Webb alumni continue to be the foundation upon which all of Webb’s fundraising efforts are built. The annual Webb Alumni Fund (WAF) for 2014-15 was a huge success, with contributions of $1,547,078—exceeding last year’s amount and our 2014-15 goal by more than 15%. The average gift increased to $1,958 (up 13.2%), the median gift increased to $680 from $600, and the number of alumni in the William H. Webb (WHW) Society (contributors of $1,000 or more) increased to 352 (from 345), and of those, the number contributing $25,000 or more nearly doubled (from 6 to 11).
We recognized Arthur Burr ‘54 as the first alumnus to enter the Visionary level of the WHW Society based on annual fund contributions of over $100,000. Not included in the WAF total are three additional Visionary-level gifts ($797,055) from John Couch (Hon.), Philip Faurot ‘51, and Barry Thomas ‘51 that were designated as Major Gifts rather than to the WAF which funds over 20% of Webb’s annual operating costs.
Participation of Webb undergrads edged up to 74% (from 73%), and the participation of all members of the Webb Alumni Association (including post-grads, honorary members, non-graduate members, and exchange student members) increased to 72% (from 71%). We congratulate all of our Class Agents, particularly those 20 whose classes achieved 100% participation: ‘43, ‘44B, ‘52, ‘53, ‘54, ‘55, ‘59, ‘60, ‘65, ‘67, ‘69, ‘70, ‘06, ‘07, ‘09, ‘10, ‘11, ‘13, ‘14, and ‘15. And we applaud the exemplary participation of the ten most recent graduating classes (‘06 – ‘15)— collectively achieving a near-perfect 97.9%.
The Webb Heritage Society, which recognizes those who have the foresight to provide for Webb in their estate planning, increased by 10 members in 2014-15. The importance of the Heritage Society cannot be overstated. In 2014-15, Webb received $1,356,377 from the estates of six deceased alums.
Total alumni contributions in 2014-15 — including the WAF, Major Gifts, and realized planned gifts — amounted to $3,700,510. The Class Agent Forum (CLAG2015) held at Webb on May 15th was a resounding success, with 41 classes represented. Feedback from the CLAGs and Group Leaders was overwhelmingly positive, and the team left energized and prepared to lead the WAF component of the forthcoming Campaign for Webb which was formally announced in September 2015. CLAG2015 also included a “changing of the guard” ceremony as John Malone nears the end of his 18-year run as WAF Chairman, with Jake Neuman ‘93 queued up to become the next WAF Chairman effective July 1, 2015. Following a touching tribute by former WAF Chairman Larry Ward PG’51, John commented that he’s not going to stop keeping “the fun in fundraising,” as he will be transitioning to the role of Planned Giving Chair.
In celebrating the success of the 2014-15 Webb Alumni Fund, many thanks are due to the Board of Trustees’ Development Committee for their leadership and guidance, our outstanding team of Class Agents and Group Leaders for maintaining the personal connection between alums and their alma mater, and the Development Office staff for their dedication and support. And most of all, many thanks to each and everyone of the 793 members of the Webb Alumni Association identified in the pages of this Annual Report whose generosity perpetuates the legacy of William H. Webb to provide the bright, eager, and deserving students of today and future generations an extraordinary educational opportunity.
Congratulations on a job well done!
– John A. Malone ‘71
(pictured above: Three Alumni Fund Chairmen – John Malone ’71, Larry Ward PG’51, and Jake Neuman ’93)
