In the wake of declining state funding, the School of Architecture aims to bolster private donations by creating a new foundation approved by the Board of Visitors last weekend.
According to Susan Ketron, director of development and alumni relations, the foundation was created to provide a more formal structure for Architecture School fundraising.
Ketron said with the next capital campaign approaching, the need for private dollars is essential. The newly-formed foundation will provide a more organized fundraising approach and strengthen the role of philanthropies.
"By increasing the role of philanthropies and decreasing the dependence on state funding, [the foundation] allows faculty and students the chance to increase their opportunities," Ketron said.
The foundation is dedicated to advancing the mission of the Architecture School and supporting its key disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, architectural history and urban and environmental planning.
"The foundation will apply the passion of the school's donors to the needs of faculty and students," Ketron said.
Elizabeth Fortune, associate dean for administration and finance, also emphasized the increasing role of philanthropy in the academic mission of the Architecture School.
"We're very excited the Board of Visitors was so enthusiastic about it," Fortune said.
Architecture School Dean Karen Van Lengen was unavailable for comment yesterday.
Bob Sweeney, senior vice president for developmental and public affairs, said the new foundation will "create a very powerful marketing vehicle" to attract philanthropic donations.
"The most fundamental improvement will be the ability to engage and involve a whole new group of volunteer donors at an elevated level," Sweeney said.
Architecture officials hope to involve donors with specific philanthropic capacities, Sweeney said.
Several services will be provided by various University entities to support the new foundation, Sweeney said.
The University of Virginia Investment Management Company will handle the investment of endowments; the University of Virginia Foundation will provide bookkeeping, accounting services and will contract for the audit and the Office of Development will provide gift accounting services.
The Architecture School is the last school to form such a foundation, Ketron said, noting that the College and Health Systems formed similar foundations approximately a year ago. However, Ketron said she doesn't think the Architecture School was adversely affected by its lack of a fundraising foundation in the past.
"It's important that our structure mirrors that of other schools," she said.
Sweeney praised the Architecture School's past fundraising efforts and said the creation of the new foundation is an acknowledgement of the maturation of the Architecture School's success in fundraising.
"It shows they're ready for the next step," he said.
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