General Support
Unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund are used where the need is most urgent and where the impact on students will be greatest.
For example, these gifts help fund innovative academic programs such as student/faculty collaborative research, the purchase of new laboratory equipment and art studio supplies, and student life activities to name a few.
Traditionally, one of the most prominent uses of Annual Fund gifts for General Support has been for student scholarships.
Every year, Richmond vies for the best and brightest minds in the country. The number of prospective students, however, who are unable to graduate due to lack of financial resources—or who choose to matriculate elsewhere because they are offered more attractive financial aid packages—is increasing.
As a result of the revenues provided by General Support to the Annual Fund, the University is able to augment its scholarship budget and provide financial assistance to 67 percent of its undergraduates. Increased Annual Fund contributions will enable the University to increase this percentage of support, thus enabling more students to earn their degrees here at Richmond, one of the nation's preeminent private institutions of higher learning.