We invite you to join the
PARENTS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL and start building and enjoying your own relationship with W&L today.
PA R ENTS LEADERSHIP CO UNC I L L EVEL S
Circle $25,000 annually
Steering Committee
Member $5,000 annually
$10,000 annually
Support from parents goes to work immediately to enhance the W&L experience for all students. These private dollars help provide the distinctive experiences and opportunities that students and parents expect from W&L and that prepare our students to make a meaningful impact on
the world. Leadership contributions were as important as ever this past year when the flexibility of unrestricted annual support helped us meet unexpected expenses associated with the global pandemic and the resulting challenges and changes to our academic year.
QU ICK FACTS ◗ Parents — current and former
non-alumni parents — contribute nearly 16% of W&L’s annual gift total each year ◗ Annual giving makes up 6%
of W&L’s operating budget ◗ PLC-level gifts make up 80% of
the Parents Fund total ◗ An additional $184.3 million
in unrestricted endowment would be needed to generate the same earnings represented by annual giving each year — $20,704 would be needed to generate the equivalent of a $1,000 Parents Fund gift ◗ Annual giving from parents,
alumni and friends provides $4,222 toward the full cost of education for every W&L student *Numbers based on fiscal year 2021.
$1.45m
Total raised for the Parents Fund from non-alumni parents in FY21
9
Number of PLC Circle families
66
$1.55m Goal for FY22
Number of Steering Committee families
$3.37m
183
Total committed to all funds by non-alumni parents in FY21
Number of Parents Leadership Council families
1,249
Parent donors last year
SU P P ORT WHAT MATTERS We recognize the personal nature of philanthropy.
opportunities allow us to provide unparalleled
We encourage parents and alumni to support
academics and student experiences, year after
areas of the university that have the most
year. Gifts made without a specific designation
significance to them. Annual Parents Fund gifts
are vital to W&L and will continue to support the
directed to financial aid, academics, the arts,
university’s areas of greatest need.
athletics, diversity and inclusion, and student
THE PARENTS LE ADERSHIP COUNCIL The Parents Leadership Council (PLC) is an active and enthusiastic group of generous families who recognize the value of philanthropy in higher education and want to make a difference by demonstrating leadership support of Washington and Lee. Members enjoy unique opportunities
and events throughout the year. The PLC offers opportunities to make important connections within the W&L community and to engage more deeply with the school. While the PLC is less focused on committee work than donor recognition, we do recruit volunteers to help us with outreach and
engagement events. The PLC provides a nice way for parents to build a unique relationship with W&L — a relationship that is separate from their student’s experience and one that can be quite meaningful and special.
LEVELS OF PLC MEMBERSHIP
Circle • Recognizes annual contributions of $25,000 and above Steering Committee • Recognizes annual contributions of $10,000-24,999 Member • Recognizes annual contributions of $5,000-9,999
MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Engagement — W&L parents share many things in common, and we’ve come to realize that one of those is a sincere desire to make W&L the best it can be for all students. We value parents’ perspectives on the W&L experience. Throughout the year, parents are invited to a variety of gatherings where they have opportunities to interact with the president, key administrators, faculty and
staff. We also look for ways to engage with parents when they are on campus for PLC events, athletics, performances or visiting their W&L student. For PLC Circle and Steering Committee members, these interactions often take the form of individual meetings with administrators, on-campus accommodations, special receptions and more.
Events — Parents and Family Weekend (PFW) — In addition to the wide range of events designed for all families throughout PFW, we invite PLC members and prospective new members to a special cocktail reception on Friday evening and breakfast with a brief program on Saturday morning. This is always a great way to kick off the year and to thank and connect with current and potential new members. PLC Circle and Steering Committee members occasionally are invited to events designed exclusively for them. PLC Weekend — Each spring we invite all PLC members to campus for engaging programs, opportunities to meet and hear from key administrators and faculty, plenty of time to network and socialize with new friends, and — best of all — a
great excuse to come visit their W&L student(s). PLC members look forward to this fun weekend every year!
PLC Circle and Steering Committee members are invited to come early for a special meeting/program and cocktail reception. Outreach — PLC members are instrumental in helping to foster a warm and welcoming environment for all W&L families. Each year, PLC volunteers make welcome calls to new families, host or attend summer/fall Welcome Receptions, host regional events through the Alumni Admissions Program (AAP) designed to encourage accepted students to attend W&L, and more. Some PLC members help facilitate philanthropy by working with staff to
identify potential new PLC members and encouraging other families to participate. Expertise — Our PLC membership is full of accomplished and generous parents, some who want to have a deeper level of engagement with W&L and are willing to share their time and expertise. When opportunities arise, we often look to the PLC to identify parents who would be a good fit for one of our advisory boards, strong additions to our network of alumni and parents who help mentor and advise students through the Office of Career and Professional Development, insightful visiting lecturers and speakers, and more. As we get to know our PLC members, we look for ways to add value to their PLC experience.
THE PARENTS FUND Ronni Miller Gardner Director of Parent Giving Office of Development 540-462-7377 Mobile rgardner@wlu.edu www.wlu.edu/give