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Gift Guide

Giving Opportunities

Make an Impact: Build the Endowment

From the time of George Washington's gift of $20,000 worth of James River Canal stock in 1796 to the present, gifts of all sizes for endowment have helped shape Washington and Lee University. These visionary gifts in support of scholarships, professorships, academic programs, campus enhancement and so many other University priorities, have been invested and managed wisely to provide ongoing support for the people and programs of Washington and Lee. Strengthening the endowment is a top priority of the Honor Our Past, Build Our Future campaign with nearly 70% of the $500M goal designated for this purpose.

Minimum Gift$5,000,000

Dean's Position

Gifts at this level may endow and name one of the academic deanships at Washington and Lee. A special opportunity exists to use the Lenfest Challenge to meet the minimum threshold for these professorships by December 31, 2010.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$5,000,000

Named Interdisciplinary Program

Under the guidance of the Deans and Provost, gifts naming and endowing enduring interdisciplinary programs significantly strengthen these programs by supporting their faculty appointments and academic initiatives.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$3,500,000

Professorships (to create and name a new position)

These gifts allow for the establishment of a faculty position in an identified and approved strategic priority area within the curriculum.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$2,500,000

Professorships (to name an existing position)

These gifts allow Washington and Lee to recognize and support its best and most senior faculty members. A special opportunity exists to use the Lenfest Challenge to meet the minimum threshold for these professorships by December 31, 2010.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$2,500,000

University Librarian

A gift to endow the University Librarian's position would allow Washington and Lee to recognize this position and the person appointed to it for exceptional service and contributions to the University through their leadership of the James G. Leyburn and Telford Sciences Libraries.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$2,500,000

Named Directorship of an Interdisciplinary Program

A named directorship of an interdisciplinary program strengthens the program and recognizes the faculty director, whose primary appointment is in a department, for exceptional leadership, teaching, service and contributions to their profession.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$1,500,000

Visiting Scholars and Artists

Gifts allow Washington and Lee to bring distinguished scholars and artists from around the country and the world to campus to enrich the curriculum with academic expertise not represented in the permanent faculty.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$1,500,000

Clinic Endowments

Law clinics provide practical learning opportunities for students at the School of Law. Professors work directly with students to provide legal assistance to clients on selected issues. Donors may choose to name and endow the following six clinics: Black Lung Program; Virginia Capital Case Clearinghouse; Community Legal Practice Clinic; Legal Aid Clinic; Public Prosecutors Program; and the Transnational Law Institute

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$1,000,000

Named Scholarships in the Johnson Scholars Program

These are individual named need-based scholarships under the umbrella of Washington and Lee’s preeminent scholarship program. These scholarships cover 100% of the costs of tuition, room and board for scholarship recipients, and help the University attract and support the very best students from around the world.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$1,000,000

Coaching Positions

Donors may name a head coaching position through the establishment of an endowment to support coaches salaries within the Athletic Department. A special opportunity exists to use the Lenfest Challenge to meet the minimum threshold for these professorships by December 31, 2010.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$1,000,000

Section Head Librarian's Position

A gift at this level allows Washington and Lee to recognize and support senior library staff and aid the University in attracting and retaining outstanding individuals with expertise in areas such as technical services, special collections, humanities, and the sciences.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$1,000,000

Information Fluency Program

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$750,000

College Writing Program

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$750,000

Williams School Writing Program

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$500,000

Distinguished Scholarships

These named scholarships support part of the cost of tuition for students. Donors may select broad preferences for the award.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$500,000

Professors of Practice

These gifts provide one semester's support for a practitioner to lead a practicum within the Third Year Program of the Law School.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$500,000

Term Professorships

These awards honor mid-career faculty for outstanding teaching and scholarship, and help recruit, retain and recognize these individuals. Term professorships are awarded on a rotating basis and recognize a different professor, currently every three years.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$500,000

Peer Technology Instruction

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$500,000

Enrichment Program Endowments

Donors may choose to name and endow one of the following enrichment programs: Friends of Rockbridge, New York Internship Program, Washington and Lee Student Consulting, Washington Term Program, Week on Wall Street.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$500,000

Program Endowments

Donors may choose to name and endow the undergraduate advising or the Science Society, and the Arts programs. A specific naming level for each program is available from the Office of University Development.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$250,000

