Dan Saar (‘98), executive director of business development at S&P Global Mobility, and one of Northwood University’s 2025 Leadership Award honorees, is a successful professional who is interested in giving back to his communities — a tenet of The Northwood Idea. To meet one of his “giving goals,” he and his wife, Heather, tapped into an often-overlooked resource when they created an endowed scholarship to support NU students with financial need from Macomb and Oakland counties.
Creating a Scholarship
Saar wanted to give the same gift of financial support he received as a Northwood student to young people who are interested in Northwood but cannot afford the tuition. However, he wasn’t confident the amount of money he could donate would be enough to create an endowed scholarship. He found the solution from a reliable source: his employer.
“S&P Global is committed to supporting employees as they volunteer for and donate to organizations and charities, including matching employee contributions. I realized that using the matching funds program would help me meet the amount needed to start an endowed scholarship at Northwood. After saving up enough to reach the maximum matching contribution S&P Global allowed, we were able to establish the Saar Family Endowed Scholarship,” Saar explained.
Creating the scholarship was a straightforward process, with Saar working closely with Julie Adamcyzk, Northwood’s executive director of alumni relations.
“I could not have attended Northwood without financial support. And now, through the endowed scholarship, my wife and I can give that opportunity and peace of mind to Northwood students for years to come,” Saar noted.
Receiving the Gift
The Saar Family Endowed Scholarship is already making a difference. The first scholarship recipient — Collin Baker (’28 B.B.A. & ’29 M.B.A.) — is achieving academically and as a center on Northwood’s hockey team.
“I chose Northwood for specific reasons: I wanted to get a good education and also play hockey while I was in college,” Baker said. “I am very thankful that I received the scholarship so I could go to the college I wanted. And I’m inspired by alumni like Dan Saar, who care enough about the Northwood community to give back. That support means a lot and motivates me to do my best.”
Dan and Heather Saar’s experience shows that if someone is interested in creating a scholarship at Northwood, there’s a way to make it happen.
“Just be creative,” Dan Saar added. “See if your employer has a matching contribution program. Pull together your friends from Northwood to combine your donations. Or even reach out to other NU alumni where you work and live. You don’t have to be a billionaire to help others fulfill their dreams of going to Northwood.”
To learn how you can contribute to the growth and success of Northwood students, visit northwood.edu/advancement/ways-to-support.
