Through fall semester crowdfunding projects, alumni and friends can make a positive and immediate impact in how our students live out their MBU experience, and become a part of Mary Baldwin’s Invest for Impact Campaign. These projects are specifically designed to succeed not merely by a few large donations, but many smaller gifts, and offer three unique opportunities to further enhance campus life and provide educational possibilities that go beyond the lecture hall.
One giving opportunity goes to the very heart of Mary Baldwin in the form of renovating the lounge of McClung Residence Hall, where Mary Julia Baldwin once called home. Improvements to the lounge such as fresh paint, new lighting, and a fresh kitchen space debuted at the start of the fall semester. Further enhancements are ongoing in order to provide a comfortable meeting space for Mary Baldwin College for Women students to gather and form lasting bonds. Donors can give through one of several levels that harken back to Mary Baldwin’s beginnings, including a $60 donation that in 1863 covered the cost of a student to live and study at MBU for three months.
Of course, our students don’t gather inside residence halls alone. The beauty of downtown Staunton and the surrounding mountains is made manifest on Mary Baldwin’s hills, providing perfect gathering places for study and conversation. To enhance these spots, MBU has created a crowdfunding project to purchase 30 Adirondack chairs for these beautiful places that inspire both perspective and a sense of belonging. Painted in glorious MBU yellow, these Adirondacks will serve as locales where students can live out their magical moments of college life. Looking for the perfect present this holiday season? A gift of $275 means donors can name a chair in honor of an individual or group. (Naming plaques have a lifetime warranty and offer three lines for personalization.)
Not all of our crowdfunding projects go to campus improvements. Mary Baldwin has always been student-centered at its core, striving to provide distinctive opportunities for students and faculty to work in close concert. MBU takes this guiding philosophy to the next level with our new Provost Fund, which readies students to become leaders in a changing world by taking learning outside the classroom. Your gift to the Provost Fund provides an array of opportunities for our esteemed professors to mentor and guide students ranging from friendly meetings over coffee to group gatherings at a Shakespeare play, research fellowships, and attendance at academic conferences.
This season more than any other reminds us that it’s often the smallest gifts that make the biggest impact. For more on these opportunities and to make a donation, visit our crowdfunding page.