ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ

This past fiscal year (June 1, 2023, to May 31, 2024) ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ received continued support from alumni, students, faculty, staff, family and friends. These contributions and efforts ensure that ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ can continue to provide exceptional educational experiences that foster a thriving community for students.

Funding scholarships and the many designations on campus can truly change lives, just like it did for Megan Liebig ’24. Read more about her story below and the impact that donor generosity had on her four years at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ.

Preparing for a new academic year offers an opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments made possible through the incredible support of university partners, advocates and investors. See below for some of the highlights of the 2023-24 fiscal year:

Partners for ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s legacy

ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s network remains vibrant and active, with a total of 9,083 engaged alumni and 2,503 engaged families. Here’s the tremendous impact of involvement with ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ:

• Throughout the year, ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ sponsored 263 alumni events on campus, nationally and internationally. These included “Welcome to the City,” “Cheers to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ” and “Evening for ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ” events. At these events, alumni and others came together to celebrate the bonds they have through the university.
• 3,206 alumni participated in regional events held in their own cities.
• 2,114 alumni returned to campus to celebrate Homecoming & Reunion Weekend 2023, participating in events like Rock the Block, a special College Coffee, the Alumni Tailgate, the Young Alumni Celebration and, of course, the Homecoming football game against Monmouth that ended in a Phoenix win!
• 2,163 families attended Family Weekend 2023.
• 877 parents and students attended one of 35 Summer Welcome Events held in 16 different states.

Advocates for innovation and growth

Advocates engage with the university through their time and talents as they volunteer for various university initiatives. Whether they served their class reunion as a committee member or championed ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Day through peer-to-peer fundraising – volunteers continue to be the heartbeat of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s events and initiatives. Here is the breakdown of volunteerism this past fiscal year:

• ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ saw 1,972 total alumni volunteers for events held both on and off campus.
• 203 alumni influencers from the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ community served as social media ambassadors expanding the reach of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ name through their personal social media channels.
• 326 individuals served as ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Day Champions, raising money through ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s online peer-to-peer fundraising tool that will support ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students for years to come through many designations.
• 138 parents served on Parents Council – working together to share strategic feedback on plans and goals for the university, through leadership level giving and providing resources for incoming families.
• 89 ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ families served as FAMbassadors – volunteers who help with events and other initiatives on and off campus.
• 38 faculty and staff members served as giving captains to raise support from their peers for various designations.
• 93 alumni served their reunion class as a member of their reunion committee raising additional support for students and encouraging involvement in Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.

Investors in ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s future

Donor support continues to make all the difference in the lives of ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ students, ensuring they have access to opportunities that allow them to become graduates the world needs. Through donor support, students pursue research, internships, study abroad, involvement in organizations, compete in competitions and pursue their passions. These donations propel students to achieve their dreams.

This funding will continue to impact students for years to come, and ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ is proud to announce the many ways in which donors invested in the university this past year:

• Alumni gave a total of $3.5 million to various designations across campus.
• 6,198 alumni made gifts last fiscal year. All of these gifts will collectively fund student scholarships and experiences for many years.
• Over 245 funds were impacted through donations. This means that funds across campus are widely supported. Whether it’s the Martha & Spencer Love School of Business, the arts, the School of Communications, Greek life, the CREDE, , a student organization, the Truitt Center or something else entirely – donor gifts will touch every part of campus!
• Parents and grandparents gave a total of $5 million to various designations throughout the fiscal year, with 4,383 parents and grandparents making gifts.
• $2.8 million of the fiscal year totals from alumni and families went to directly support ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ’s Greatest Needs, the fund that immediately helps with scholarships, programs and service learning, academic departments and faculty development – all to benefit students wherever it is needed most.
• 60% of faculty and staff made a gift to the university, with 932 individuals supporting students. In total, faculty and staff donated $383,264.
• On ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ Day 2024, more than 2,800 alumni gave and 1,289 parents and grandparents gave, helping raise $2.6 million for students.
• 13 alumni made planned gifts this year totaling $3,283,000.

These numbers reflect the heart of the ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ community and a continued spirit of giving back. Thank you, 2023-24 fiscal year donors, for supporting students!

Megan Liebig ’24

Megan Liebig ’24 is just one of the many seniors who graduated in May who knows the incredible impact of donor gifts. Originally from Durham, North Carolina, Liebig came to ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ with the help of the Glen Raven Mills Scholarship.

“Growing up, I had a pink scrapbook full of my college dreams. Pictures of campuses and course descriptions filled the pages as I dreamed of participating in my own scientific experiments and research,” said Liebig.

Looking back at her four years at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ, she is proud that she has lived out her dream with some of that financial burden lifted off of her family’s shoulders thanks to donor generosity.

While at ÂÒÂ×ÊÓƵ, Liebig pursued breast cancer research because of her family’s history with this type of cancer. After four years of hard work, she proudly walked across the stage to receive her bachelor of science degree in biochemistry. She’s grateful that her research doesn’t end there though – thanks to her scholarship, which eased her financial burden for her undergraduate degree, Liebig is now able to continue this research as she pursues her Ph.D. in biochemistry at Virginia Commonwealth University this fall.

“With four generations of breast cancer in my family, I am so excited to continue this research in hopes that it will have a positive impact on the future,” Liebig said. “Thank you so much donors, truly!”

Her story is just one of many. Students all across campus have similar stories of how donor generosity changed their lives. Thank you, donors, for making stories like this one possible.