Winthrop fundraising effort nets $51 million, donors stepped up during challenging time

Winthrop University announced this month the close of its multiyear fundraising campaign, saying donors have pledged nearly $51 million to help pay for student scholarships, faculty support and other academic initiatives including campus research.

Two of Winthrop’s key staff members in charge of fundraising efforts say the campaign’s success – only the second capital campaign of its kind in school history – is particularly satisfying given several recent factors that could have dissuaded supporters from giving money.

Ken Sheetz, associate vice president in Winthrop’s advancement and development office, gave high praise to alumni and other community members who rallied to pour more than $15 million into funds to help students pay college tuition. Loyalty to Winthrop, Sheetz said, has been clear despite somewhat challenging times.

Supporters “didn’t stop giving – they saw the bigger picture,” he said.

Last summer, Winthrop garnered unwanted attention when the university’s Board of Trustees fired the school’s tenth president amid allegations of several ethical breaches.

Winthrop Provost Debra Boyd stepped in as acting president and set a tone of moving forward with “Team Winthrop.” Boyd quickly sent a letter to alumni, fans, and supporters asking for continued backing.

Boyd, one of Winthrop’s longest-serving academic administrators, was acting president for one year before current President Dan Mahony was hired.

Winthrop’s major fundraising campaign, called “Distinction,” saw four presidents since it began in 2008 with now-retired President Anthony DiGiorgio.

Most college capital fundraising campaigns are run by a single president, Sheetz said.

Still, officials say the momentum for giving didn’t wane.

When Danny Nicholson arrived at Winthrop in November 2013 to serve as vice president in the campus’ advancement office, the campaign had already pulled in $42 million. He saw his charge as “reigniting” the effort, he said.

Nicholson and others’ primary jobs are to meet with potential donors, guide major fundraising drives and help match givers with Winthrop programs and initiatives that speak to their own passions and careers.

For example, one of the “Distinction” campaign’s largest contributions came from Winthrop alumnae Vivian Carroll and her husband, Larry. They gave $1.25 million at the start of the campaign more than seven years ago.

The Carrolls’ money went toward new technology in Winthrop’s business and trading center – an academic building on campus named in Vivian Carroll’s honor. Larry and Vivian Carroll are Rock Hill natives who have built careers in the financial services industry – a key part of the university’s college of business administration programs.

Nicholson says it can be easy to ask people to give money to Winthrop when they see the true character and value of the university. When he meets with donors, he said, he aims to highlight Winthrop’s diverse student body and the opportunities for South Carolina students who may come from low-income families but have the desire and potential to do well in college.

Showing donors how their money will directly benefit students and faculty members, Nicholson said, is “the engine that elevates and inspires (a fundraising) campaign.”

While large contributions make a big splash – and often make headlines – Nicholson and Sheetz say small gifts add up to make a big difference at Winthrop. Since the campaign launched in 2008, nearly 12,000 individuals gave money.

“Every single gift is extremely important,” Nicholson said, adding that some corporate benefactors often ask the rate of alumni giving. The number of donations given – of any amount – helps influence larger contributions.

Winthrop officials have been working to make more meaningful connections with alumni, especially recent graduates who tend to be younger and are just getting started in their careers. Part of that effort has included scheduling many alumni-connection events across the state and region.

Those steps are needed, Nicholson said, to help build a culture of philanthropy for Winthrop.

Money earned from the recent campaign will largely go toward direct academic services and student scholarships. A strategic planning process underway with Mahony and others at the university could also earmark some of the money toward large initiatives or physical additions to the campus.

While the end to Winthrop’s capital campaign is a milestone, both Nicholson and Sheetz say fundraising and advocacy for the university require daily work.

Nicholson and his staff focus on helping draw alumni back to campus and giving graduates a chance to revisit their college years – reconnecting with the faculty and programs that shaped their educational experience. In November, Winthrop hosts its Homecoming, a signature event for college campuses nationwide.

Such events, Nicholson said, “stirs folks” and encourages alumni “to pay it forward” for current and future students.

Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated the Winthrop fired its ninth president. Last summer, the board fired the school’s tenth president. That correction was made.

This story was originally published September 28, 2015 at 3:59 PM with the headline "Winthrop fundraising effort nets $51 million, donors stepped up during challenging time."