The Nicholas School has launched a new program for the 2018 – 2019 fiscal year that will provide exclusive benefits to leadership donors that make significant annual contributions to various school fundraising initiatives.
The program, called The Summit Society, will recognize donors that make annual cumulative gifts of $1,000 or more to the Nicholas School Annual Fund, Marine Lab Annual Fund, Financial Aid Fund or other restricted program areas throughout the fiscal year (July 1 – June 30).
Jake McNabb, the school’s Assistant Director of Annual Fund Initiatives, conceived the idea for the new program. “While donations of any amount are always important and cumulatively make a significant difference for the School, [the Office of Development and Alumni Relations] wanted to find a way to recognize our donors who are going above and beyond to support the School’s vision of forging future environmental leaders,” said McNabb. “With The Summit Society, we hope to give them the acknowledgement they deserve by providing them with specific information on how their gifts are being used for the betterment of the School.”
The Annual Fund director also pointed out that, while no official plans are yet confirmed, the school hopes to extend exclusive event invitations to program members in the future in recognition of their support.
The school has already retroactively welcomed over 130 members to The Summit Society based on their 2017-2018 fiscal year contributions.
Daniella Hirschfeld MEM’08, one of the first members to join The Summit Society, is urging her peers to take the next step by increasing their level of giving to the Summit Society level. “In today’s political climate, we face so much uncertainty about how our country and world will address our most critical global environmental issues,” said the 2008 alum. “I want to help these students pursue their passions and build skills that will help them protect our environment. At this critical juncture, I urge all my fellow alumni to get involved and support the next generation of leaders by contributing at The Summit Society level today.”
For more information on The Summit Society, click here.
