Time is Running Out to Give to The Meredith Fund
The end of the fiscal year, June 30, is quickly approaching and The Meredith Fund still needs to raise $160,000 to reach its goal of $750,000. I wanted to share some facts for The Meredith Fund thus far this fiscal year:
- 457 more alumnae have given this year as compared to last year at this time.
- Alumnae have given $65,000 more than they had by this time last year.
- Faculty and staff have given $21,000 less than they did last year.
- The Class of 1961 won the Meredith Mayhem class competition and currently have a participation rate of 61%.
- The Class of 2011 set a record participation rate of 61% giving to their senior class gift. They will fund a raised walkway to The Oaks apartments.
Thanks to everyone who has already given this year. Every gift, regardless of size, makes a great impact. Please consider making a gift to The Meredith Fund today. I find it very easy to give through payroll deduction. Please contact me with any questions.
Thank you for all you do for our students. I hope you have a wonderful summer!
-Submitted by Jane Mitchell, director of The Meredith Fund
An Update on the Growth in Gift Planning at Meredith
An interesting part of the work of institutional advancement is to offer all kinds of opportunities to those who are motivated to support the College in some way. Deferred or planned gifts are an excellent way to increase the College’s endowment. By definition, planned gifts are normally larger and most often go to establish scholarships. New gifts are written each year that will be "realized" in future years. Realized gifts are those that are received by the college following the death of the donor.
We currently have close to $30 million of planned gifts "in the pipeline". That is, these gifts will be realized in the coming years. During the last three years, the following amounts of new gifts have been established:
FY 2009: $1.9 million
FY 2010: $1.4 million
FY 2011 (to date): $1.6 million
During this same timeframe, the following amounts have been realized with endowments and other projects being funded:
FY 2009. $1.3 million
FY 2010. $1.4 million
FY 2011 (to date). $1.8 million
Thank you for letting us share our successes.
-Submitted By Harold West
Laid Back Luau a Huge Success! – Note of thanks
“WOW! Thank you for an AMAZING wonderful celebration! The atmosphere was so festive and joyous. The food and music were spectacular. Thanks for your hard work to put this on for us."
This was just one of the many, many positive comments received from the Laid Back Luau event sponsored by the Staff Affairs committee on May 25, 2011.
What better way to end the year than with a fun time with colleagues? Over 125 staff, faculty and administrators took the time to enjoy the island-themed event. Participants were treated to great entertainment provided by Miranda McCall, wonderful themed food catered by Aramark, and fabulous door prizes donated by many campus offices and area businesses. If the dancing was any indication, everyone had a good time! Thanks, Melanie Fitzgerald for providing us with mood-setting dance music.
The Staff Affairs Committee is grateful for the support of the campus and community. Requests for donations of door prizes were met with enthusiasm and many donations came unsolicited. Imagine our excitement when, after the invitation went out, campus offices called us to make a contribution toward the fun. We congratulate the winners and ask that you show support to local businesses Zoe’s Kitchen and Whole Foods for their generous donations. Everyone’s support made for a great event. It was the perfect way to end the year and we can’t thank you enough.
Staff Affairs Committee of 2010-11:
Donna Knott, Chair
Jean Gambrill, Co-Chair
Lauren Sumner, Secretary
Ron Anderson
Mattie Hawkins
Kris Householder
Deb Laube
-Submitted by Donna Knott, Staff Affairs Committee Chair
In this Issue:
Top Academic Scholarship Recipients Announced
Alumna Samantha Cibelli Earns Fulbright Grant
Research Partnership Grants Fund Summer Projects for Student-Faculty Teams
Faculty/Staff Facilitators Appreciate LeaderShape Experience
Readership Survey Results
Professor of Music Ellen Williams Completes Mahler CD
Faculty/Staff Accomplishments
Upcoming Events
News Briefs
Have you presented research or attended a professional meeting recently? Has your department earned an award? Share news of these accomplishments and more with the Meredith community. Faculty and staff are invited to email items to Melyssa Allen, “Campus Connections” editor, at allenme@meredith.edu.