A Tradition of Giving, A Future of Impact

Philanthropy at Widener University is woven into the university’s rich history. 

Rooted in the institution’s more than 200 years, the tradition of giving is driven by members of the Pride who want to help shape the next iteration of academic excellence, enrich our community of belonging, and extend career-shaping pathways that influenced their own lives.

“Support from our alumni is essential to Widener’s future,” said Stacey Robertson, president of Widener University. 

Their generosity brings innovative ideas to life and creates transformative opportunities that drive growth not only at Widener, but across industries and communities worldwide.” —President Stacey Robertson

Support from Widener alumni—a network more than 65,000 strong—can be seen every day across the university. Whether through financial gifts or donations of time and talent, alumni engagement bolsters progress and is a catalyst for improvement and sustainability. 

Today, giving at Widener is shaping the university’s future. In 2025, Widener celebrated a series of significant gifts made to each of the university’s three campuses. The gifts vary in scope and mission but share one common goal: empower the university to provide a transformative student experience.

A Record-Breaking Gift to Redefine Nursing Leadership

As a leader in healthcare financing, Jack Dwyer ’78 is well-versed in the hurdles facing the healthcare industry. 

Throughout his career financing senior care facilities, the business graduate saw the effects of nursing burnout, turnover, and barriers to career growth for nurses and healthcare providers alike. In nursing home facilities, for instance, nurses account for approximately 60 to 70 percent of expenses, making them critical to business sustainability.

“Nurses really are the backbone of the whole industry,” said Dwyer. “They're the ones that take care of our loved ones at the facilities. If it's not for them, it's a real problem.”

After earning an accounting degree from Widener, Dwyer launched a successful financial career. Today, he is founder and CEO of CFG Bank, the largest bank headquartered in Baltimore, and founder and CEO of Capital Funding Group, a healthcare and multifamily financing group. 

In October, Jack and his wife Nancy announced a $10 million gift—the largest in Widener’s history—to reimagine nursing leadership roles. The gift renamed the school to the Jack & Nancy Dwyer School of Nursing and will support a new program designed to strengthen leadership capacity for those in director of nursing roles in skilled nursing facilities.

Nancy and I saw that Widener has done a tremendous job with its nursing school and we wanted to contribute to that effort." —Jack Dwyer '78

For the Dwyers, the gift builds on existing efforts through their nonprofit, Dwyer Workforce Development. Launched in 2021, DWD builds career pathways and support networks for individuals who struggle to advance in nursing due to financial and personal circumstances. 

“We both believe in giving back to an education, because that's the way out of poverty and other hardships,” said Nancy.

According to Terry Travis, vice president for advancement, partnering with alumni creates opportunities to make a vast impact.

Widener alumni are doing incredible things across the globe. Their partnership propels change that stands to impact industries, creates connections for students, and deepens Widener’s community of belonging.” —Terry Travis, vice president for advancement

Dwyer’s decision to partner with Widener nursing’s vibrant ecosystem of learning and leadership not only invests in the future of the healthcare industry, but in the Widener nurses who will lead it.

“If you can change somebody's life, that's a big thing. That's what gives me the most gratification,” Dwyer said.

Igniting a Legacy of Giving

Law school is inherently a challenging experience. For Doug Wolfberg ‘96, his law school experience was marked not only by the anticipated academic battles, but personal ones as well.

“When I came to Widener, I was scraping by. Rent, tuition, books, ramen noodles, coffee and soda as food groups,” said Wolfberg, who serves on the university’s board of trustees.

While working and starting a family, Wolfberg also lost both of his parents during law school. Amid the devastating loss and setbacks, Wolfberg credits the law school’s community and available resources for helping him to earn his degree and eventually become co-founder of Page, Wolfberg & Wirth, a leading law firm specializing in EMS and mobile healthcare issues.

At the school’s 35th anniversary gala, Wolfberg joined Dean andré douglas pond cummings to announce a $250,000 gift—one of the largest in program history. The funding will directly enhance the student experience in Harrisburg that anchored Wolfberg’s success. 

I was incredibly fortunate to have received scholarships. They made a profound difference. So for me, giving back isn’t symbolic—it’s personal. Widener invested in me. To this school and these students, I want to return that investment.” —Doug Wolfberg '96L

In recognition of the gift, the school renamed its moot courtroom—a signature learning space home to pivotal classes, mock trials and lectures— to the Douglas M. Wolfberg Courtroom. The funding will also support upcoming courtroom renovations to enhance its technology and accessibility features. 

“I don’t see this as putting my name on a door,” Wolfberg said. “I see this as helping the people who walk through that door.”

Wolfberg’s gift demonstrates the student experience that define so many Widener alumni. According to Wolfberg, those experiences connect generations of graduates and students, fostering a sense of purpose to uphold Widener’s commitment to student success in the classroom and beyond.

“This place ignited our careers, our opportunities, our livelihood. Now I want to help ignite a virtuous cycle of alumni philanthropy in any amount,” Wolfberg said. “Gifts of any size help students who will go on to become tomorrow’s lawyers, justices, advocates and leaders. That ripple effect—that’s the real legacy.”

Expanding Resources for Student Success

This year marked 50 years of legal education at Delaware Law School. The milestone anniversary celebrated the school’s impact on the legal profession in the First State and nationwide. 

That impact starts with students—providing them with the support needed to flourish from the classroom to the courtroom. For many students, both past and present, that spirit of support is synonymous with Connie Sweeney. 

"Supporting students means different things to different people," Sweeney said. "Supporting students can mean being a problem solver for them, assisting with competition planning, or just being a cheerleader." 

A long-time administrator who serves as executive assistant to the dean, Sweeney is paramount to student success at Delaware Law. Her dedication was honored at the school’s 50th anniversary gala when Dean Todd Clark announced the renaming of the school’s student emergency fund to the Connie Sweeney Student Emergency Fund.

“There is nothing she cannot or will not do to make this institution and its students successful,” said Clark. “Connie’s work has impacted thousands of alumni over the last 30 plus years.”

The fund, which received a $25,000 pledge from Alice ’92 and Walter Strine, Cary ’81 and Nancy Flitter, and Chip Brown ’90 and Ipek Kurul, is designed to help Delaware Law students when they need it most. By offering a safety net for students facing unexpected financial crises, Delaware Law ensures that they have the support needed to complete their education and become the legal leaders of tomorrow. 

You do not plan for hardship to happen. This fund is in place to help when help is needed. And it exists because of the generosity of friends and family, and alumni, and employees." —Connie Sweeney

Philanthropy at Widener represents more than generosity. It represents a shared vision for what a Widener education can achieve. From record-setting gifts poised to disrupt industry challenges to investments that strengthen Widener’s network of student support, alumni are shaping a future that generates opportunity and legacies. 

With every gift—large or small—Widener continues to transform lives today and for generations to come.
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