8.03.05

Erskine College and Seminary reaches Annual Fund goal

Erskine College and Seminary has surpassed its 2004-05 Annual Fund goal.

Vice President for Development Lee Logan said the institution's Annual Fund goal was $1.6 million for 2004-05 and total gifts were more than $1.7 million.

Annual Fund gifts come from a variety of sources, including alumni, friends, parents of former students, corporations, businesses, foundations, Synod, Women's Synodical Union, Erskine employees and others.

"Beginning with (former Alumni Board president) Eleanor Richardson and carried on by (current board president) Westley McAllister, the Alumni Board has taken some steps to improve what has traditionally been a huge success at Erskine," Logan said.

Those upgrades, he said, have occurred because of improved direct solicitations, direct mail requests, phone-a-thons, high quality chapter meetings and volunteer involvement.

The efforts have been under the leadership of two husband-wife co-chairs — Richard and Janet Taylor and Andy and Tyree Byrd. Leonard and Linda Price are the co-chairmen of the Annual Fund for the coming year.

"Last year's effort was hugely successful," Logan said. "It provided about 9 percent of the current fund budget."

Contributions to the Annual Fund translate into financial assistance for students, he said.

"Every gift you give to the Annual Fund is for scholarships," Logan said. "Every gift has the effect of a $1,700 scholarship to each of the 1,000 students at Erskine College and Seminary."

The good news of this past year's Annual Fund effort also makes an impact on the Gold Campaign — Erskine College and Seminary's largest-ever capital campaign.

"It is entirely appropriate to include the Annual Fund as part of the capital campaign," Logan said. "We're trying to have an all-inclusive, comprehensive fund-raising campaign."

The Gold Campaign, which runs through Dec. 31, 2006, has a goal of $36.8 million and 77 percent (more than $28 million) had been raised as of June 30.

The Annual Fund has already exceeded its $5 million goal with a total of $6.1 million raised to date.

Logan estimated that the Annual Fund will reach more than $8 million by the end of the campaign.

Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Affairs Ralph Patterson said the institution is glad to receive any gift, but "the clear focus we have is to try and get more unrestricted gifts."

That will allow Erskine College and Seminary to commit more dollars to assisting students in making their education affordable.

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