William & Mary’s $70M year impacts entire community

William & Mary wrapped its fiscal year on a high note as the No. 1 public university in the nation for internships for the third year in a row and the No. 1 public university for annual alumni giving for the eighth consecutive year. With more than $70 million raised in FY23 for areas across campus, private support ensures that the Alma Mater of the Nation and its people can flourish. 

Momentum for scholarships, the top fundraising priority at William & Mary, continues to build following the university’s boldest fundraising campaign ever. Almost 30% of funds — nearly $20 million — have been secured for scholarships alone in FY23. This generosity will accelerate William & Mary’s commitment to increase the number of in-state Pell-eligible students. As part of this effort, the university is committed to covering full tuition and fees for this cohort. 

“W&M marked key milestones this year in our efforts to increase access and affordability,” said W&M President Katherine A. Rowe. “We are propelled by the generosity of our university community to ensure the Alma Mater of the Nation will continue to recruit creative and talented students, regardless of means.”

Other highlights in FY23 include: 

• Gifts of $100 or less collectively added up to $1.3 million
• Corporations and foundations contributed more than $12.5 million in gifts — a record 
• A total of 32,740 donors gave to William & Mary, including more than 840 graduating seniors made a gift to the university
• W&M Athletics reached $46 million of its $55-million All In campaign goal
• Hundreds of alumni and friends gathered for the W&M Weekend in San Francisco for cultural, intellectual, professional and social events this June 

“William & Mary builds a deep sense of connection across our entire community. It’s a distinction for which we are very proud and that sets us apart from other institutions on a global scale,” said Matthew T. Lambert ’99, vice president for university advancement. “This is one reason why we continue to be highly ranked in areas that reinforce our focus on career outcomes and solutions that impact the world for the better.” 

“Gifts of all sizes accelerate innovation and opportunity at the university. We are deeply grateful to our alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff and friends for their generosity.”

The cornerstone initiatives of Vision 2026 — data, water, democracy and careers — garnered enthusiastic support among the W&M community. For example, a $1-million commitment from W&M Foundation Trustee Darpan Kapadia ’95 tripled the number of students who receive university funding for internships and other applied learning opportunities. 

A $1-million gift from former W&M Foundation Chair Michael Foradas ’78 and Valerie Foradas HON ’21 funds a five-year pilot initiative supporting multidisciplinary applied research — with increased student internships and work experiences as a primary goal — in an effort to better solve pressing local, national and global problems.

In FY23, the university also marked the 10th year of One Tribe One Day (OTOD), William & Mary’s biggest day for giving back and paying it forward. W&M set records with more than $4 million raised by 11,520 donors in a single day, supporting nearly 800 areas. Over the course of a decade, OTOD has inspired more than 52,000 donors to give a total of $24.2 million to William & Mary. 

“Annual gifts, including those made on One Tribe One Day, are vital for the university to advance its mission, vision and values,” added Lambert. “Donors who give annually, especially to the Fund for William & Mary, play a key role in elevating excellence.” 

W&M Athletics saw a two-fold increase in the number of annual donors since the All In campaign began, strengthening the financial foundation of all its Division I athletics teams. 

After more than a year since the groundbreaking of the Mackesy Sports Performance Center (MSPC)  — a centerpiece of the W&M Athletics Complex — student-athletes, coaches and fans have witnessed facility transformations that will benefit every sport. W&M is on track to complete construction of the MSPC by winter 2024 and renovate Kaplan Arena — opening this coming fall with a new, state-of-the-art scoreboard — so that all athletes can compete at their highest level. Alumni play a key role in reaching those goals. 

Approximately $1.6 million needs to be secured to complete phase 1 of the Complex. To close out the $55-million All In campaign, the university aims to secure a further $9 million by December 31, 2023. 

Hundreds of alumni eagerly anticipated the W&M Weekend in San Francisco. After delays due to the pandemic, it came to life in 2023. In early June, alumni and friends from across the nation gathered in the city. During an evening at Oracle Park, Athletics Director Brian Mann moderated a thrilling conversation between Kathy Carter ’91, chief executive officer of LA28, the summer 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games in Los Angeles, and Jill Ellis ’88, L.H.D. ’16, president of San Diego Wave FC and former two-time championship winning coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, who was recently inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. 

The weekend also included a presidential forum focused on big data and global change, tours of iconic landmarks, a deep dive into biodiversity and conservation at the Steinhart Aquarium and other programming. These gatherings brought the best of William & Mary to San Francisco and the best of San Francisco to William & Mary. 

The entire community is invited to attend the next W&M Weekend, which will be announced soon. In the meantime, preparations are underway for Homecoming & Reunion Weekend, which will be held Oct. 19-22, 2023. 

“This community’s verve and kindness fueled major advancements in affordability and career pathways this year,” Rowe reflected. “We thank all our donors heartily. And we look forward to building on these efforts in the years ahead.”