Charles and Donna Carden Put Westminster People and Programs First

Charles (’67) and Donna Carden believe in putting the people and programs of Westminster first. From a planned estate gift to benefit the College’s endowment to regular contributions to the Westminster Fund which daily fuels the heart of Westminster, the Cardens’ support is helping to change students’ lives.

“Westminster taught me the importance of intellectual pursuit, integrity, leadership and friendship,” says Carden.  “The analytical skills I learned in my math major, the leadership experiences I was able to pursue at the College, the values emphasized by the faculty and administration and the friendships developed in a small college atmosphere have all been very important to me in my life.”

Most recently, the Cardens have committed to endowing a scholarship through their estate, a gift which ensures as much as the money possible is directed toward funding their wishes and provides the benefits of planned giving to reduce taxes on their estate.

Set up in their will, the Charles B. and Donna M. Carden Mathematical Sciences Scholarship Fund will provide the opportunity for generations of talented and qualified students to attend Westminster long after the Cardens are gone.

They have also made a long-range contribution to support all the activities of the College—everything from leadership programs and student activities to classroom resources and maintaining the beautiful campus grounds – through the Westminster Fund.

Longtime contributors to the Westminster Fund for the past 35 years, the Cardens know how important it is for the College to receive contributions that can be used where they are best needed to maintain the standards of excellence Westminster has attained. The annual donations they have pledged to the Westminster Fund for the next five years will help ensure the Fund reaches its goal and provide full support for the College and its students.

Charles is a member of the Westminster Board of Trustees and received a Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award in 2013.

He served as the Chief Financial Officer for The John Harland Company, now known as Harland Clarke, until he retired in 2007.