Philanthropic support for student aid will be a priority in the coming year as the university seeks to further President Steven Knapp’s legacy of increasing access to a GW education and improving success rates of all students once enrolled.
"President Knapp and our university leadership are dedicated to ensuring that all qualified students have access to a GW education and to making the student body more diverse in every sense of the word,” said Aristide Collins, vice president for development and alumni relations. “GW is committed to providing all students with a top-notch student experience--one that equips them with the tools, knowledge and resources to succeed.
“In the final year of President Knapp's tenure, we are encouraging our alumni, parents and friends to make a philanthropic commitment to support GW students. Student scholarship and fellowship support through our Power & Promise initiative is a key priority, but athletics, student services and career services also are essential elements of our overall focus on enhancing the student experience.”
More than 21,700 donors have given to the “support students” pillar of the Making History Campaign, which includes gifts to support Power & Promise student aid, athletics, GW Libraries, and student activities and organizations, among others. Approximately 120 new endowed scholarships and fellowships have been funded during the campaign.
As of July 29, more than $875 million overall has been raised from more than 60,000 individual donors during Making History: The Campaign for GW. In fiscal year 2016, GW’s Making History Campaign raised more than $96 million. This year saw record-breaking philanthropic participation from the class of 2016 and 100 percent giving by GW’s Board of Trustees and deans. In addition, significant gifts were received from individual and organizational donors including Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr., Honey W. Nashman, the Avenir Foundation, and American Express. Alumni donors such as Michael Hope, BA ’79, as well as generous parents and friends, made gifts to support Power & Promise scholarships and fellowships, and are enabling GW students to experience countless only-at-GW moments.
This year follows a record-breaking fundraising year in 2015 that included one-time asset transfers from the Corcoran and The Textile Museum exceeding $100 million.
Making History: The Campaign for GW has a goal of raising $1 billion by June 2018.
Funds raised through the campaign are supporting students, enhancing academics, and breaking new ground through research, helping GW realize its strategic plan and advance into its third century.