Mann Center Speaker Programs
Annual gift of $15,000 / One-time endowed gift of $300,000 to name permanently:
The Mann Center periodically brings nationally and internationally
known speakers to Samford to discuss relevant issues with campus and
community audiences. Speakers are drawn from across the professions and
academia, and represent diverse fields including philosophy, business,
journalism, sociology, and politics, to name a few.
Ongoing funding is needed to cover the
cost of speaker travel and honoraria, as well as costs associated with
the planning and execution of such programs. Support may be provided
annually, or as a one-time endowment. The donor may specify a focus area
(i.e. healthcare ethics, ethics and law, etc.), with final selection of
individual speakers as the responsibility of the Center. Multiple,
concurrent lecture series are possible.
Ethics and Leadership Resource Center
One-time gift of $125,000
or five-year recurring annual gift of $25,000 to name for a period of
five years / One-time endowed gift of $500,000 to name permanently:
The Mann Center serves as a resource for students, staff, faculty, and
the community in the field of ethics and leadership. Our mission to
become the thought leader in public discussion of ethics and leadership,
both locally and nationally, will require a comprehensive, world-class
collection of books, periodicals, online resources/subscriptions, and
other media offering the latest in ethical and moral thought. The
resource center will serve as the academic backbone of all that is
taught and learned at the center, ensuring a level of scholarship worthy
of the field, and of Samford University.
These resources will be available to
Samford students, faculty, and staff and to the general public. While
many resources may be housed online, donations to support a physical
collection, either in the University Library or in the Mann Center
offices, are also welcome.
Mann Center Offices
Support needs vary; please contact the Mann Center for more information.
To support its continued growth, donations are needed to maintain and
furnish the physical offices of the Mann Center. Naming opportunities
are available through both endowed and one-time gifts; please contact
the Center to learn more.
Mann Center Faculty Fellowships
Annual gift of $50,000 / One-time endowed gift of $1.5 million to name permanently:
The Mann Center serves as an incubator for new courses and other
initiatives that promote moral development and build competencies in
ethical leadership. These fellowships will make it possible for three
to five faculty fellows each year to devote substantial time to this
important work.
Funds will support fellows’ research
and cover the costs incurred by academic departments that release these
scholars from a portion of their teaching responsibilities. These
prestigious fellowships, the first of their kind at Samford, will make
it possible for the Mann Center to produce a continuous stream of
research and course content benefiting the entire Samford campus and the
business community. An annual, competitive application process will
select Fellows.
Support for Ongoing Programs
Support needs vary by program; please contact the Mann Center for more information.
The Mann Center is home to a number of ongoing programs that benefit
students, faculty and the community. These currently include the Courageous Conversations series, which encourages students to engage in moral discourse on critical issues; the Better World Theatre initiative, which allows students to creatively explore ethical issues in their field of study; programs for community, business, and professional audiences, which address a variety of topics in ethics and leadership; international service initiatives, which provide opportunities for students to practice leadership in social change; and faculty development programs.
Financial support is critical to the
success of these programs, whether in the form of scholarships,
sponsorships, fellowships, or through a general donation to the Mann
Center’s Excellence Fund. Donors will receive recognition via the Mann
Center's website and appropriate promotional materials.
The Mann Medal
Annual sponsorships starting at $3,000 / Annual presenting sponsorships starting at $15,000: Samford University awards the Mann Medal in Ethics and Leadership
annually to nationally or internationally known leaders or
organizations whose efforts have made significant contributions to
ethics in society. The work recognized with the award must address a
clear need or problem facing society, have significance on a large scale
and be an inspiring example for others to follow. Sponsorships are
available starting at $3,000, and cover expenses such as the cost of the
ceremony and medal, travel expenses for the honoree, and a gift to the
honoree’s organization or foundation.
Benefits include: recognition in
promotional materials and during the event; a reserved table for the
sponsor's guests; and access to a private reception with the medalist
for sponsors. Presenting sponsors receive these benefits, as well as an
additional reserved table for guests and the opportunity for an
appropriate representative of the sponsoring organization to participate
in the presentation of the medal.
The Mann Society
Annual gift starting at $10,000: The Mann Society
is an opportunity for businesses, professional firms and other
institutions to join others in promoting ethical leadership. New leaders
are stepping forward to invest their influence, experience and
resources in the social capital necessary to build a more sustainable
moral infrastructure – one that promotes sound ethical practices in all
professions to emphasize personal responsibility and living well
together for the good of all. Through education, mentorship, policy and
personal example, the Mann Society fosters solutions to today’s ethical
challenges in business and the professions.
Benefits include: exclusive
opportunities for Mann Society senior managers and executives to
participate in special Mann Center events with their peers; reserved
seating made available upon request for all Mann Center events; prominent display
of your firm’s name and logo on the Mann Center website and promotional
materials; reserved seating for selected Samford University cultural
events (ballet, theatre, athletics) with fellow Mann Society members;
and special presentations by the center’s director at your location, customized for the management and employees of your organization.