Forms and Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your questions about giving to UVA Wise and access important forms.
How can I make an annual monetary gift?
You may make an annual monetary gift to UVA Wise at any time. If you have not received a direct mail appeal or a recent phone call, simply contact us at 276-376-4523 or email advancement@uvawise.edu. You can make a donation online. If you have recently received a direct mail appeal with an enclosed pledge card and reply envelope, please complete and return it with your check or credit card information. All donation gifts are handled with complete security and confidentiality. Also, keep in mind your employer may have a matching gifts program. For more information, start by checking with your company’s human resources department or by learning more about matching gifts. This is an easy and exciting way to enlarge the impact of your own donation, providing support at double or even triple the amount of your initial gift.
How do annual gifts support the College?
Annual monetary gifts provide much-needed dollars for wide-ranging initiatives, such as student scholarships, student travel to professional conferences, funding for student research projects, and special lectures and seminars. This category of current donations is an important source of operational revenue and is used in the year received, making an immediate impact on the lives of students and faculty. For this reason, the annual fund continues to be one of our top priorities.
When and how often might I be contacted to make a donation?
The various campaigns and annual appeals of UVA Wise operate on a fiscal year from July 1 to June 30. You will likely receive a letter in the fall and possibly a phone call in the spring if you have not replied. Once a donor has made a donation to the area he or she wants to support, there should be no further donation requests from that department for the remainder of the fiscal year. However, if you have made donations to multiple departments in the past, you may receive additional, separate requests from those departments.
How might I be contacted to make a donation?
In the fall, an annual fund class council letter goes out. If you have not responded by February, you will receive a phone call from a current student regarding your desire to donate. There may also be one or two other appeals during the academic year until the fiscal year’s end in June. Donation requests are only made to alumni and friends who have not responded to an earlier appeal.
Who actually makes the phone calls to prospective donors?
The annual giving team includes student callers who contact alumni by phone as a first step in identifying donors who wish to make a gift to UVA Wise. These student callers are given detailed training before they ever make their first phonathon call, providing them with the skills and confidence to conduct business calls with prospective donors in a professional, respectful manner. You are welcome to talk to the students, ask them about what they feel is currently needed to support our school, or discuss their recent experiences as a way to help you determine how much to give and where to send it.
Learn more about the Phonathon.
How will my donation gift be used?
As the donor, you decide how your gift will be used. Typically, the majority of the monetary gifts received by the College are designated by the donor. However, there is always the option to donate money as unrestricted funds.
How may I direct my monetary gift?
When you receive direct mail or a call from one of our student callers, you may designate the area(s) you would like to support with your gift. Usually, donors select a department to which they have given in the past, but there is always the opportunity to leave your donation gift unrestricted. If you have further questions or need additional information, email advancement@uvawise.edu or call 276-376-4523.
What are unrestricted funds and why are they so important?
Unrestricted funds are monetary donations received from the donor with no limitations on how the donation gift must be used. Unrestricted gifts are considered the most powerful form of private support because they permit the College to direct the funds to programs and initiatives that need them the most. Unrestricted gifts and donations are particularly important for initiatives and projects for which other sources of funding may be unavailable, inadequate, or hampered by an extended wait for money to arrive. Unrestricted support is often used for student assistance, faculty support, research aid, technology upgrades, and the purchase of books, collections, and supplies.
How does the Advancement Office work with the College to make good use of donations?
Each year, the Advancement Office works together to plan the priorities and donation request campaigns required by the College’s annual goals and operational needs. That planning activity results in an annual activity calendar. The Advancement Office works hand-in-hand with the academic departments to bring their initiatives to life by implementing and fulfilling the required planning and logistics for the overall success of the projects.
If you have any additional questions, please contact Valerie Lawson.
