Donovan Trust Seeks 'Beautiful, Lovely' Ways to Spend Funds

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Nov. 22, 2013) — All faculty, staff and students at the University of Kentucky are invited to send proposals for enrichment projects using funds distributed from the Herman Lee and Nell Stuart Donovan Endowment.

The permanent trust was created in 1963 through a provision in the will of former UK President Herman Lee Donovan to "promote an atmosphere of culture, refinement and gentility" and to enrich educational opportunities "with an appreciation of the qualities of beauty and loveliness."

The terms of the endowment specifically prohibit distributions from being used for "ordinary recurring expenses of operation or maintenance." Rather, the funds are earmarked for "what are so frequently thought of as the luxuries of an institution, such as beautiful books, for the promotion of musical programs, for acquiring beautiful pictures, for the production of flowers and shrubs, or for any investment that will promote an appreciation of the lovely and beautiful in the environment in which students live and study.”

Proposals are now being sought for consideration by the Advisory Committee for the Donovan Trust to be awarded for the 2013-14 academic year. Projects with budgets from $1,000 to $15,000 will be considered. The proposal deadline is Dec. 20. 

The Request for Proposals and Application may be downloaded as a PDF from http://uknow.uky.edu/sites/default/files/donovan_2013-14.pdf. 
 

Nine copies of each proposal should be sent to: Donna A. Counts, chair of the Advisory Committee for the Donovan Trust, Office of the Treasurer, 310 Peterson Service Building 0005. In addition, an electronic copy of the proposal, including the application, should be sent to Donna.Counts@uky.edu. For more information, please contact Donna Counts at 257-5830.