Frequently Asked Questions
The Purdue for Life Foundation helps people who love Purdue University stay connected, get involved, and give back. If you’re a graduate, friend, student, family member of a student, or simply a fan of Purdue University, you’re part of the Purdue for Life Foundation.
Created on March 11, 2020, the Foundation deepens the Purdue family’s ties to the university, drives and coordinates all alumni-related activities across our graduates’ lives, and works to garner support for the university.
The Purdue for Life Foundation unites the alumni engagement function of the Purdue Alumni Association with the University Development Office, which each year is responsible for $400 million-plus in fundraising on behalf of the University. We encompass the President’s Council, which continues as a giving society; the John Purdue Club, which continues as a giving society; and the Office of Industry Partnerships, as well as alumni lifelong learning programs, on-campus residential opportunities, and more.
The organization is an independent LLC that resides within the Purdue Research Foundation. To learn how the Purdue for Life Foundation is funded, click here.
- Purdue Alumni membership information
- Alumni directory and retiree directory
- Events registration
- Giving history and tax receipts
- Contact information form (see My Profile)
- Options for communications preferences (see My Profile)
- John Purdue Club points and Convos points
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MISSION: The Purdue for Life Foundation will inspire well-being in the lives and global communities of all Purdue alumni, students, and friends while advancing Purdue University through deepening the sense of value experienced in continued association with the university.
VISION: The Purdue for Life Foundation is the cornerstone for engagement, development, and stewardship at Purdue. It will be a robust and purposeful interdependent community connecting alumni and friends to Purdue, the university with alumni, and alumni with each other.
The name “Purdue for Life” reflects our mission to deliver the benefits of Purdue University—including education, enrichment activities, travel, and on-campus residential opportunities—to alumni and friends throughout their lifetime, while also working to garner support for the university. Through Purdue for Life, the Purdue experience becomes a lifelong connection.
This integrated model, combining engagement and fundraising into one organization, has become increasingly common across American universities. The steering committee that recommended the formation of the Purdue for Life Foundation carefully studied a number of U.S. universities that have already adopted this approach.
The Purdue for Life Foundation is designed to improve engagement and communication by aligning fundraising and stewardship activities across campus and with alumni and friends. That means better coordination of activities, including trips, presentations, and other events; more streamlined communications so that email, digital, and print messages are more comprehensive and more thoughtfully timed; and better communication internally in order to deliver these benefits.
No, the Purdue Alumni Association continues as an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization and will continue its 145-plus-year tradition of serving alumni.
The Purdue Alumni Association and the Purdue for Life Foundation have formed an ongoing agreement in which Purdue for Life provides alumni engagement services for the university. Therefore, the Purdue Alumni Association has transferred its staff and certain assets to Purdue for Life to support alumni engagement activities and to provide Purdue Alumni Association members with current or similar membership benefits.
The Purdue Alumni Association’s ongoing responsibilities include:
- Ensuring that Purdue for Life continues to carry out the alumni engagement mission for the university under agreed-upon terms.
- Selecting three alumni trustees for the Purdue University Board of Trustees in accordance with Indiana law via electing directors to the Purdue Alumni Association Board.
- Appointing the Purdue Alumni Association representative to the Purdue for Life Board of Managers.
- Appointing the members of the Purdue for Life Alumni Advisory Council.
- Providing oversight of the Purdue Alumni Association investment account.
These structural and governance provisions will create and help to maintain a close working relationship between the Purdue Alumni Association and Purdue for Life. In addition, the Purdue Alumni Association Board will conduct an annual review of Purdue for Life past-year performance and the Purdue for Life new-year plan.
No, the John Purdue Club continues as an organization for those who give annually at $200 or more to Purdue Athletics. The John Purdue Club is part of the Purdue for Life Foundation. See new logos below for the John Purdue Club:
No, President’s Council continues as an organization for those who give annually at $1,000 or more to any area at Purdue University. President’s Council is part of the Purdue for Life Foundation. See new logos below for President’s Council:
You will see communication from the Purdue for Life Foundation as opposed to the Purdue Alumni Association or University Development, and programming that had previously been conducted separately—for example, our activities in Naples, Florida, each February—will now be produced from the integrated Foundation so that you have a comprehensive view of the options available and can pay for them from one registration site.
Your Purdue Alumni Association membership is still active. You can access membership benefits when you create your updated login information at Purdue Connect.
- Members will continue to receive the digital Purdue Alumnus magazine.
- Find a club or network in your area!
Yes! Membership in the Purdue Alumni Association will be provided at two levels—Annual and Life—and administered through the Purdue for Life Foundation. Learn more!
The alumni engagement function of the Purdue for Life Foundation will continue to operate from the Dauch Alumni Center on campus, and Purdue for Life will also have a presence at Boilermaker Station in Stewart Center.
If you’re a graduate, friend, student, family member of a student, or simply a fan of Purdue University, congratulations! You’re already part of the Purdue for Life Foundation. There is no membership in, or fee to join, Purdue for Life.
That said, philanthropic giving toward Purdue Athletics can place you in the John Purdue Club, and annual giving of $1,000 or more to any area at Purdue University qualifies you as part of President’s Council. Donors who have given three years consecutively to the university, at any level, are part of the Griffin Society, and those who have left a gift to Purdue in their estate planning are members of the R.B. Stewart Society.
If you’re a graduate of Purdue University—including Purdue Global—congratulations! You’re already part of the Purdue for Life Foundation. There is no membership in, or fee to join, Purdue for Life.
You can get involved in a variety of ways—including through a regional club, an affinity network, volunteering or mentoring opportunities, giving, or lifelong learning. To learn more, visit Connect on the Purdue for Life website.
Yes, your generous contributions flow exactly as they always have.
Matt Folk, a 1991 Purdue electrical engineering graduate, is Purdue’s vice president for university advancement and alumni engagement and the president and CEO of the Purdue for Life Foundation. Folk recently retired as president and CEO of a firm specializing in the sales and marketing of semiconductor and electromechanical components. Additionally, Folk has been president of the Boiler Business Exchange in Indianapolis for many years, has been very active in all aspects of alumni engagement across campus, and was the Purdue for Life committee chairman.
Jillian Henry is vice president for engagement for the Purdue for Life Foundation. In that role, she leads alumni engagement for Purdue.
Greg Kapp is vice president for development for the Purdue for Life Foundation. In that role, he leads fundraising and stewardship for Purdue.
View all Purdue for Life senior leadership.
Purdue for Life President and CEO Matt Folk reports to a five-member board of managers that includes President Mung Chiang, three members of the Purdue Board of Trustees, and one member of the Purdue Alumni Association board. The Purdue Alumni Association will maintain its alumni board and membership and will retain its responsibility to nominate three members to the Purdue Board of Trustees.
