Make a GiftMajor gifts (gifts of $5,000 or more) touch every part of a college and can have a transforming affect on its programs. A major gift can provide a desperately needed scholarship, take a College initiative to a new level, and provide financial stability to a signature program. A major gift can also create an endowed fund that will provide support in perpetuity for named professorships, internships, scholarships, international travel, library acquisitions or any number of other college programs.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland is honored to have established four endowed chairs, five distinguished professorships, an academic center (The Center for the Study of Democracy), four signature international programs, and more than eighty scholarships and awards. Major gifts are often made in honor or memory of a family member, friend, or colleague. View a complete list of these endowments.
There are many ways to direct your major gift. You can select from a variety of programs or identify a specific program or purpose that matches your personal interests with St. Mary’s priorities and needs. A few are featured below.
Scholarship and Financial Aid help St. Mary’s attract and retain highly qualified students. We must be able to offer a comprehensive, financial aid package because students' needs frequently exceed the College’s resources. It also helps St. Mary’s to maintain a diverse socioeconomic student body.
The St. Mary’s Project is the capstone of the St. Mary’s undergraduate experience. The research is intensive and students may incur equipment, travel, and conference expenses that are frequently beyond a student’s means.
Summer Undergraduate Research is a critical need in all disciplines. Undergraduate research develops the intellectual and technical skills that serve students well in any career. St. Mary’s alumni tells us that they are exceptionally well prepared for employment or post-graduate education as a result of their research experience. Students conducting summer research are doubly restricted as they are not able to accept full-time summer employment, while still incurring expenses as they conduct their research programs.
The River Center, when it opens in Fall 2008, will establish a strong academic and research presence at the College waterfront. Sharing space with the St. Mary’s (12 time) National Championship Sailing Team and the up-and-coming Crew Team within the new boathouse, the River Center will provide environmental research on the St. Mary’s River and lower Potomac ecosystem.
A National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge Grant was awarded to the St. Mary’s Center for the Study of Democracy. A $500,000 We the People grant is a 3:1 matching challenge grant. NEH requires us to raise funds in yearly increments to qualify for the full match. Our next goal is to raise $400,000 by March 31, 2008.
Science Equipment and laboratory space are in high demand at St. Mary’s. Over the past several years the number of students majoring in the sciences has grown considerably. In addition, the State of Maryland has added an educational requirement stipulating that all non-science majors take a lab-based course and St. Mary’s Honors curriculum requires a significant number of students to conduct a St. Mary’s Project.
There are just as many ways to fund a major gift. Please call the Director of Major Gifts in the Office of Development to discuss how you can make a major gift or establish an endowed fund. Gift payment options are available.
Contact Information
Paula A. Mitchell, Director
240-895-3382
pamitchell@smcm.edu
