Anonymous gift establishes St. Margaret of Cortona Fund for Dignity and New Beginnings
Marian University has received a $5 million anonymous gift to establish the St. Margaret of Cortona Fund for Dignity and New Beginnings. This endowed fund supports dignity and new beginnings with a special emphasis on incarcerated women with educational assistance, basic necessities, and resources to help them successfully reenter society.
The endowment will provide long-term support of Marian’s commitment to advancing the dignity of every person, especially our program at the Indiana Women’s Prison. Marian’s mission-commitment to this effort has become a nationally recognized program that offers incarcerated women in Indiana a college education and reentry support. The program launched in 2019 by a group of dedicated faculty serving 16 students at Indiana Women’s Prison and served nearly 60 students during the 2025–26 academic year. In 2024, the program expanded to the Rockville Correctional Facility, extending college education to more incarcerated women across Indiana.
Students can pursue associate and bachelor’s degrees full-time, with additional support through mentored study halls, wellness workshops, career development, and student organizations. The program also provides reentry support to help graduates continue their education and transition successfully after incarceration.
For Marian, the work reflects a commitment dating back to the university’s founding in 1851 by the Sisters of St. Francis: a belief in the dignity of every person and in education’s transformative power.
“Marian University was founded by women who understood that education has the power to transform lives, families, and communities,” said Marian University President Daniel J. Elsener. “That conviction remains at the heart of our faculty with the full support of the Board of Trustees, leadership, and donors. This extraordinary gift will help ensure that commitment is resourced in perpetuity. We are profoundly grateful to this family for believing in Marian University’s transformative mission to advance Human Flourishing – including those living on society’s margins.”
The fund is named after St. Margaret of Cortona, a 13th-century Franciscan whose life became associated with conversion, service to people living in poverty, and care for those on society's margins. Her story reflects the Franciscan conviction that underlies the fund: that every person possesses inherent dignity and remains capable of purpose, transformation, and new beginnings.
The anonymous donor said the decision to establish the endowment grew from a belief in education's lasting impact, confidence in Marian’s success with the program, and a deep commitment to the program's long-term growth.
“We have seen firsthand what education can mean in the lives of women who are incarcerated, and I am in absolute awe of their intelligence, discipline, and motivation,” the donor said. “Our family has come to know women who have taken advantage of every opportunity to learn and prepare themselves for what comes next. We know a Marian education can open doors they may never have imagined possible, and we are honored to help ensure those opportunities will be there for women for generations to come.”
The program at the Indiana Women’s Prison is grounded in Marian University’s Franciscan Sponsorship Values, including the dignity of the individual, peace and justice, reconciliation, and responsible stewardship. The liberal arts curriculum emphasizes reading, writing, critical thinking, and communication, preparing students for further education, careers, and life after incarceration.
Marian partners with the Bard Prison Initiative’s Consortium for Liberal Arts in Prison and the Indiana Prison Liberal Arts Network to support its college-in-prison programs.
The $5 million gift is part of Marian University’s Journey to 2030: Always Forward initiative, which has raised $490 million to date to support the university’s long-term priorities and growth.