Parent Giving
Your Support Matters
Parent Giving is an important component of the W&L Fund. Current and former non-alumni parents contribute nearly 15% of the W&L Fund total. Since 2010, parent giving at W&L has almost doubled. Current and former non-alumni parents contributed a remarkable $1.57 million to the university last fiscal year.
Supporters of parent giving help provide an undergraduate experience that continues to set the standard for liberal arts education. When parents and families make gifts to the W&L Fund, the money goes to work right away, supporting every student, faculty member and program at Washington and Lee. Thanks to our donors, the W&L Fund ensures that the university’s most pressing priorities are met: providing small classes, outstanding professors and access to the best academic resources including career development, international experiences, service learning opportunities and much more.
Parent Giving Makes an Immediate Impact
Relevant Information and Upcoming Events
- Visit the W&L Families Webpage
- View the
- For information on joining the Parents Leadership Council, check out our
- Parents Leadership Council Weekend will take place on March 20-22, 2025
- Check out the
By the Numbers
48%
Amount of operating budget provided through philanthropy.
$4,222
Benefit per student
$20,704
Endowment needed to generate the equivalent of a $1,000 Parents Fund gift.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most private schools have three main sources of funding: tuition, income from the endowment, and annual gifts. Tuition simply does not cover the cost of running a private university. In fact, tuition covers less than half the cost of a W&L education. Without the generous support of current and past parents — along with alumni and friends — tuition would be much higher to maintain the full and distinctive W&L experience.
Annual gifts to the W&L Fund are not invested — they are used right now to sustain current year operations and activities that directly impact every student. Annual gifts are the lifeblood of the institution. Parent giving comprises 15% of the W&L Fund.
When you make a gift to the W&L Fund, it will be joined with the gifts of other parents, and those gifts add up to a remarkable total! In 2023-24, current and past W&L parents donated more than $1.57 million to the W&L Fund. This is a significant endorsement from W&L parents who believe in the mission and direction of the university and support it with their own giving above tuition.
W&L recognizes leadership parent giving through the following groups:
- The Parents Leadership Circle: Members of the Parents Leadership Circle make an annual gift of $25,000 or more to the W&L Fund.
- PLC Steering Committee: Members of the Steering Committee make an annual gift of $10,000 or more to the W&L Fund.
- The Parents Leadership Council: The Parents Leadership Council (PLC) includes parents who make an annual gift of $5,000 or more to the W&L Fund.
- The President’s Society: Parents (non-alumni and alumni) who give $2,500 or more are recognized as members of The President’s Society (TPS).
Parent Giving
Office of University Development
- P: 540-458-8420
- F: 540-458-8428
- E: annualgiving@wlu.edu
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Parent Giving
Office of University Development
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Development Building
Lexington, VA 24450
Our Staff
Your support deserves our attention. Parent Giving staff aim to keep you informed and engaged in the life of the university.
News
Robert Balentine ’79 and his wife, Betty, are recipients of the 2025 Cynthia Pratt Laughlin Medal from the Garden Club of America for their preservation work at the Southern Highlands Reserve.
The Class of 2025’s Senior Gift Committee co-chairs have already sailed past their monetary goal as they look toward Commencement.
Stephen Welker ’05 honors his past by shaping the future.
The Washington Award acknowledges those individuals who have exemplified profound philanthropy to Ƶ and greater service to the nation.
Cory Allison ’94, P’26 hopes to change the way hospitals and doctors approach surgical prep.
Howard Capito ’68 established the Christopher D. Connors Endowment for Earth and Environmental Geoscience to honor the “living legend” and support student internships in geology and related fields.
Hank Ingram ’13 recently established the Ingram Family Student Opportunity Endowment to further community-based learning opportunities for W&L students in Rockbridge County.
Joelle James Phillips ‘95L joined the Ƶ Board of Trustees on Feb. 7, at the board’s winter meeting in Lexington, Virginia.
Trustee issues challenge for support of the project.
The importance of philanthropy is a value that Billy Webster ’79 instilled in his children from a young age.
Ƶ announced on Friday, Oct. 25, the launch of a $650 million comprehensive capital campaign, Leading Lives of Consequence: The Campaign for Washington and Lee.
Josephine S. Covington ’96, P’24 and John C. “Jack” Huffard Jr. ’90, P’28 joined the Ƶ Board of Trustees on Oct. 25, at the board’s fall meeting in Lexington.