At the midpoint of Fiscal Year 2019, all indications are that the members of the VMI family continue to invest in the mission of the Institute by supporting all aspects of the cadet experience. As of Dec. 31, alumni, parents and friends had provided a generous total of $16.2 million in gifts and commitments.
It is fascinating to observe trends in the interests of the VMI family. Most of the funding raised thus far – $12.3 million, to be precise – has come in the form of restricted gifts. Some of the gifts have been directed to existing endowments that support such things as need-based, athletic and merit scholarships, professorships, and existing endowments that generate unrestricted funds, as well. A good number of these gifts are in the form of commitments that, when realized, will support all aspects of the VMI education and ensure an ever brighter future for VMI. “Many of the donors who made these commitments did so knowing that they will not see the impact of their gifts firsthand,” said Warren J. Bryan ’71, VMI Foundation chief operating officer. “It is a testimony, therefore, to their confidence in the Institute and their shared conviction of the importance to VMI to the country that they make such gifts.”
Of course, most members of the VMI family who participate in the ongoing effort to provide VMI with the private financial support necessary to keep it strong and keep it on track for the future do so by making gifts to the components of VMI Annual Giving: The Foundation Fund, the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund and the Athletic Operations Fund. Since the beginning of FY 2019 – July 1, 2018 – 1,914 alumni, parents and friends have supported the Corps of Cadets through Annual Giving with gifts to all three funds totaling $2.6 million. “I always am grateful for the significant support that the VMI family provides through these funds,” said Steve Maconi, VMI Alumni Agencies chief executive officer, “because they enrich every aspect of the VMI education and provide financial support to our athletic program and the hundreds of cadets – more than a quarter of the Corps – who represent the Institute at the highest level of college sports.”
Reunion campaigns always figure prominently in any year’s fundraising totals, and FY 19 is no exception. During the first half of FY 19, together, the Class of 1993’s 25th Reunion Campaign and the Class of 2008’s 10th Reunion Campaign raised $1.2 million in gifts and commitments. The Class of 1969 will present the initial proceeds of its 50th Reunion Campaign in April 2019, and it is shaping up to be a strong effort.
As to the rest of the year, Maconi said, “Undoubtedly, we are off to a strong start in terms of support for VMI, and I thank all those alumni and friends whose generosity made it possible. Now, the rest of the VMI family has the responsibility to ensure that the year finishes as strong as it began and VMI has the private money it needs to continue to provide our cadets with an extraordinary and extraordinarily effective education that transforms them into citizen-soldiers of the type our country needs.”
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Scott Belliveau '83 Communications Officer - Executive Projects
The communications officer supports the strategy for all communications, including web content, public relations messages and collateral pieces in order to articulate and promote the mission of the VMI Alumni Agencies and promote philanthropy among varied constituencies.
