The Fund for William & Mary

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It’s about community.

It’s about impact.

It’s about doing the most good for the most people.


Those ideals are what make William & Mary special. And those same ideals are what the Fund for William & Mary is all about. The fund keeps us agile, flexible and adaptable — it allows us to see new opportunities, new challenges and get ahead of trends so our community can continue to make a positive impact in the world.

Why Give to the Fund for William & Mary?

Giving to the Fund for William & Mary is about more than keeping the lights on. It’s about supporting the people who make our university shine.

Annual gifts made to the Fund for William & Mary — the university’s largest source of unrestricted funds — go a long way toward allowing William & Mary to maintain its margin of excellence by meeting our most pressing needs and priorities. These range from financial aid for students to student and faculty research to general operating support and more. However, to operate at our full capacity, the Fund would raise $5 million per year in an ideal scenario.

Impact takes work — but it’s worth it

 

You might not know this, but the Commonwealth of Virginia provides less than 12% of what William & Mary needs to cover our operating expenses. Let that number sink in. That’s part of a downward trend over the last forty years — from 42.8% in 1980, 27.8% in 2000 and 13.4% in 2014.

The fund’s significance in our ability to provide the highest level of academic excellence cannot be understated. It allows us to flex and pivot as needed, addressing highest priorities. Often, it is the first place we look to seed new initiatives, enhance our activities and meet pressing needs. This is the funding that keeps the university on the leading edge. And we need more leaders now than ever before.

Unrestricted Impact Today, Limitless Possibilities for Tomorrow

William & Mary’s single largest day of giving is supported by the Fund for William & Mary, generating over $4 million for the university. And just about every signature event from Charter Day to Traditions Weekend to Homecoming & Reunion Weekend is supported by the Fund for William & Mary. It’s about community.
The James Monroe Scholars Program is offered to the top 10% of all students admitted to William & Mary and is a life-changing, trajectory-altering experience — Monroe Scholars undertake summer research projects that expand their reach around the globe. It’s about impact.
In fiscal year 2022 alone, $1.4 million from the fund directly supported scholarship needs. The Fund for William & Mary fills in the gaps in financial aid for students, allowing them to thrive. It’s about doing the most good for the most people.
W&M has particular power to unite our community and to prepare tomorrow’s visionaries. Increased support for the Fund for William & Mary would ensure we achieve our Vision 2026 goals of educating for impact, evolving to excel and expanding our reach. It’s about community.
A substantial increase to the Fund for William & Mary would significantly impact the amount of financial aid available to our future students, allowing us to provide more scholarship opportunities, ultimately ensuring that all who come here will thrive here. It’s about impact.
As giving increases across the university, more of the Fund for William & Mary can be used to better support the people who support our students — our faculty, staff and student services. They are the individuals who ensure our students flourish while at William & Mary and who ensure they are successful when they leave our brick pathways. It’s about doing the most good for the most people.

Help us create unrestricted possibilities, remain agile and stay at the cutting edge through a recurring commitment today.

Give Now

For more information on how you can help, please contact:

  •  Meghan D. Palombo, M.B.A. '23, Associate Vice President for Annual Giving & Philanthropic Engagement
  •  757-221-1467
  •   mdpalombo@wm.edu