Giving Priorities

Thanks to our generous donors including alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends and current students, The Shenandoah Fund raised more than $1 million last year! Annual gifts to Shenandoah create extraordinary experiences for our students to become global citizens and leaders in their fields. A gift to The Shenandoah Fund of any amount is used immediately to help students pursue their passions. Annual gifts are the most direct way to create a positive impact on the educational experience that touches the entire SU community.

What Is The Shenandoah Fund?

The Shenandoah Fund is the combination of unrestricted gifts that are used within the fiscal year they are given for the benefit of current and future students. These unrestricted funds are vital to Shenandoah’s success! The Shenandoah Fund provides essential financial support for the university’s areas of greatest need, including:

• Student Scholarships & Support
• Competitive Athletic Programs
• New Facilities, like the Health & Life Sciences Building
• Global Citizen Project (GCP)/ International Opportunities
• Green Spaces
• Caring Faculty and Staff
• And much, much more!

For many students at Shenandoah University, the importance of scholarships and financial aid cannot be overstated. We are pleased and proud to be able to offer, through the generosity of donors like you, a number of scholarships based on academic ability and individual achievement, as well as financial aid. You may be surprised to know that more than 85% of current students receive some type of financial assistance. Through the Shenandoah Scholarships, scholarships are given to deserving students within the same academic year.

Endowment funds represent an extremely important asset base that provides current and future revenues for Shenandoah University, built through investment returns and the generosity of Shenandoah stakeholders. Endowment funds support student scholarships, faculty salaries, and department operating costs. Through endowments, many generous donors have made a lasting impact at Shenandoah.

Endowed Scholarships are gifts that create permanent legacies, which benefit Shenandoah students. Endowed gifts are placed in a permanent fund and a portion of the income earned from that fund provides scholarship assistance to students each year.

Since 1875, Shenandoah University has grown and prospered thanks to significant capital gifts from alumni, parents and friends. Capital gifts to Shenandoah ensure a strong permanent endowment, help to build and restore campus facilities and sustain a comprehensive range of academic programs. Shenandoah’s academic distinction and its institutional stability are a reflection of the generosity of its dedicated supporters.

Capital gifts are designated for a particular initiative such as endowment support, scholarship assistance or building renovation and are made in the form of cash, securities or property. Capital gifts of a certain magnitude may be used to endow a fund (such as a scholarship, faculty chair or book fund) in the name of the donor or another.