Support Economics

Recent Donor List

 

Notes from the Chair of the Department

The Economics Department has an illustrious history of student, alumni, and faculty achievement. We have attained this success on a stringent budget, one that has seen the State’s contribution fall in both relative and absolute terms in recent years. In order to continue, and to build on, this success, we need the generous support of our alumni and friends. Such support makes the difference in helping us to provide the best learning experiences possible for our students and is gratefully received. Below I outline some of the opportunities for giving, but first I describe several ways to contribute and several types of contribution.

Ways to Contribute

You can contribute online now with your credit card, using our secure web server. The contribution form will be pre-selected to direct your gift to the general academic fund for the Economics Department, allocation #2970, which supports student and faculty needs directly. This is equivalent to annual giving, such as to the William & Mary Annual Fund.  These gifts are spendable (as opposed to endowment) funds. Any funds not spent may be carried over to the next fiscal year. The other type of giving is to the Economics Department Endowment.  These funds are managed by the William & Mary Foundation and spin off annual spendable amounts from 3%-5% of the endowment per year. You may direct your contribution to the Economics Department Endowment, allocation #3240, in the “Comments” portion of the web form. 

You also may contribute by mail with a check. To contribute to the general academic fund, make your check payable to The College of William and Mary Foundation, and note in the memo area, allocation #2970. To contribute to the Endowment Fund, make your check payable to The College of William and Mary, and note in the memo area, allocation #3240. You may mail the check to the Economics Department  or directly to the Foundation.  Checks sent to the Department will be forwarded to the Foundation so that official recognition is made. The Foundation mailing address is:

The College of William and Mary Foundation
P.O. Box 1693
Williamsburg, VA 23187-1693

For More Information

For information on how to make other types of gifts, such as stocks and mutual funds, or deferred gifts such as Charitable Remainder Trusts, please contact the Gift Accounting Office at 757-221-1080, or the Arts & Sciences Development Office at 757-221-7737. We encourage you to consult the Gift Planning Office when making a bequest provision in your will, retirement plan, or other estate plan.  This office can provide the appropriate legal name and language to ensure that your bequest can be used the way you intend.
Gifts supporting the Departments and Programs of Arts & Sciences at the College of William and Mary are tax-deductible according to regulations governing section 501(c)(3) of the IRS code.

Opportunities for Giving

These opportunities for giving are critical to achieving continued success but are not listed in order of priority. In addition, we are always willing to listen to your suggestions or projects. Here are some identified needs.

 

1. Unrestricted annual giving provides the Economics Department Chair with the most flexibility in meeting the needs of the department. As the State cuts back, these needs may be mundane, from paper and print cartridges, to more directly educational endeavors, such as funding for a class field trip to Washington.  Such funds can support students who work as research assistants to professors, the purchase of data for student-faculty research projects, and travel to conferences. These funds also can support the unanticipated expenses that occur at random, such as the complete breakdown of a printer or laptop computer that simply must be replaced.  Both unrestricted annual donations, allocation #2970, and unrestricted endowment donations, allocation #3240, of any amount are appreciated.
2. We currently have a faculty Seminar Series that brings in scholars from universities, government agencies, and the private sector to discuss cutting edge work in Economics. We pay the expenses of speakers, but none get an honorarium. With an endowment of $100,000, the Seminar Series will continue, and we can invite an Economist “Superstar” each year for a public lecture and smaller meetings with students, providing a great opportunity for students and the College community to interact.
3. Endowed and Supplemental Professorships would be welcomed with enthusiasm. Supplemental Professorships enhance our ability to recognize, with a salary supplement and research fund, some of our most productive scholar/teachers. This helps to attract and retain high-quality faculty and gives younger faculty an incentive to work to their potential. The donation of a fully endowed Professorship, and it would need to be a substantial donation, could help take us to new levels, because this represents a new position, a new distinguished faculty member. If we could supplement our existing strengths, such as Environmental Economics and International Economics, among others, or add a new but critical field, such as Financial Economics, this would be a donation that could transform the department. The last donation of an endowed professorship in Economics was made in 1996 by Francis West, for which we are grateful. An appointment to this Professorship will be made in 2009-10.
4. Scholarship donations are also welcome. In 2008-09, for the first time, we gave two merit-based scholarships for Economics majors, the Terry Glenn Memorial Scholarship and the Ross L. and Marian Y. Goble Scholarship. We would be delighted to administer additional scholarships for Economics majors. 
5. We are slated to move to Tyler Hall, along with Government and Public Policy, as soon as Tucker Hall is renovated for the English Department. The earliest we could move probably is 2012, but a major donation for the renovation of Tyler would be a stupendous gift. In the meantime, doing anything to Morton would seem a waste. However, a donation to refurbish our seminar room, which needs upgrading, with items that could be moved to Tyler, would be welcome.
6. Library holdings are always an issue with Economics. Swem Library has been strained in recent years, and more and more information necessary for the study of Economics has become available digitally, so it is easy to fall behind. A donation directly to Economics, or a donation to the library designated for purchase of Economics materials would be a wonderful gift.
7. Economists believe in incentives, and various endowed prizes could be motivators. We currently award the Robert A. Barry Prize annually to the “best” graduating Economics student as determined by the faculty. The original contributions to the prize have been exhausted but we continue to award the prize (currently $250) using operating funds. Many of you may remember Bob Barry, who died about two years ago and who was responsible for introducing so many of us to the wonders of Economics. Perhaps somebody would be interested in endowing the prize in his name. There are other prizes that could be created, such as a prize for the best honors thesis, and others that you may want to propose.

 

This list of department needs is far from exhaustive. If you have other ideas, we want to hear from you. Feel free to contact the Chair, Will Hausman, at 757-221-2381 ([[wjhaus, email]]).  We do need and appreciate your help.