It is well publicized that College of William and Mary students are known for being both studious and service oriented. It turns out we can add philanthropic to that list as well. The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently rated the College one of the top 400 non-profit fund-raising organizations in the United States, and third among Virginia universities.
We are delighted to see the College received some well-deserved recognition for an often-overlooked aspect of the campus community. It’s especially great to receive recognition in relation to our peer institutions, over 100 of whom were ranked in this year’s list.
What’s perhaps most surprising about this announcement is the recent historical context in which it is placed. With the record-breaking donations of 2009, the school was able to not only reverse the trend of declining donations, which had continued since 2000, but to do so despite an overall drop in giving to colleges nationwide — and in the face of a wider national recession. That commitment peaks to the individual character of our faculty, students and alumni, as well as the strong bond of the College community as a whole. We wholeheartedly hope to see this trend continue in years to come.