Annual Report 2023-24 &#8211; Hollins Magazine

Alumnae/i Engagement

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:12:54 +0000

Something We Can All Celebrate: Alumnae/i Engagement makes Hollins better for everyone!

Alumnae/i engagement is growing! Fiscal Year 2024 was our second year quantifiably tracking alumnae/i engagement, and we’re thrilled to report a critical mass (22%!) of alumnae/i engaged with Hollins through volunteerism, events, communication, and philanthropy! This represents a two percent increase over the previous fiscal year.

We are deeply grateful for our volunteers, who are the lifeblood of the alumnae/i association and help all of us to lift our eyes toward the bright future we are collectively building for Hollins. We also extend our gratitude to each alumna/us who attended an event (in-person or virtual!) or took the time to write, email, or call us—it is such a gift to see the alumnae/i network in action! Lastly, we sincerely appreciate all who made a gift last year. Alumnae/i gifts not only directly impact today’s students but stand as a testament to the value of your degree and provide confidence to foundations, corporations, and major gift philanthropists investing in Hollins.

Everyone who has attended Hollins has benefited from someone else’s generosity of time, talent, or treasure. This tradition of giving back truly makes Hollins a better place for everyone. We look forward to engaging even more alumnae/i in Fiscal Year 2025!

How You Made a Difference in Fiscal Year 2024

Since 1943, alumnae/i participation in annual giving has been a vital Hollins tradition, evolving from the Alumnae Fund’s original mission of supporting the Alumnae Association to strengthening the entire college community. As Lindsey Mann Field ’03 says in her profile on page 31, “It’s not just about giving back—it’s about investing in the next generation of Hollins women, keeping our community strong, and preserving the magic of Hollins for years to come.”

Every act of generosity matters. Whether you volunteer, refer a student, or wear a Hollins hat to the supermarket, you carry the Hollins mission into the world. Likewise, when you give to the Hollins Fund, you take action to ensure the perpetuity of that mission. As Sarah Himes ’23 shares in her profile on page 31, “All acts of generosity and financial gifts matter—regardless of size.” Major gift donors, including foundations and corporations, look to alumnae/i participation as evidence that the cause they are being asked to support is worthy. So a big thank-you to the 19.3% of alumnae/i who made their Hollins Fund gifts in fiscal year 2024—your generosity inspires confidence and ensures Hollins’ bright future!

2023-24 Volunteer Leadership

Alumnae Board

Anne Chisman Abraham ’77
Emily Daniels Ashton ’06
Nancy Peterson Benninger ’02*
Allison McHenry Bough ’93
Blair Neill Celli ’03
Anna Cork ’96, M.A.L.S. ’04
Susan Schnider Duke ’76
Diane Hall ’88
Kristin Jeffries Henshaw ’94
(president)
Antoinette Hillian ’00*
LaNita Lykes Jefferson ’07
Linda Bertorelli Jennings ’85
Christine LeFever Kmieczak ’92
Dee Mudzingwa-Bohling ’07*
Puja Sharma ’11
Beatrice Shaw ’91

Board of Trustees

Patricia Thrower Barmeyer ’68
C. LaRoy Brantley F’15
Ellen Goldsmith-Vein ’84
Callie V. S. (Ginny) Granade ’72
Rev. Dr. Cynthia L. Hale ’75
Lucy Davis Haynes ’84
Kristin Jeffries Henshaw ’94
Paul Hollingsworth P’22
Cynda Johnson
Kay Kendall ’66
Leslie Dunne Ketner ’84*
Sandra Kiely Kolb ’70*
Elizabeth Brownlee
Kolmstetter ’85
Anne Lindblad ’79
Dudley Wood Macfarlane ’77*
Tamina D. McMillan, M.D., ’95 P’23
Debra Cartwright Meade F’76, board chair
Janet C. Nicholson ’69
Mary Flynn Niemitz F’75
John Poulton P’06
Karen Rabenau ’89
Sabrina Rose-Smith ’00
Savon Shelton Sampson ’04*
Natasha D. Trethewey M.A. ’91
Alexandra Trower ’86*

* Last year of service, 2024
F: Family of alumna/i
P: Parent of alumna/i

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��Ĵ�ý.edu/resources-for/alumnae/giving/giving-societies/levavi-oculos-society

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:12:00 +0000

We are profoundly grateful to our donors who give loyally each year, make leadership gifts, and those who include Hollins in their estate planning. Thank you for lifting up Hollins. Our donors ware recognized in the following six giving societies.

