Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) is announcing that this year’s Woods Fund goal is $3 million. The Woods Fund is the College’s unrestricted operating fund that is essential to ensuring SMWC’s continued ability to deliver its mission of educating students while challenging them to think critically, become leaders and effect change through knowledge and virtue rooted in our Catholic foundation.
The $3 million goal represents a strategic effort to secure the necessary resources to maintain and expand SMWC’s educational programs, invest in preserving the historical buildings and provide students the financial flexibility to receive our high-quality education. Unlike restricted funds, which are designated for specific projects or purposes, unrestricted funds are vital for supporting core programs and allowing the College to allocate resources where and when they are needed.
More than doubling the Woods Fund is crucial for SMWC to sustain our operations with continued enrollment growth. “In the last 13 months, many of our alumni and friends may have heard me say, ‘That’s a good problem to have,’ when speaking about the new challenges the College continues to address as the number of students physically on campus continues to grow,” stated President Brennan J. Randolph, MBA.
Things like the need for more and longer beds, the increased usage of utilities, the need for more and larger classroom spaces, the number of faculty teaching online and in person and the increased physical demands on our historical buildings call for a larger Woods Fund goal so that SMWC may continue to provide a high-quality education to our students.
Woods Fund gifts made this fiscal year will allow SMWC to:
- Sustain and enhance existing programs and services.
- Invest in strategic initiatives and partnerships that align with our mission.
- Ensure operational stability.
- Continue to deliver a distinct Woods student experience.
“A $3 million Woods Fund affords Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College the ability to be agile. Attaining this goal enables the College to address unexpected obstacles and seize new opportunities as they arise. We are calling on our alumni, partners and community to join us and support this stretch goal,” said Catherine Mickey Saunders ’98, vice president for advancement.
Last year had record-breaking fundraising results with more than $8.78 million donated and $1.3 million dedicated to the Woods Fund. Thanks to several donors contributing six and seven-figure gifts last year (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024), SMWC is poised to continue this momentum in the 2024-25 fiscal year.
“Last year, there were multiple examples of significant sacrificial gifts to SMWC. This was both inspiring and a challenge. It is a figurative call-out to this year’s donors. Let’s meet and exceed their generosity, if not through the size of our gifts, then through the volume of gifts,” said Saunders. “Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a difference. We’re excited about the possibilities in front of us and all of our Woods students this year!”
Supporters may contribute to the Woods Fund by:
- Mailing a check to: PO Box 70 Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, IN 47876
- Giving online at giving.smwc.edu
- Calling 888-769-0013