Annual fund donors increase under new leadership
Sarah Neely (B.S. ’14/H&S) joined the development and fundraising team as Officer of Annual Giving and Corporate Sponsorships in FY19. She brought a fresh approach to increasing the number of donors giving to the Friends of VCU Libraries fund and building a corporate sponsorship program. Setting up a program soon after her arrival in fall semester 2019, she sought business underwriting for the book sale for the first time and created relationships for on-campus Greek organizations an alumni to secure donations to support the new building fund.
In terms of annual fund, the last quarter of FY19 saw a 52% increase in membership in the Friends of VCU Libraries. This trend promises to carry though FY20. Into the new fiscal year, numbers of donors are rising and ahead of FY19 levels with an increase of 19% in membership in the first quarter of FY20.
These annual gifts, through Friends memberships, provides crucial dollars to support student success and meet faculty and community patrons’ daily needs. These gifts underwrite the VCU Libraries free event series that is open to the public and features nationally recognized speakers.
Categories Donors, Faculty/Staff, Friends of VCU Libraries, Gifts