To see all Giving Societies, visit ��Ĵ�ý.edu/resources-for/alumnae/giving/giving-societies.

Levavi Oculos Society

The Levavi Oculos Society is a lifetime giving society for donors whose cumulative giving to Hollins surpasses $1 million. The university motto Levavi Oculos (from the 121st Psalm: “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills”) emphasizes leadership and service in accord with Hollins values and traditions.

The Heritage Society

Alumnae/i, parents, and friends who have indicated that they have made a bequest provision or planned gift commitment for Hollins in their estate plans are members of the Heritage Society. Today the Heritage Society has 496 members.

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The 1842 Society

The 1842 Society is composed of some of the most passionate and dedicated donors and friends of Hollins. It honors the year that Hollins was founded and is the brainchild of Pat Thomas Bain ’49, who helped to establish the society in 1968.

Members of the 1842 Society give at least $1,842 during the year to any designation at Hollins, though the majority of donors choose to make their gifts directly to the Hollins Fund. All donations totaling at least $1,842 annually, restricted or unrestricted, qualify the donor for membership. Gifts from family foundations and corporate matching gifts count toward membership.

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Miss Matty’s Circle

Miss Matty’s Circle (MMC) honors Martha Louisa Cocke, class of 1874. “Miss Matty” was the second president of Hollins from 1901 to 1933 and the first woman to lead a college in Virginia.

Current students can join Miss Matty’s Circle with a gift of any amount by June 30 of that year. Alumnae/i who have graduated in the last ten (10) years can join Miss Matty’s Circle with a gift of any amount as well.

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Marian Wolff Young Society

The Marian Wolff Young Society is named in honor of Marian Wolff Young, class of 1929, who made a gift to Hollins every year from her graduation until her death in 2008—nearly 80 years. The Marian Wolff Young Society recognizes those donors who give every year since graduation.

��Ĵ�ý.edu/resources-for/alumnae/giving/ giving-societies/marian-wolff-young-society

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The Numbers

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:11:30 +0000

Dear Hollins Community:

As I embark on my third year as Vice President for Institutional Advancement, I am reminded daily of the privilege it is to witness your extraordinary generosity—both in time and resources—shaping Hollins and securing its future. Over the past year, President Hinton and our team have traveled across the country, engaging with supporters and leaders who share a passion for Hollins’ mission. This report reflects the many miles traveled and countless hours spent in meaningful conversations. We are deeply grateful for the time, insights, and encouragement you have shared with us. It’s been a joy to learn more about what Hollins means to you.

As we continue advancing the Transforming Learning, Transforming Lives: The Levavi Oculos Strategic Plan and identifying the resources to bring it to life, your unwavering support is invaluable. We look forward to connecting with you as we continue our travels, sharing the good news about Hollins. Together, we aim to secure funding for key initiatives, including the West Hall renovation, the HOPE Scholarship, academic renewal, wellness initiatives, and for the Hollins Fund. Thanks to your generosity and investment in Hollins’ future, we have seen increased financial support for capital projects, the endowment, and the Hollins Fund. Notably, contributions from alumnae/i and parents have risen—a powerful testament to your shared commitment to our mission and the future of women’s education.

In this post you will find highlights that focus on the financial gifts we have received and, more importantly, the countless hours you have devoted to Hollins over the past year. Your time, talent, and expertise are vital to our progress. These intangible contributions—your perspective, advocacy, and engagement—make a profound difference and are deeply appreciated.

We celebrate your generosity and hope it inspires others to join you in supporting Hollins. Together, we are creating a more vibrant and inclusive environment for our students, faculty, staff, alumnae/i, and friends. Your commitment sustains Hollins’ legacy, ensuring opportunities and access for generations to come.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication. I look forward to the exciting accomplishments we will share in the year ahead, made possible by your steadfast support.

