Think Back. Give Back.

Mary Washington Class of 1971, this year we're celebrating our 50th Reunion!  We invite you to join your classmates in making a special gift toward the class goal of 50% giving participation in honor of 50 years since graduation.  

Many choose to make their reunion-year gift to honor special classmates or faculty or to make a Mary Washington education accessible to current and future generations of students. The Class of 1971 has always stood out, and the fundraising push for our 50th Reunion is another way we are breaking the mold. We initially set a goal of contributing $71,000 to the Fund for Mary Washington (the unrestricted annual fund), but we surpassed this target just two years into the five-year fundraising period. We decided to increase our target to $171,000 and once again exceeded it, thanks to the generosity of our classmates. Now we have set our sights on a new goal: 50% giving participation in honor of our 50th Reunion: your gift of ANY amount will help us get there! We hope you will help us reach the "50 for 50" finish line. The Fund for Mary Washington is more important now than ever, as it provides much-needed support for our alma mater's most pressing needs.   

Your gift will make an impact for current and future students. 

While a gift to any area on campus counts towards your reunion year class gift, this year we are actively advocating for contributions to the Fund for Mary Washington.  

• As the University's unrestricted fund, your gift to the Fund for Mary Washington gives University leadership the resources necessary for adequate funding for areas across campus, ensuring we have the best faculty to continue the level of excellence in our classrooms our alumni expect and to provide resources necessary for our students to succeed. 
• A gift of $2,500 or more to the Fund for Mary Washington will make you a member of the President’s Council. These donors are among our most loyal supporters. With your gift, you acknowledge your confidence in the University and our leadership. President’s Council members are honored with their name displayed on a donor wall outside of the President’s Office in George Washington Hall and members are invited to the yearly Celebration of Giving event, usually held in December.  

Your gift, no matter the size, strengthens Mary Washington, and a strong Mary Washington benefits us all. Whether you give $19.71 or $1,971 every gift is critical to the success of the University and ultimately our students.  

Every gift, regardless of designation, will count toward our class totals in the the Reunion Giving Competition. This is a friendly competition between classes celebrating their 10th-50th reunions. The competition includes three categories: highest total giving, highest giving participation rate, and the highest number of donors. Make your gift today to help your class reach the top of the leaderboard!

P.S. We're celebrating with a virtual reunion on Friday, May 14, 2021! Class of 1971 classmates, find out more and register here. 

Ways to Give 

One-Time Gifts: Make a one-time gift today to the Fund for Mary Washington or to any other area you would like to support.

Recurring Gifts: Monthly giving is the easiest and most convenient way to support UMW. It allows you to spread out your gift, making less of an immediate impact on your finances but a significant impact for UMW students.  Break your gifts into monthly, quarterly, twice-a-year, or yearly payments by filling out our online giving form here. Under the section titled "Gift Frequency" select option 2: "I would like to break out my gift into scheduled payments."

Matching Gifts: Many companies offer gift-matching programs that can double or triple employees’ or retirees’ personal gifts to the Annual Fund. Matching gifts are an important source of support for the Annual Fund. Find out if your company has a matching gift program by contacting your Human Resources Department or by checking the matching gift database. If your company does match charitable contributions, request the appropriate form and send it to UMW along with your gift. Many companies also match gifts from retirees, spouses, and outside directors. When UMW receives the matching gift from your company, that gift will be combined with your gift to determine your gift club recognition level. 

Multi-Year Pledges: A multi-year commitment of any amount per year for up to 5 years can be made to the Annual Fund. For reunion campaigns, the full amount of a multi-year pledge will be recognized for the class’s reunion gift. To make a multi-year pledge, please fill out this form and submit to the address at the bottom of the form. For any additional questions please contact the Office of University Advancement at umwgift@umw.edu or 540-654-1024.

Stock and Securities: Download/print a form with specific directions to ensure your gifts are transferred and credited properly.

RMD from IRA or Retirement Fund: Designate your required minimum distribution from your IRA or other retirement fund to UMW, avoiding taxes. Please contact Development Officer Beth Hunsinger for more information: ehunsing@umw.edu.

Planned Giving: Make a gift through your will or estate. More information about planned giving is available here.