Our students receive scholarships of $40,000 over four years of undergraduate study funded by annual income from scholarship endowments. They show ethical and caring behavior through a deep desire to help others. Scholars attend a series of leadership symposiums and use what they learn to participate campus-wide organizations.
Why Give?
One hundred percent of your gift, or membership contribution, goes directly to support programs designed for our OMWC scholars. They include monthly leadership dinners, lunch and learns, an annual leadership conference, scholar trips and enrichment activities. Our innovative program prepares students to make a difference in the world.
What Does My Gift Support?
The entirety of your gift goes directly to programming for our scholars. They meet weekly with Women’s Council staff mentors as well as life and career mentors from the Ole Miss community. Scholars also learn and grow by participating in cultural and travel adventures.
Help Us Thrive. Join the Rose Society.
Support the Women’s Council by joining the Rose Society. You can join with an annual gift of at least $1,000, which is payable outright or monthly. Not able to commit at the Rose Society level, but still want to participate? Ask about giving at the Rose Bud level with an annual membership contribution of $500 (open to donors under 30 years old).
Your membership may be made in your name or to honor a special person in your life. Rose Society members are invited to Women’s Council programs, including a signature annual event held specifically to thank donors.
Today, you can join the Rose Society and support OMWC Scholars. Contact Suzanne Helveston, development associate, at 662.915.2956 and omwc@olemiss.edu for more information.
Expand Horizons. Inspire Global Leaders.
The world is one of our greatest classrooms. Through the Global Leadership Circle, the Ole Miss Women's Council for Philanthropy helps scholars study, work, and serve beyond our borders. They all have experiences that turn them into confident, compassionate leaders.
International study and internships challenge students to see new perspectives, embrace different cultures, and strengthen their commitment to making a difference in the world.
Create Life-Changing Opportunities
A gift of $25,000, payable at $5,000 annually over five years, sponsors international study or internship experiences for Women's Council Scholars. You may also honor or memorialize someone whose guidance changed your life.
Invest in Future Leaders
Scholars who maintain strong academic standing and demonstrate leadership potential may apply for Global Leadership Circle support. When funding exceeds demand, the program extends opportunities to other deserving Ole Miss students.
Build a Lasting Legacy
Your commitment funds transformative experiences today while helping grow a permanent endowment that will open doors for future generations of scholars.
Join the Global Leadership Circle and help students discover the world, broaden their vision, and lead with purpose.
Council scholarships or program endowments may be established through planned gifts, including simple bequests or the designation of the OMWC as a life insurance or retirement plan beneficiary.
Wills and Living Trusts
Interested in helping the university but aren’t ready to write a check or part with your assets today? A simple, flexible, and versatile way to ensure your support for years to come is by making a gift outlined in your will or living trust, known as a charitable bequest.
Beneficiary Designations
Name Ole Miss as a beneficiary to receive assets such as retirement plans and life insurance policies after your lifetime. It’s an easy and flexible way to give. You aren’t locked into the choices you make today; you can review and adjust beneficiary designations any time. And because Ole Miss is tax-exempt the university receives all, rather than just a portion, of your gift.
Charitable Gift Annuities
To establish a charitable gift annuity, make your gift to Ole Miss and in exchange receive a fixed annual dollar amount for life. The principal remaining after your lifetime will then benefit the University of Mississippi program of your choice.
Charitable Remainder Trusts
If you have built a sizeable estate and are also looking for ways to receive reliable payments, you may want to explore setting up a charitable remainder trust. Benefits include the potential for a partial charitable income tax deduction; the potential for increased income; and up-front capital gains tax avoidance.
This can be done two ways. An annuity trust pays you, each year, the same dollar amount you choose at the start. Your payments stay the same, regardless of fluctuations in trust investments. A unitrust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets.
The amount of your payments is re-determined annually.
IRA Charitable Rollover
If you are 70.5 years old or older, you can give up to $100,000 from your IRA directly to the university without having to pay income taxes on the money. Your gift will be used today, allowing you to see your philanthropic dollars at work and jump-starting the legacy you would like to leave.
Charitable Lead Trust
Do you want to benefit from the tax savings that result from supporting Ole Miss while maintaining assets that you’d like your family to receive someday? You can have it both ways with a charitable lead trust. You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for several years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select.
Memorials and Tribute Gifts
Establish a memorial or tribute gift is a meaningful way to honor a loved one’s life or celebrate a special occasion while supporting Ole Miss. Your memorial or tribute gift will expand the legacy of your loved one and make a difference in the lives of our students.
Endowed Gifts
You have the power to help safeguard the future of the University of Mississippi by making an endowed gift. Your gift is an investment in the future of Ole Miss, helping our academic community grow for years to come. Create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support its mission. Endowments begin at $25,000.
Ole Miss Philanthropy News See How Giving Makes A Difference at UM
Ole Miss Women's Council
Ways to Give
Visit this page to learn more about how to support the Ole Miss Women’s Council and make a lasting impact on future student leaders.
Awards
Learn more about the honors and recognitions that celebrate the achievements and impact of the Ole Miss Women’s Council and its scholars.