Charles Achilles remembers his time at NIU as challenging, in the best way. It was an experience that would later shape both his career path and his approach to giving.
As a chemistry major, Achilles was part of a program that began with dozens of students and graduated only a small number of them. “It was hard work,” he says, but it was also formative.
“I felt like I got a world-class education at Northern,” he says. “It was very thorough. It was well-structured.”
Outside the classroom, he remained engaged. He walked onto the tennis team as a freshman and was offered a scholarship the following year. He spent three years conducting undergraduate research in organic chemistry. He joined a fraternity, took on leadership roles, and served on the university’s Student Disciplinary Committee.
It was a full experience, one that demanded focus and discipline, and one that stayed with him.
Staying Connected
After graduation, Achilles says his career took a path he hadn’t originally planned. He built a career in research, policy, and product development in the real estate industry, a direction that opened the door to decades of meaningful work.
Throughout that time, he stayed closely connected to NIU.
He served on strategic planning groups, mentored students and supported various university initiatives. He also spent six years on the NIU Alumni Association Board, including time as chair of the scholarship committee.
That experience, he says, changed how he thought about giving. “I realized there really weren’t enough scholarships being offered to undergraduate students,” he says. “And that there really needed to be more funding in that area.”
Through his involvement, he met students, attended events and saw the direct impact of scholarship support. “Seeing somebody succeed in life and go forward with their expectations, that’s important,” he says.
That insight led him to make a decision: “If I was ever able to provide those funds to the university, I would,” he says.
Later, Achilles followed through by establishing the Charles Achilles Scholarship in Chemistry, an endowed fund to support students pursuing degrees in the field he once studied.
“I think it’s a burden for a student to have to work full time and try to go to college,” he says. “There are a lot of things they should be experiencing: clubs, activities, their major, everything that helps develop their skills.”
He recalls that when he was an undergraduate, his parents covered most of the cost of his education. He gratefully explains that support allowed him to focus on his studies and take part in the broader college experience. “I worked part time here and there,” he says, “but they paid about 90% of my costs.”
Achilles chose to pay that support forward, and the QCD became a natural way to do it.
A Practical Way to Give
Like many retirees, Achilles is required to take a Required Minimum Distribution, or RMD, from his retirement accounts each year. Normally, that distribution is treated as taxable income.
Through a Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD, he can instead direct a portion of that distribution straight to a qualified nonprofit, like the NIU Foundation. “You can take that money and have it go directly to the institution,” he explains, “and you don’t have to pay taxes on that amount.”
He adds, “It’s an advantage for you as an individual, and it’s an advantage for the institution.”
Looking Ahead
Because he has remained connected, Achilles continues to see the results of his giving in real time, through the students and programs he supports. He has also spent time mentoring students and staying involved with academic programs.
For Charles Achilles, the decision to give, and how to give, came down to providing others the opportunities that shaped him. “I felt that the time was right,” he says. For others who may be considering giving, his advice is simple. “Talk to your financial advisor,” he says. “Learn about your options.”