Sincerely,

Anita Branch-Brown, Vice President for Institutional Advancement

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What Your 2023-24 Gift Supported

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 21:10:21 +0000

Strategic Plan Initiatives

Hollins donors expand opportunities for learning and living well in the Hollins community and beyond. This is especially evident in the way that you support the critical work that we are undertaking through the Transforming Learning, Transforming Lives: The Levavi Oculos Strategic Plan. We are pleased to share with you our progress on the strategic plan during the academic year 2023-2024.

Academic Excellence

A team of nine faculty led by Nora Kizer Bell Provost Laura McLary began studying and designing an academic renewal plan that comprises a more efficiently designed academic portfolio; reimagines our learning environments to be more equitable, accessible, and inclusive; and invests in emerging opportunities that will drive enrollment growth and student retention.
We began transitioning to a reimagined Batten Leadership Institute (BLI) under new leadership. Dr. LeeRay Costa is now serving as the Executive Director of BLI.
We instituted a new faculty academy, housed under a new center for teaching and learning excellence.

Access

Through the HOPE Scholarship, Hollins continued to remove barriers to accessing undergraduate education, providing eligible Hollins students in our geographic region, regardless of socioeconomic background, with worry-free access to a Hollins education.
We continued to work toward a full-capacity enrollment of 800 undergraduate students and close economic, social, and equity gaps. For the class of 2027, 59% are first-generation students, 47% are Pell-eligible, and 39% are students of color.

Wellness

Plans to build the Cynthia L. Hale ’75 Holistic Wellness Center were announced. The Center will be designed around wellness of all types: physical, emotional, cultural, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, social, and spiritual.
Renovations to West Hall commenced. We are maintaining West’s historical character while making essential renovations, including renovated bathrooms, air conditioning, and elevator access, to meet our students’ and campus’s changing needs.
The Hollins Board of Trustees continues their commitment to learning and leading with an equity lens. With the approval of the strategic plan, the board made a significant commitment to improve all students’ experience of Hollins with an emphasis on accessibility and holistic well-being.

Hollins Fund

Your generous support of the Hollins Fund is a cornerstone of our ability to attract and empower exceptional students, helping them thrive academically and personally. Each year, the Hollins Fund contributes 11% of the university’s operating budget, with a primary focus on funding student scholarships. At Hollins, our students and faculty form the heart of our community, and your annual gifts ensure they continue to receive the outstanding education they deserve.

In the 2023-24 fiscal year, the Hollins Fund made a remarkable impact by contributing $3.51 million (more than a 12% increase over FY23) to the university’s total $41.3 million in philanthropic support. Your commitment enables us to offer purposeful designations within the Hollins Fund, including General Scholarship, Student Success, Well-being and Belonging, and Internship and Study Abroad opportunities. These areas provide transformative experiences that shape students’ futures and careers.

Thank you for partnering with us on our mission to create a brighter future—one Hollins student at a time.

For more information about the Hollins Fund, please contact Noelle N. Cook at cooknn@��Ĵ�ý.edu or (540) 362-6411.

Gifts to the Hollins endowment create the foundation to strengthen our academic programs and support our students into the future.

Hollins continues to operate within the board-approved budget and with no external debt. Much of this financial stability is due to our alumnae/i and friends who, devoted to Hollins’ long-term financial health, added just over $31.2 million to the endowment last fiscal year. This includes the final pledge payments to the Levavi Oculos Endowed Scholarship Fund, which was created in December 2021 with a pledge of $75 million from a generous anonymous alumna, the largest gift made to a women’s college at that time. As of June 30, 2024, the Hollins endowment boasted a market value of $303.7 million.

Donors made Hollins a lasting part of their legacy.

During the last fiscal year, Hollins received estate gifts in the amount of $3.1 million. Alumnae/i, parents, and friends who have indicated that they have made a bequest provision or planned gift commitment for Hollins in their estate plans are members of the Heritage Society. Today the Heritage Society has 496 members.

For more information on planned giving, please contact Julie Ricciardi at ricciardije@��Ĵ�ý.edu or at (919) 809-4858.

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