120 new Cornerstone Scholarships, 33 New Cornerstone internships, and increased giving to the School of Theology are highlights of Sewanee Fund 2021, the campaign which concluded on June 30.
Thanks to the generosity of nearly 8,000 donors, Sewanee Fund 2021 is in the books with a total amount raised of just
under $6 million. “Thank you for your support during this unprecedented year,” says Whitney Franklin, director of the Sewanee Fund. “7,966 alumni, families, and friends showed their commitment to Sewanee's students by supporting Sewanee with a gift. Each gift, large or small, helps us deliver a Sewanee experience that will continue to develop students of capacity, character, and consequence for generations to come.”
One key to the success of the Sewanee Fund was in the many people who volunteered on class gift committees. “The secret to our success as a class is that people have been trying to check in on one another,” said Eloise Repeczky, of Middleburg, Virginia, whose Class of 2011 won the award for highest participation for the second straight year. “Whatever has happened, we are all in this together,” added Repeczky, pictured on the page banner, who spent many hours over the past year communicating with classmates, following them on social media, and writing personal notes of encouragement. “As class chair, I wanted my classmates to know that Sewanee cares about them, and I did what I could to represent that caring.”
Among the highlights of the year was the Cornerstone Program, which continued to connect donors directly with students. Donors making a Cornerstone commitment are able to know which specific student is being supported through their gift, and 120 new $5,000 Cornerstone scholarships were established in 2021. In addition donors made possible 33 new $3,000 Cornerstone internships, which were instrumental in helping Sewanee keep the Sewanee Pledge.
School of Theology giving participation increased in FY21 to 33%, driven in part by a variety of new alumni engagement initiatives such as a monthly newsletter, the Theolog Gazette, a new social media presence (@sewaneetheologs on Instagram, for example) and an energetic alumni council. “I love the energy our alumni are showing and their engagement with the School of Theology,” said Bess Turner, director of development and alumni relations.
The Sewanee Fund total also includes about $500,000 in support of athletics, a reflection of the fact that about 30% of Sewanee students play an intercollegiate sport.
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