Giving

The Annual Fund brings the W&L community together in its common pursuit of excellence, harnessing the energy fueled by generous alumni, parents and friends to support an outstanding academic experience for every student. Providing funding for the areas of greatest need to giving to any of the six designated areas within W&L, contributing to the Annual Fund means empowering students to achieve their full potential. Annual giving impacts every sector of the university and provides significant support for the operating budget each year. Each gift advances W&L’s core mission, and the result is class after class of phenomenal leaders who go out into the world to make a positive difference.

Washington and Lee’s Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics stands out among the top 20 liberal arts institutions as the only internationally accredited undergraduate business program. The number of students majoring in accounting, business administration, economics, and politics at W&L has grown significantly over the last 20 years. In 2020, nearly 50 percent of the graduating class majored in one of these disciplines. To accommodate that growth and to provide a modern learning complex that supports this robust program, W&L plans to renovate Huntley Hall and build a new Williams School structure on Washington Street. These improvements will facilitate hands-on learning, accommodate the university’s hallmark small class size, and enhance networking and professional development opportunities for students. Total Fundraising Goal: $40.5 million

In the last five years, both the Student Health Center and the Counseling Center have experienced more than a 30% increase in visits. The critical services these facilities provide ensure the health and wellness of W&L students so that they can take full advantage of the learning experiences available to them. Washington and Lee seeks to expand the Student Health and Counseling Center, consolidating medical practice, counseling and psychiatry services in one location, to support a team approach to caring for students in a setting that is easily accessible. The center will be located in a new building on Washington Street near first-year housing that will serve the Williams School of Commerce, Economics, and Politics in a separate part of the structure. Fundraising Goal: $5 million

Since it opened in 2004, the John W. Elrod Commons has been the center of student life and activity on Washington and Lee’s campus. With the renovation of the second and third floors, Elrod Commons will offer new opportunities and services to foster student success. The new and re-envisioned spaces are designed to fuel greater collaboration and maximize each student’s participation and contributions on campus. The renovation includes creating the Center for Inclusion and Engagement, a priority within the Strategic Plan which expands the 1994 Office of Inclusion and Engagement, and consolidating OIE, Title IX and disability resources, Student Activities and Greek life to the same level of Elrod Commons to more effectively serve students. Level three will serve Student Affairs and the Executive Committee of the Student Body. Fundraising Goal: $7 million