Date: March 13, 2025
Spring Break is a good moment to make a fundraising trip. The result is that Institutional Advancement is organizing a Roundtable in Houston, Texas. Tonight we will be at Trinity Episcopal Church.
Friend making is key to the future of the Seminary. As major universities are learning, income streams are vulnerable. An endowment is in the stock market. Grants, especially federal ones, are subject to claw back. Tuition will fluctuate with applicants for a program. Philanthropy – the friends who care about our mission – can be a steady, effective income stream. Granted the size of the gift might vary, but the steady giver is a precious resource.
Friends of the Seminary need to be constantly refreshed. The inevitable circle of life takes some from us. New ones need to be formed. This is deep, intentional, and important work.
The Very Rev. Ian S. Markham, Ph.D.
Dean and President of Virginia Theological Seminary and the President of The General Theological Seminary