The Philanderian Dr. Frank James - Philander Smith College

8
Message From The Vice President For Institutional Advancement
Dear Alumni:
A huge “THANK YOU” to the 700 of you who so generously gave this past year! As you will
read in the highlights below, we had record numbers in donors and dollars given from alumni.
We hope that all alumni will consider giving at their level of comfort. Your support is vital to
our continued efforts in offering a quality education to deserving students. Go to
www.philander.edu and give today!
Renaissance 100 Matching Grant Met
The $100,000 Challenge Grant from the Pat and Willard Walker Foundation for the
Renaissance 100 Scholars Program has been met. The purpose was to challenge existing
donors and acquire new donors to provide merit-based scholarships for incoming freshmen.
To qualify for matching funds, the donors agreed to give a minimum of $1,250. A total of 23 donors committed to the
challenge and as a result of their commitments, PSC will add an additional 28 students to the REN100 Scholars Program.
Major Gift Received from Estate Gift
A gift of $238,000 was received from the Estate of Norris Taylor of Fort Smith, AR. Norris Taylor, a long time CPA, was
inspired by the progress Philander Smith College has made over the past five years. Although, Mr. Taylor’s relationship
with PSC was limited, he saw the need to include the institution into his estate plans. Rick Watkins, nephew of Mr. Taylor
expressed “My uncle’s gift to Philander was a token of respect he had for your fine institution and its mission. He deeply
respected the wisdom of those that serve Arkansas through their leadership and stewardship. The spirit of his gift was to
return to the community in a way that might best enrich the lives of his fellow Arkansans.” The gift will be designated for
the new $18 million Campus Center and Mr. Taylor will be honored with a naming opportunity within the Center.
Gift from Anonymous Donor to Fund Endowment Challenge
An anonymous donor has given PSC a $250,000 Challenge Grant designed to impact the lives of several merit/need based
students by establishing named Endowed Scholarships with a minimum gift of $12,500. This challenge grant will serve as a
“call-to-action” to our donors and non-donors. As a part of PSC’s Alumni Leadership Initiative, the perpetual gift of annual
scholarships will not only increase our Endowment, but also, provide financial assistance to students who are equipped to
change the world for the better.
Alumni Giving at All-Time High
Alumni gifts for this past fiscal year were just over $550,000 and the percentage of alumni who gave was at 15.5 percent.
Both figures are all-time highs and are a testament to the commitment of Philander alumni. The 15.5 percent level ranks in
the top 10 of all UNCF institutions and is well above the 9 percent average giving rate for all HBCU’s.
Elijah Pitts Golf Tournament
Mark your calendar! May 11, 2012 is PSC’s Annual Golf Tournament. The entry fee is $400 per team in this four-person
format. The Shotgun Start is at 8 a.m. at the Rebsaman Golf Course in Little Rock. Funds raised from the tournament are
part of the UNCF fund-raising effort.
Alumni Reunion Weekend – May 3-6, 2012
Be sure to make plans to attend this year’s events. We will be honoring the classes of ’62, ’67,’72,’77, 82, ’87, 92, 97, ’02, and
’07. Contact us at 501-975-8537 for more information or visit our website at www.philander.edu.
Best wishes to all Philanderians!
Sincerely,
Dr. Shannon Fleming, Vice President For Institutional Advacement