At the beginning of the 2017-2018 year, the Presidential Fellows set out to achieve three goals: 1) Maintain a 100% participation rate for philanthropic contributions to the university among the current Fellows, 2) increase alumni giving participation from 46.8% in 2016-2017 to 50%, and 3) increase the alumni engagement rate from 70% in 2016-2017 to 75%.
After a successful 2017-2018 campaign, the current Fellows accomplished their goal of maintaining 100% participation in giving to the university, and did so by the Colonials Weekend reception in October, which is the earliest this has ever been done. Moreover, our alumni have made outstanding contributions to the Fellowship and the university, including:
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Donating to the Presidential Fellowship Professional and Academic Fund and other areas of the university about which they are passionate;
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Aiding the current Fellows in crafting their elevator pitches for prospective employers as part a workshop during Summer Training, in addition to supporting broader career services efforts by hiring GW students for internships and jobs;
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Providing invaluable advice to the current Fellows about explaining the unique value of the Fellowship on our resumes during a workshop as part of Spring Training;
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Participating in recruitment and selection, including the final round interviews for the 2018-2020 cohort;
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Joining the current Fellows for numerous program events, such as the Summer Training Happy Hour, Colonials Weekend Reception, Fall Alumni Breakfast and Hike, Spring Training Reception at the F Street House, Veterans Day of Service, and the Commencement Reception; and
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Serving on the GW Board of Trustees, the GW Alumni Association, and school and unit advisory councils.
We are deeply grateful to the Presidential Fellow alumni who have already engaged with the program and the university and/or made gifts to the university during the 2017-2018 academic year. See the “Honor Roll” on page 16 of the 2017-2018 Annual Report for their names, as of May 1st. HOWEVER, currently our goals for alumni engagement and giving are currently unmet, as we are at 65% (against a 75% goal) for engagement and 31% (against a 50% goal) for giving. To reach our goals, we need only 14 more alumni to engage with the Fellowship and the university and 25 more alumni to make gifts to the university! Please consider the following ways to engage with the Fellowship and the university to help the current Fellows meet their goals before the end of June:
WAYS TO ENGAGE ANYTIME
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Send your resume to [email protected] as part of our initiative for current Fellows to review resume samples as we perfect our own and consider how best to represent the Fellowship among our activities and accomplishments.
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Submit a milestone to [email protected] about your personal and/or professional activities to be included in an upcoming Presidential Fellowship alumni newsletter.
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Complete GW’s Alumni Volunteer Form to get involved with university-wide activities to engage fellow alumni, connect with students, or volunteer with Colonials in your community.
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Make a gift – of any amount - to the Presidential Fellowship Professional and Academic Development Fund or any GW department/program/student organization of your choice.