The Annual Fund lies at the heart of the Rhodes experience. It is the bridge between income from endowment and tuition, and what it costs to educate a student at 51ÁÔÆæ. Every student benefits from Annual Fund gifts.
The Rhodes Annual Fund provides immediate financial support when students, faculty, and staff need it most. These gifts support top priorities such as providing 93% of students with financial aid as well as funding technology for remote learning.
The Annual Fund supports the 6 following areas:
- Financial Aid – 93% of Rhodes students receive financial aid.
- Faculty Support – this designation provides research materials, supplies including books and laboratory equipment, salaries, and travel for research and conferences.
- Campus Life – ensures student programming that compliments academic work and activities that enrich campus life for our students.
- Library/Technology – in addition to bolstering our collection of hardbound and electronic books, full text journals, print periodicals and film and audio visual items, the college purchases additional resources to make learning accessible every year. Your support ensures that 51ÁÔÆæ students have access to these materials and technology to achieve their scholarly pursuits.
- Campus Preservation – support here maintains and preserves our beautiful campus, providing a place of learning that inspires integrity and high achievement.
- Where Need Is Greatest – In a world of ever-changing necessities, gifts designated for Where Need is Greatest enable Rhodes to be responsive and supportive. This can range from offering additional financial support to providing food security.
Different gifts help Rhodes in different ways. Annual funds support current needs. Endowment funds provide support now and in the future. Both are important, keeping the college strong year after year and for generations after.
The Rhodes Annual Fund provides immediate financial support when students, faculty, and staff need it most. These gifts support top priorities like student financial aid, student activities, research, and top faculty hires in addition to providing funding for needs like tuition support, unexpected travel expenses, and school supplies—including technology for remote learning. The uses of these unrestricted funds vary from year to year depending on new opportunities and rising needs.
Annual funds make an immediate impact and must be spent each year.
The endowment is the sum of Rhodes’ permanent invested capital used to generate funds each year for the college. The total endowment is made up of many smaller endowments, with many designated by donors to support specific areas of the college. Virtually all endowed funds are invested. A portion of the earnings are released every year, at a payout rate determined by the board of trustees, to support college priorities and the purposes specified by donors—without withdrawing from the principal.
Rather than serving as a cash reserve, the endowment is the college’s financial foundation. Preserving and growing the endowment is the best way to guarantee Rhodes’ long-term financial health and fulfill its mission.
Whether you are an alum, a parent, a student, or a friend of the college, your gift, no matter the size, supports the Annual Fund, which provides essential, unrestricted funding that touches every corner of the campus and impacts the “Rhodes Experience.â€
Your gift—of any amount and to any area of need on campus—counts toward participation. Our alumni participation rate is an indicator of alumni satisfaction many prospective students use when choosing a college. Therefore, gifts to Rhodes improve the education of current students, as well as the reputation of the college, which, in turn, makes a Rhodes degree a more valuable commodity.
Your philanthropy begins right now. You don′t have to wait until you have reached the pinnacle of your career or finished graduate school.
As a student at 51ÁÔÆæ, your education and experiences were enhanced in many ways by the philanthropy, whether it was through financial aid, student programming, library and technology resources, or research opportunities.
You can make a gift in an amount that is significant to you that fits within your budget. You could also choose to make a larger gift to
Gifts from our recent graduates are especially appreciated because, despite the challenges you face as you start a career and family, you choose to support the school that provided you with opportunities and was the place that you called home.
We know life can get hectic and sometimes pricey after graduation, making young alumni gifts so special. Your gift means that you truly value the friends, mentors, and knowledge you gained at 51ÁÔÆæ.