First-Year Seminars

Gifts supporting First-Year Seminars assist Washington and Lee in offering new courses especially designed for first-year students. Donors may state some preferences for their named seminar such as a discipline or a broad field of study, helping the University mount a first-year seminar in that broad field when student and faculty interest allow.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$250,000

Visiting Lecturers and Executives

Gifts allow Washington and Lee to bring distinguished academic and professional visitors from around the world to campus for shorter periods of time, to work directly with students and to interact with Washington and Lee faculty.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$250,000

Head Resident Advisors

Donors may choose to name and endow one of the two head resident advisors' positions. These upper-division students supervise the first-year and upper-division resident advisors and work closely with the Dean of First-Year Students, the Vice President of Student Affairs and other Student Affairs professionals to train student staff and administer the University’s residence hall policies.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$150,000

Assistant Head Resident Advisors

Funds support the junior and senior students who hold leadership positions within the residence life program while serving first-year or upper division residents in their respective halls.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Washington and Lee Scholarships

These named scholarships support part of the cost of tuition for students, and are usually pooled with other funds to create aid packages.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Loan Repayment Fund

Support law students who aspire to enter public service following their graduation from the School of Law. Funds assist graduates in meeting their educational debt commitments so long as they work in public interest law.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$100,000

International Learning Opportunities

Give a student the opportunity to interact with other cultures, other economies, and other political systems by supporting study abroad experiences.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Faculty Support Endowments

Gifts support faculty salaries in a donor’s particular area of interest.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Department and Program Support Funds

Departmental and Program Support Funds help to underwrite the many educational events and activities, such as seminar series and special speakers, that are so important in enriching the academic life of the University.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Faculty Initiatives

Gifts assist Washington and Lee faculty in revitalizing the curriculum, and celebrate and support the unique and rich opportunities the University’s curriculum affords for student learning. Gifts to a faculty initiatives fund may support such activities as: new course development; curriculum innovation; faculty professional development, including the Glenn grants and research abroad during the summer; and electronic research resources (databases, etc.) to support faculty research.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Electronic Research Resources

Funds help to provide access to databases necessary to support faculty and student research.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

New Library Initiatives/Information Technology Fund

Leyburn Library aims to stay current with changing library technologies and software, as well as the changing roles and skill sets of librarians in the information age. Donors may choose to create and name an endowment aiding the library in meeting these challenges. Endowed funds help the library undertake projects to address information storage and transfer, and to support the acquisition of new hardware, software and expertise.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Internships

Gifts support student participation in semester-long learning experiences like the Washington Term Program and the New York Internship Program as well as internship opportunities across the curriculum.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Summer Research

Funds provide opportunities for students to participate in faculty-mentored and independent summer research through programs like the R.E. Lee Scholars.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Resident Advisors for First-Year Students

Gifts support the sophomore, junior and senior undergraduate students who work directly with 12-20 first-year students in their assigned halls in Graham Lees, Davis, Gilliam and Gaines.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

Faculty Initiatives

Funds supporting faculty innovation celebrate and support the unique and rich opportunities the University’s curriculum affords for student learning. Gifts may support new course development and curriculum innovation in a donor’s particular area of interest.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$100,000

International Program Funds

Support for students working in the experiential programs abroad providing support for legal services and legal system development.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$100,000

Externship Funds

Support for students participating in externships outside of Lexington

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$100,000

Professionalism Program

Funds from this endowment would, among other things, enable faculty members to develop professionalism modules for individual courses.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191

Minimum Gift$50,000

University Scholarship Fund

Gifts to this fund support Washington and Lee’s general scholarship endowment. Donors making an initial gift to this Fund may add to their gift over time in order to build it to a named scholarship level.

For more information, please contact:
Office of University Development
campaign@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8410

Minimum Gift$2,500

The Dean's Council

The Dean's Council recognizes those individuals whose total annual giving to the School of Law is $2,500 or more. Gifts may be designated to the Law Annual Fund, specific funds such as the Steinheimer or Groot Professorships, one of the School's named scholarship funds, Lewis Hall renovations, or any combination of Law Annual Funds and other specific funds.

For more information, please contact:
Elizabeth Outland Branner
Director of Law School Advancement
brannere@wlu.edu
(540) 458-8191