Your Impact
Building Excellence and Impact Every Day
$132.3M+
Total Gifts and Commitments
$27.4M
Raised for Financial Aid
3,418
New Donors
9,081
Alumni Donors
16,735
Total Donors
“Attending GW has allowed me to expand on my cultural knowledge and perspectives, having classmates of different cultures and with whom I can exchange opinions about the world’s problems and solutions. I am so thankful to GW donors for a once in a lifetime experience.”
Diego Alonso, B.S. ‘23
Diego Alonso, B.S. ’23, has long been fascinated by the power of engineering systems and social entrepreneurship. He majored in Systems Engineering at GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science to gain broad knowledge in engineering and the ability to handle complex responsibilities, with the goal of making the world a better place. “GW is a place where I could enlarge my cultural knowledge and perspectives with classmates of different cultures and with whom I could exchange opinions about the world’s problems and solutions,” he says.
His passion is rooted in his lived experience. Diego was born in the Dominican Republic with Goldenhar syndrome, which meant he had no ears, was mostly deaf and had speech difficulties. He moved to the United States with his father and did the hard work of learning a new language and a new culture. Facing challenge motivated Diego to devote his life to help people in their everyday lives.
He is deeply grateful to the generous donors who support and believe in GW and its students. “Without the scholarships, I could not have attended GW because I am the only one responsible for my financial life,” he says.
After graduation, he plans to master data science and philosophy on his own while working as a technology, data, and innovation analyst at Deutsche Bank. He hopes to eventually become a social entrepreneur to address issues including education, agriculture, and sustainability.
Building Holistic Student Support
Every year, members of The Luther Rice Society Advisory Council (LRSAC) join together to support diverse areas across the university with a gift of $30,000+. This year, the LRSAC—a giving circle of GW alumni and parents dedicated to philanthropy—chose three initiatives focused on improving students’ lives: Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), GW TRAiLS, and Sustainable GW.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) improves understanding of mental illness and substance-use disorders and teaches people to identify and address these issues safely. LRSAC’s gift will enable GW staff members to be trained in MHFA facilitation and better support students dealing with crisis. GW TRAiLS facilitates outdoor experiences for students, connecting the university community to nature. With LRSAC support, GW TRAiLS will offer financial support to students to increase access to outdoor trips. Through Sustainable GW, students put their values into action to address the climate crisis. LRSAC funding will bring to life a community garden at the Mount Vernon Campus which will help educate and build community as students and community members work together, learning about sustainable gardening, food distribution, and environmental justice.
“Earning a master's degree from GW played a pivotal role in advancing my career. The Luther Rice Society Advisory Council has afforded me the perfect avenue to give back. As the new chair, I’m excited to continue identifying targeted initiatives that meet the needs of today’s students and help them pursue their dreams and goals.”
- Amanda Brady, M.A. ’11 and Chair of the Luther Rice Society Advisory Council
Building a Legacy in Recognition
Paying forward the generous love and support offered by their parents, GW Trustee Vice Chair Mark Chichester, B.B.A. ’90, J.D. ’93, Trustee Michelle Rubin, B.A. ’91, and Trustee Secretary Avram “Ave” Tucker, B.B.A. ’77, have each created scholarships to pay tribute to their mothers and fathers. By honoring their parents’ passion for education through an endowed scholarship at GW, each of these alumni has ensured that the educational opportunities that have supported their success are available to future generations of students. Their gifts support undergraduate students with financial need as well as students at GW Law.
Trustee Vice Chair Mark Chichester expressed a sentiment shared by many endowment donors. “Not everyone gets to pay their parents back for the years of sacrifice,” he says. “I’m appreciative that I had that opportunity.”
Building a Culture of Philanthropy
The GW community, both on campus and online, was abuzz for 24 hours in early April as GW celebrated its third Giving Day. This annual philanthropic celebration brings together students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends from throughout the world to support GW schools, departments, programs and organizations, including student scholarships.
Nearly 3,200 donors helped Giving Day increase participation by 25% over last year. Gifts of every size add up. Donors from every state and countries around the world contributed nearly $1.3 million in 24 hours. This will directly support GW’s enduring mission to expand educational opportunity, support world-class teaching and scholarship, and advance cutting-edge research. We are grateful to our generous community for helping future generations of innovators, leaders, and creators.
THANK YOU
You will be among the first to receive the new GW Philanthropy Impact Report, a detailed look at the ways generosity has moved the world forward in the past year. We can’t wait to share this new portrait of your impact with you and we look forward to your feedback. Thank you for the trust you have placed in GW, our mission and our commitment to excellence. Raise High!