ALUMNI: The Campaign for Willamette

CHARITABLE GIVING TO ATKINSON
Willamette University’s Atkinson Graduate School of Management offers more than just management education. Our students, faculty and alumni are engaged in hand-on, experiential projects which impact a variety of organizations around the world. With a commitment to the rich traditions at Willamette and a spirit of innovation, Atkinson’s exceptional people create extraordinary results.

We are currently engaged in our first ever comprehensive fundraising campaign with a goal of $8.5 million. This campaign, which is targeted to end May 31, 2009, will support the priorities of Academic Excellence, Scholarships and the Atkinson Annual Fund. For more information about these priorities, click here.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE - GOAL: $6 MILLION
Academic excellence at Atkinson extends to faculty, staff, career services, facilities and extension programs such as the Professional MBA program and the Executive Development Center (EDC). Expansion and enhancement in all these areas are both necessary and timely for the development of the Atkinson Graduate School of Management and our national reputation.

Gifts in support of this goal include:

• Endowed Fund for New Ventures to Market $ 50,000
• The Robert & Doris O’Neill Student Investment Fund $ 150,000
• JELD-WEN Chair in Free Enterprise $2,500,000
  (Read More About the JELD-WEN Gift)

ENDOWED & CURRENT USE SCHOLARSHIPS - GOAL: $2 MILLION

The current growth of the Atkinson MBA program both domestically and internationally exemplifies the role of endowed scholarships. This funding acts as the strongest resource in recruiting and retaining those most valuable to the success of our enterprise. An investment in scholarships pays high returns by helping Willamette attract the strongest, most qualified students. The students we support today through the benefit of scholarships will represent us well. Our graduates bring diversity, professionalism and a competitive spirit unlike any other to the global economy.

Gifts in support of this goal include:

• Fred M. & Karen S. Butler Scholarship (campaign gifts only) $250,000
• Professor Earl K. Littrell Endowed Scholarship $ 80,000
• Professor G. Marc Choate Scholarship $ 39,000

ATKINSON ANNUAL FUND - GOAL: $500,000

With a tradition of providing a top quality management education to its students, AGSM relies strongly on the committed support of alumni and friends to maintain this quality, and meet the demand of ever increasing costs. Tuition dollars supply only 65% of Atkinson's annual budget. The Atkinson Fund, along with endowment earnings, bridges the gap by providing much needed operating revenue. It not only serves as a very important financial vehicle for the School of Management, but also gives all alumni an opportunity to become involved in Atkinson’s future and success. Atkinson Fund dollars support such things as technology upgrades, faculty recruitment and retention, student academic activities, visiting executives, 'real-world' student-business projects and much more.

Gifts to this fund have supported:

• Student participation in collegiate case competitions across the nation
• Travel abroad opportunities in growing markets such as Dubai
• Expanded recruitment and admissions programs
• Technology for a ‘smart classroom’ renovation