Kimberly Bartok, Enterprise Public Relations Leader, kim.bartok@rsmus.com, 212.372.1239
Andreia DeVries, Enterprise Public Relations Manager, andreia.devries@rsmus.com, 919.645.6821
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RSM Funds RSM Impact Fund Endowment for Illinois State University
CHICAGO – (March 30, 2021) – The RSM US Foundation and RSM US LLP (RSM) partners recently announced a $110,000 gift to Illinois State University for its RSM Impact Fund. The gift supports professional development for faculty and students.
RSM US LLP Tax Partner, Zack Fortsch (who is a Class of 1983 ISU graduate and a member of the university’s College of Business Hall of Fame), spearheaded efforts to raise donations from his RSM colleagues ($12,000 annually for five years). These monies were then matched by the RSM US Foundation to create the William A. Fortsch Accounting Scholarship, which provides multi-year scholarships for accounting students.
“We recruit from a number of different schools in the region, and Illinois State is a crown jewel for us,” said Fortsch. “The university is a key focus for our recruiting efforts, and we support those students as undergraduates.”
ISU’s RSM Impact Fund was started in the midst of the 2015-2017 state budget crisis. It provides a safety net of funding for faculty recruitment and retention as well as student scholarships and development.
“Nationally, there has been a severe shortage of Ph.D.-qualified accounting faculty,” said Illinois State University Department of Accounting Chair Deborah Seifert. “This fund helps level the playing field for faculty talent. We are fortunate to have Zack as an alum and RSM as a corporate partner. We’re also proud to be able to offer our students a connection to a global leader in accounting.”
“We are honored to be able to support Illinois State University through matching gifts from the RSM US Foundation’s University Giving Match,” said Doug Opheim, chief financial officer with RSM US LLP and chair of the RSM US Foundation. “Stewardship – or leaving things better than we found them – is one of our firm’s core values, and we’re always happy to do that by working with people like Zack who are so engaged with their alma maters and so passionate about helping create tomorrow’s leaders.”
About RSM US LLP
RSM is the leading provider of professional services to the middle market. The clients we serve are the engine of global commerce and economic growth, and we are focused on developing leading professionals and services to meet their evolving needs in today’s ever-changing business landscape. Our purpose is to instill confidence in a world of change, empowering our clients and people to realize their full potential.
RSM US LLP is the U.S. member of RSM International, a global network of independent assurance, tax and consulting firms with 64,000 people in 120 countries. For more information, visit rsmus.com, like us on Facebook, follow us on X and/or connect with us on LinkedIn.
