Donors at Randolph-Macon have known many names for annual giving to the College: The Loyalty Fund, the Randolph-Macon Fund, and most recently, the Randolph-Macon Annual Fund. What has never changed is the way the RMC alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends have always stepped up to support them. These gifts bolster the College in its mission to shape the mind and character of its students and contribute to our national reputation for generosity with an average of 30% of alumni making a gift annually for over a decade.

The unrestricted nature of annual giving makes it a critical tool for how the College operates. The funds fuel our operating budgets, which allows for the flexibility to address the areas of greatest need, in ways that tuition and other giving cannot. That flexibility is especially crucial in dealing with unforeseen circumstances (like a global pandemic), when other funds have already been budgeted elsewhere.

Now, we’re entering a new chapter of annual giving at RMC that empowers donors to direct their giving to the priority that most resonates with them. We’ve made the decision to do this in keeping with national trends, which increasingly show us that donors value being part of deciding what type of impact their gifts make. The priorities we’ve identified include:

Area of Greatest Need

If flexibility for the College is what motivates you, this remains the best place to direct your gift. This is most similar to annual giving as we’d traditionally done it.,Simply select “Area of Greatest Need” on our secure online form, and we’ll continue to direct your funds to the operational area where we need them most.

Scholarships and Aid

A significant portion of the College’s budget, these funds contribute to the generous aid that Randolph-Macon offers future and current students, ensuring that we can help students access an RMC education. In total, we plan for more than $45 million in scholarships and aid each year. Many alumni tell us they give back in order to pay forward what they were given, and we hope this will inspire many of you to give yearly. 

Academic Excellence

These funds support our faculty’s curricular innovation, like hands-on learning and research that helps their students get future ready. It also helps us retain our talent and recruit gifted new faculty to support the next generation of Yellow Jackets. Supporting the academic excellence fund is a chance to support what happens in the classroom, and, often, outside the classroom too. 

Student Experiences and Support

Developing mind and character often happens through experiences outside of traditional learning environments.The full Randolph-Macon educational experience includes leadership development, health and wellness, athletic opportunities, and so much more. Gifts in this area support the talented staff members who make these experiences happen for our students and the expenses of their programs.

Campus Beautification

Our beautiful campus in Ashland is a great source of pride. These funds support the day-to-day work of making RMC a home away from home for our students.

Over the next few months, we look forward to sharing more personal stories about how these funding priorities make an impact here at Randolph-Macon.

Macon Day, our Annual Day of Giving, is coming up soon (November 14, 2024) and we hope you’ll have your first chance to give this new approach a try. We look forward to learning more about your priorities through your gifts! 

As always, we thank you for your support of Randolph-Macon—we could not do what we do without your generosity.

Go Jackets!