As some of our friends and supporters are aware, donations to support Tribe Rowing can be made through the College of William & Mary’s Development Office as well as through FWR. Donations through the College make their way to the team’s Development Account, which can be used to support major initiatives of the team. For example, donors had contributed thousands of dollars to the team’s Development Account prior to 2017 and these funds were waiting for a mission. WMRC decided to use $3,700 of the Development Account balance to purchase the riggers for the new King 8+! These funds, together with the donations to the WMRC 50/50 Campaign sponsored by FWR, helped make this new 8+ a reality. We’ve had the opportunity to thank all of the donors we know from the 50/50 Campaign, but we haven’t had the chance to reach out to the unnamed donors to the team’s Development Account over the years. So here goes – thank you all for your support. We couldn’t have done it without you!
For those of you who aren’t familiar with how to make donations through the College, here are a few facts about this donation option that might help you determine if this is a good choice for you.
- You can easily donate through the College online at giving.wm.edu. Decide an amount to give and then scroll down to choose a fund to support. Search for a fund by keyword or code and search “Rowing Club (2528)”.
- Donations made through the College and designated for the Rowing Club provide benefits such as recognition from the College (e.g. the Bell Society or the James Blair Society), counting towards your class gift, and more.
- Donations made through the College are more difficult for the team (and FWR for that matter) to monitor and track. The Development Office sends thank you cards, donation receipts, etc. and does not communicate donor information directly to the team. Therefore, you may not hear directly from FWR or team members about your donation, but rest assured, the Development Office has allocated your money for the team’s future use!
- Development Account funds carry over from year-to-year and there is no risk of “losing” the money.
- Funds in the team’s Development Account do have a few more restrictions around how the money can be used. For example, the funds couldn’t be used to by new unis or racing t-shirts for the spring season. Therefore, these funds are best suited for equipment purchases like the new 8+. In contrast, donations to FWR are can be used for nearly anything that supports Tribe Rowing.
FWR’s goal is to support Tribe Rowing in every way possible, therefore we think donating through College is a fantastic use of your hard-earned money, just like donations made directly to FWR. So, if donating through the College sounds like the right fit for you – go for it! And Go Tribe Rowing!
Please note that FWR is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit and is not directly affiliated with the College. We simply share a lot of the same goals as the College! The information here is what we have learned from our own experience as alumni and donors as well as from independent research into the College’s donation process. The College has not reviewed or approved this information. If you have any specific questions on donating to Tribe Rowing through the College, please reach out to the Office of University Advancement using their contact form at giving.wm.edu/about-us/contact-us.html.