Coach Taneyhill with President Merten during “Spirit” launch
“I am proud to be a George Mason alum and be part of the effort to make my alma mater one of the top schools in the country.”
—Debbie Taneyhill, B.A. English ’92, M.Ed. ’98
Women’s Basketball Coach
“I want to spread the word about how great a place this is and
encourage other students to get the spirit because we are the alumni of
the future.”
—LeKisha Ward
George Mason student
“Alumni are realizing that George Mason’s national emergence
depends on their involvement and support after the caps and gowns have
been stored away.”
—Craig Gautschi, B.S. Finance ’94
Annual Fund Committee Chair
Celebrating Alumni Spirit
Amid much fanfare and with special t-shirts and other spirit items in tow, more than 200 alumni cheered the official launch of the Alumni Campaign’s Spirit Phase during Midnight Madness, the annual celebration of the opening of the basketball season at the Patriot Center.
Among those leading the cheers was George Mason Women’s Basketball Coach Debbie Taneyhill, B.A. English ’92, M.Ed. ’98. She further demonstrated her Mason spirit that night with a spontaneous donation to the Alumni Campaign, an important part of The Campaign for George Mason University.
“I am proud to be a George Mason alum and be part of the effort to make my alma mater one of the top schools in the country,” Taneyhill said to the crowd of nearly 3,000, which included students as well as alumni.
LeKisha Ward, a George Mason junior, was one of several volunteers helping with the festivities. “I want to spread the word about how great a place this is and encourage other students to get the spirit because we are the alumni of the future,” she commented.
The goal of the campaign’s Spirit Phase is to garner contributions of any size from at least 8,000 alumni—approximately 20 percent more than last year—by June 30, the end of this fiscal year. And, based on recent levels of support, more and more George Mason graduates are catching the spirit.
Alumni Support on the Upswing
The Annual Fund reported a 50 percent increase in the total dollar level of alumni giving during the past fiscal year. Alumni gave $710,200 in outright gifts, pledge payments, and in-kind gifts between July 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003, compared with $467,700 during the previous fiscal year. Annual support from alumni is a key factor used by U.S.News & World Report when ranking colleges and universities.
“Alumni are realizing that George Mason’s national emergence depends on their involvement and support after the caps and gowns have been stored away,” says Craig Gautschi, B.S. Finance ’94, Annual Fund Committee chair. “Our participation motivates others to give because it shows that the people who know Mason best believe its work is worth supporting.”
Last year’s Leadership Gift Phase of the Alumni Campaign, which sought an increase in the number of alumni giving at the President’s Circle level ($1,000 and above), resulted in $1.1 million in leadership gifts and pledges from 286 alumni. Ed Newberry, B.A. Communication ’84 and B.S. Business Administration ’84, chaired that historic and successful effort.
Other Campaign News
As of press time, The Campaign for George Mason University was rapidly approaching its goal to raise a minimum of $110 million. During the campaign’s remaining 16 months, the university will push to fulfill underfunded objectives and initiate special efforts for emerging priorities. Based on current momentum, the expectation is that the $110 million campaign goal will be exceeded by a substantial margin through the combined support of alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations.
The latest major gifts have resulted in new faculty and student scholarship endowments, as well as current use money to fund a broad range of education and research initiatives. New gifts have funded the following:
- James H. Laue Chair and Center in World Religions, Diplomacy, and Conflict Resolution
- Samuel J. and Daphonal T. Bell Scholarship Endowment
- Dr. Lawrence Cranberg scholarship and research endowments, both in science and the law
- The Sesno Report, a public affairs program to be broadcast on public television station WETA
- Potomac Music Academy for high school and college students and music educators
- Leonard and Virginia Pomata Term Professorship in Neuroscience
“Alumni and friends are ensuring the vitality of this university,” says George Mason President Alan G. Merten. “Their support is making a difference, helping to turn aspirations into realities.”
For more information about the Alumni Campaign, visit www.campaign.gmu.edu/catchthespirit or e-mail campaign@gmu.edu.
CNHS Spirit Challenge
As part of the Alumni Campaign’s Spirit Phase, a small group of graduates from the College of Nursing and Health Science (CNHS) is challenging fellow CNHS alumni to step forward with a gift of any size to the college during this fiscal year, which ends on June 30. If at least 800 alumni respond, the group will match their support with a collective gift of $20,000 for CNHS students, faculty, and programs. To participate in the challenge, visit www.gmu.edu/development/contribute. For more information, call (703) 993-8640 or e-mail campaign@gmu.edu.