School of Social Work philanthropy initiatives continue to build momentum. Mari Vaydik, director of development for the School, is raising funds under the campus-wide Pivotal Moments Campaign umbrella. The School of Social Work’s three campaign fundraising priorities are: funding the Phase II renovation of the new building, support for faculty, and scholarships for students. To date, the School of Social Work has raised $2.7 million towards the $5.5 million Pivotal Moments goal. With two more years to fundraise towards the goal, Mari is working with donors at all stages/levels of giving to build a sustainable major gifts program for the School. This type of program takes multiple years to build, with a typical gift conversation taking 18 months from introduction to completion.  Fortunately, our alumni are often generous in unanticipated ways and we’ve seen significant gifts being made without lengthy timelines. This speaks to the important role the School has played in the lives and careers of our alumni. Right now, much of the work being done is reaching out to alumni who have been loyally giving to the School for 20, 30, and even 40+ years, but who have never been thanked in person. Meeting with these generous alumni gives us, most importantly, the opportunity to thank them for their support. It also gives insight into whether they’re interested in learning about additional opportunities to support the School. If you know an alum that Mari should be in touch with, or have questions about anything fundraising-related, please get in touch. Her contact information can be found here.