Whether they’re cheering on the sidelines at a Gopher football game or funding innovative programming at the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jim and Jen Schweigert are actively invested in campus life at the University of Minnesota.

This 40-something alumni couple is driven by a simple, powerful conviction: today’s students need support right now. Through a strategic blend of current-use and estate gifts, the Schweigerts are actively investing in the University today, fueling their passion for creating enriching student experiences both inside and outside the classroom.

Now established in their careers — Jim is president of Gro Alliance and Jen is a personal trainer and serves on various community boards — the Schweigerts’ philanthropic strategy is rooted in their own time at the University, where they met. As public relations students, they fully immersed themselves in the campus experience, from co-chairing the Spring Jam committee (Jim) to serving as Panhellenic Council president (Jen).

“Both of us had rich experiences that supplemented the classroom,” Jim says. “That’s what created our passion to get involved in philanthropy.”

That passion fueled the Jim and Jen Schweigert Endowed Scholarship, which supports Hubbard School students who excel academically while maintaining strong extracurricular involvement. For the Schweigerts, this criterion is about investing in the University’s future.

“Students who get involved beyond academics tend to be better alumni,” Jen says. “They develop stronger ties and are more likely to give back down the road.”

Their philanthropy also targets direct, practical needs. At the Hubbard School, they fund a specialized case-studies course focused on real-world group work.

“Our goal is to help prepare students for the next generation of careers,” Jim says.

Their support also extends to the gridiron, including current-use and planned gifts in support of Gopher Athletics. As passionate football fans, they enjoy the perks of leadership giving — like taking in pregame locker room speeches — but their investment runs deeper, directly aligning with their PR backgrounds.

“Athletics is the ‘front porch’ of the University,” Jim says, adding that Gopher sporting events shape public opinion of their alma mater. “We want to help support a football team that’s doing it the right way — where ‘student-athlete’ is still the core description, and players excel both on and off the field.”

Though decades younger than the typical planned giving donor, the Schweigerts see their relative youth as an asset that allows them to actively witness the impact of their giving over the years.

“We want to be good stewards of our blessings,” Jen says. “For us, that means giving back right now, because the need is there today.”