Gift from Trust Point Foundation opens new doors for students, faculty

Gift from Trust Point Foundation opens new doors for students, faculty

A philanthropic partnership between UW-La Crosse and the Trust Point Foundation will support innovative and impactful learning experiences for students pursuing careers in financial planning.

The Trust Point Foundation has pledged $90,000 over three years to establish the Trust Point Personal Financial Planning Fund through the UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation.

The fund will support comprehensive financial education programs for the campus and broader community, including financial literacy workshops, seminars and online resources. Additionally, it will provide experiential learning opportunities for UWL College of Business Administration (CBA) students aspiring to be financial planners, helping them gain the skills and experience required to excel in their future careers.

In recognition of the gift, UWL's Personal Financial Planning concentration will become the Trust Point Personal Financial Planning Program.

Adam Stivers, chair of the Finance Department, says the gift will have a transformative impact for students and faculty.

"First and foremost, it will allow us to provide these future financial planners with a variety of career networking opportunities, as we will be able to use the funding to send students to financial planning conferences, symposiums and networking events," Stivers says. "The gift will also allow us to send faculty to financial planning conferences and events for networking and career development. This is crucial in the world of financial planning, where laws and taxes are constantly changing."

For La Crosse-based Trust Point, supporting UWL's finance program is a way to give back to the campus and the community, while strengthening the talent pipeline in a fast-growing industry.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 13% growth in personal financial advising positions over the next decade, outpacing the 3% national average for all other occupations.

"This program will significantly enhance students' education, equipping them with the tools and expertise needed for successful careers,"says Bill Bosch, president and CEO of Trust Point. "At Trust Point, our mission is to help individuals, families and businesses simplify, secure and grow their wealth. With the rising demand for financial planning, this program is essential in preparing students to become future leaders in wealth management."

In addition to the gift, Bosch gave a presentation, "Be the CEO of your career," to the campus community Oct. 4 - part of the CBA's BensonManagement First Friday Lecture Series.

The partnership carries special meaning for Bosch, who earned his bachelor's degree in finance from UWL in 2000. He went on to receive the Graff Distinguished Alumni Award - recognizing outstanding achievement of alumni who have brought honor and distinction to the university - in 2023.

"My education at UWL provided a foundation for what I do today," he says. "I started as an intern at Trust Point while still a student, and that opportunity speaks volumes about the quality of the education and lessons I received here. One of my guiding principles is, 'To be a better leader is to be a better human.' Leading an organization like Trust Point, who is recognized as a trusted partner in our community, and now having the chance to give back to another respected community institution like UWL, is truly an honor."