Alumnae and friends of Meredith College have been vital in supporting our students throughout the past fiscal year. Through contributions and volunteer efforts, they’ve demonstrated a deep commitment to enhancing every aspect of student life. These gifts for scholarships, learning outside the classroom, improved facilities, and more enhance their overall experience at Meredith. The College is profoundly grateful to all who have helped enrich our students’ experiences.

For the fiscal year 2023-24, the total raised for major ($25,000 or more), annual, and planned gifts was $19,047,357. This is the largest amount raised in a single year in the history of Meredith College.

“The support from our alumnae and friends has been overwhelming this past year especially regarding Meredith’s announced desire to start a new nursing program and funding required for such an initiative,” said Lennie Barton, vice president of institutional advancement.

In this historic fundraising year, 80 major gifts, 14 new endowments, and 20 new planned gifts were established. An endowment generates earnings each year to be spent in a way chosen by the donor, and the principal of the endowment remains untouched. In this way, endowments continue to help Meredith College in perpetuity, strengthening the future of the College. The 20 new planned gifts have a value of $9,820,394, and the total lifetime planned giving is $66,993,354.

The Meredith Fund, our annual giving program, raised $2,853,605 in 2023-24.

• The funds raised were the result of gifts from 4,892 donors.
• Those gifts supported the Greatest Needs of the College, scholarships, athletics, study abroad, diversity and equity initiatives, student programming, and more.
• $896,272 was raised for the College’s Greatest Needs, which are essential to the financial health of the College. This unrestricted fund supports all the immediate needs of the College, and the flexibility of these funds is critical.
• Make It Count for Meredith Giving Day raised $1,427,462, surpassing the goal of $1.1 million.
• Giving by parents and families reached $32,218 and supported enhancements to campus security technology.
• Faculty and staff giving participation was 70.6%.

“We are deeply grateful for the annual gifts from alumnae, faculty, staff, parents, students, and friends during the 2024 fiscal year,” said Jean Gambrill, director of the Meredith Fund. “The passionate support of donors helps to advance the mission of Meredith and provides exceptional opportunities for our students. We celebrate the dedication of our loyal donors and the generosity of those who made a gift for the first time to the College.”

Alumnae Association Keeps You Connected

During the 2023-24 academic year, the Office of Alumnae Relations coordinated 113 outreach events for alumnae, students, and friends of the College. Each event gave alumnae the opportunity to reconnect with one another and the College.

Alumnae Reunion Weekend brought 601 alumnae back to campus. Alumnae from 41 different class years ranging from 1951-2024 registered for the event and represented 20 states as well as Washington, D.C., and London, England.

This year’s 26th production of Alice in Wonderland, marked 100 years of this tradition at Meredith. The Alumnae Association celebrated with alumnae and the campus community at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party that brought 225 alumnae to campus and 739 alumnae for two performances. These were the largest alumnae events in 2024.

The Alumnae Association was pleased to host Forever Strong events to celebrate and honor Dr. Jo Allen, ’80, to allow alumnae to thank President Allen for her tenure at Meredith.

There were 28 student events hosted by the Alumnae Association to support them, give them a skill, or teach them about life after Meredith. Events included a First Day of Class event, 1891 Club events, giveaways, movie nights, a “Coffee and Connections” series, and Daisy Club Fest. The 1891 Club, a student philanthropy organization, hosted eight events and grew their membership to 239.

Alumnae and students were brought together for several networking events this year. They continue to connect online through Meredith Mentors, which has grown to 2,526 registered users. Four Ask an Alumna events were also held during the academic year. Each event featured a panel of alumnae experts in a certain field. The year concluded with a networking event for students and alumnae.

Looking to support an alumnae-owned business? The online directory has grown to 107 registered businesses this year. Business owners featured in the directory receive a branded marketing packet complete with digital badges and a window cling to be displayed in their storefront, company vehicle, email signature, and company website. Angel Adventures, the alumnae travel program, included four trips with 131 travelers to Canyon Country, Spain and Morocco, New York City, and Portugal.

“Engagement and outreach are at the heart of everything we do within our office. Near or far, we always want alumnae to feel connected to their alma mater, the Alumnae Association, and one another,” said Hilary Allen, ’01, director of alumnae relations. “We had a wonderful year of engaging alumnae in the life of the College and are grateful for the many alumnae and friends joining us for lectures, trips, Reunion Weekend, regional and on-campus events, and a special trip down the rabbit hole to Wonderland! Plans for this year are well underway and we look forward to even more connections and engagement opportunities.”

Thank you to everyone who has supported our campus community and continues to show Meredith students that their education matters. Your dedication reinforces the value of what they achieve both inside and outside the classroom.

Stay connected by visiting meredith.edu/support and meredith.edu/alumnae. The Alumnae Association will be hosting welcome events for President Sapp throughout this year. Please make sure your contact information is up to date at meredith.edu/alumnae/alumnae-update-your-contact-information so you receive the invitation to all events, including these welcome events.