Rules and Expectations
At the heart of the U.Va. Parents Annual Fund are the families that serve on the U.Va. Parents Committee. These volunteers form the lifeblood of the Committee’s activities while the Parents Committee Director coordinates their efforts. The success of our Committee depends largely on the leadership and enthusiasm provided by its members. The Committee members are invited yearly; most members serve during the years that their children are in school.
"Parents DO Make a Difference!"
Although the Committee is an active working group, participation is not uncomfortably demanding. Committee members’ responsibilities generally include the following:
• Contribution to the UVa Parents Committee. The Committee expects 100% financial participation from its committee members so that we may ask others to join us in supporting the Parents Annual Fund. Although the University recognizes donors at levels beginning at $250, Parents Committee members are asked to make gifts at the level to qualify for membership in the Rotunda Society ($2,500 or more).
• Fall Meeting. The Committee meets each fall in Charlottesville over Family Weekend to exchange ideas for projects that will benefit the University and to discuss the goals and activities of the Committee. Typically, the events begin with a luncheon and business meeting on Friday afternoon and conclude with a reception at Carr’s Hill hosted by President Sullivan on Friday evening.
• Spring Meeting. The Committee meets each spring in Charlottesville. This meeting will include visits to various Parents Committee-funded sites, goal-setting, and brainstorming.
• Personal Contacts. Committee members may choose to contact parents in person, by phone, or by mail according to their time constraints and the prospects' potential for giving. Committee members may also be asked to make special contact with a few “leadership level” prospects as well. Such contact serves as a reminder to supplement the general Parents Committee mailings and to personalize the annual giving effort.
• Representation of the Parents Committee and the University. Committee members represent the University enthusiastically in their community. Periodic updates inform members of the Committee’s status, upcoming mailings, and other pertinent information. One family also represents the Parents Committee on the University-wide Annual Giving Advisory Board.
• Committee Participation. Committee members are asked to volunteer on the various sub-committees according to their interests and talents. The sub-committees are designed to help involve all Committee members more actively. Members are also encouraged to work with the University to host events within their regions.
• Executive Committee. Families are invited to serve on the Executive Committee, which allocates the undesignated gifts through a grant application review process. In this way, a direct relation may be drawn between funds raised and programs supported, thus affirming our purpose to better the lives of current students. This Committee also serves as the selection committee for the Gilbert J. Sullivan-Parents Committee Endowed Scholarship.
The Committee members generally find that serving on the U.Va. Parents Committee is a rewarding and enjoyable way to share in their children’s experiences at the University. It provides a direct link to the University and places parents in a position to help maintain the excellence that attracted their sons and daughters to the University.
* The U.Va. Parents Committee, formerly known as the UVa Parents Program, was previously open to only non-alumni parents. Various groups around the University have joined together to create UVaFamilies to focus on all aspects of parent and family interests. As a result, the U.Va. Parents Committee serves as the annual giving program for all parents, alumni and non-alumni. UVaFamilies provides engagement opportunities for parents by providing educational experiences, regional and on-Grounds events, travel and social interactions.