Society of 1918: Our History
2012
The Women & Philanthropy Task Force is created at W&M
May 2015
Val Cushman is hired as W&M’s first director of alumnae initiatives
April 23, 2016
The Women & Philanthropy (W&P) Leadership Circle, comprised of 23 alumnae and one honorary alumnus, has its first meeting
October 15, 2016
At the second meeting of the W&P Leadership Circle, members decide to create the Alumnae Initiatives Endowment (AIE) with a goal of attracting 100 women to contribute $10,000 each over a five-year period
December 2016
The first gifts to the AIE are recorded
February 12, 2017
The W&P Leadership Circle renames the circle “the Society of 1918,” after the year women undergraduates first attended William & Mary, and discuss a draft structure for a permanent steering committee
May 17, 2017
The W&P Leadership Circle adopts the Society of 1918 membership criteria, mission and vision
September 2017
The W&P Leadership Circle sends its first solicitation, inviting 900 alumnae to join the Society of 1918
October 1, 2017
The Alumnae Initiatives Endowment reaches the $1 million dollar endowment goal and 100 members
October 21, 2017
At its fifth and final meeting, the W&P Leadership Circle officially launches the leadership structure of the Society of 1918 with 134 members and changes the AIE fundraising goal to $1.918 million
March 22, 2018
At the first Society of 1918 steering committee meeting, the committee approves the new Young Guarde rate of $5,000
March 23, 2018
The Society of 1918 hosts its first member-exclusive event, W&M Women: All Aboard, on campus
July 2018
The Society of 1918 reaches its $1.918 million goal
September 21, 2018
The Society of 1918 announces at W&M Women’s Weekend that $2.65 million has been raised and the new goal is $4 million. At the society’s celebratory dinner that evening, member President Katherine A. Rowe provides the keynote address.
December 17, 2018
Society of 1918 Bylaws approved
March 2019
Thriving Tribe, the second Society of 1918 exclusive event, is held on campus
July 2019
The society surpasses its $4 million endowment goal with 430 members
September 28-29, 2019
The society hosts its steering committee meeting and third Society member-exclusive event, Gather. Grow. Give., in Washington, D.C. The steering committee approves a reduced faculty/staff membership rate of $5,000 and the creation of ten $4,000 scholarships for graduating women.
March 27, 2020
The society hosts its steering committee meeting and fourth Society member-exclusive event, Gather. Grow. Give., on campus