“Amazing.” That was the word used by David Behrs, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College president, when he described the response to the College’s recent faculty/staff annual fund challenge.

On Feb. 27, the SMWC Board of Trustees convened for their February board meeting, and Behrs was very pleased to report that 100 percent of staff and 90 percent of faculty had given to the College’s annual fund.

“The dedication and generosity of the faculty and staff at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College never ceases to amaze me,” Behrs said. “In these challenging economic times, they continue to invest in this institution and in our mission. Their loyalty to this College and our students is truly heart-warming.”

In early February, Behrs and the President’s Cabinet held a town meeting to alert the College community to the impact that the sick economy has had on giving to the College’s annual fund. Through the end of December, annual fund giving was down 40 percent from the previous year when annual fund gifts ended the fiscal year with over $1.1 million.

Behrs stated that the College was working to eliminate the deficit through belt-tightening, very carefully spending and reducing normal operating expenditures. He also indicated that he and each of the members of the President’s Cabinet had elected to take a five percent pay cut effective February 1 through June 30, 2009. Faculty and staff were asked to “do their part” by making a contribution to the annual fund, and the response was immediate.

“If it was important enough for the president to announce at the town meeting, then we knew that it was important for us to influence our faculty and staff,” said Sue Weatherwax, co-chair of the College’s Staff Steering Committee. “We made a commitment to communicate to everyone and to let them know it’s not the amount that counts but their participation.”

At that time, 47 percent of staff and 22 percent of faculty were giving to the College’s annual fund, so Weatherwax and Terry Barr, Staff Steering Committee co-chair, and Janet Clark, president of the College’s Faculty Assembly, brought forth the idea of a faculty and staff challenge.

“Everyone responded quickly and without reservation once they realized their help was needed in reaching an attainable goal,” Barr said. “It says so much about the employees of SMWC. The employees always come through when there is a need.”

Clark said she knew the faculty would respond positively to the challenge.
“I never had a doubt that the faculty would support the challenge,” Clark said. “We are a loyal and hardworking bunch. It was a small way for us to make a big difference, and I know the faculty understand that. Therefore, even if they had not given in the past, they realized this was the time to do so.”

The College’s Annual Woods Fund provides funding for vital programs, including student scholarships, facilities, faculty and staff development, technology and athletics. In 2008, SMWC celebrated a successful fundraising year with $1,147,264 million in gifts to the Annual Woods Fund during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2008 – a 13.8 percent increase over the previous year's record of $1,008,115 million.

This year, the College has a goal of raising $1.1 million, and Weatherwax hopes that the response from faculty and staff will now prompt SMWC’s alumnae/i and friends to also step up to the challenge.

“I would hope that [the College’s alumnae/i and friends] will take the next step,” Weatherwax said. “The faculty and staff are challenging them to show their loyalty to The Woods by giving to the Annual Woods Fund! We want to get everyone involved so we can reach our goal of 100 percent participation.”

Clark agrees.

“I do think that the near 100 percent support from faculty and staff serves as an indicator to the alums and friends of SMWC of our loyalty and desire to see the College succeed and move forward,” she said. “It would be exciting to see how many alums might give knowing how hard their former professors are working and giving!”

To make a secure, online gift to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, visit giving.smwc.edu. If you have any questions, please call 1-888-769-0013 or email thewoods@smwc.edu.