As one of Brenau University’s chief fundraising officers, I have been asked on many occasions why a person should provide a gift to Brenau and not to another university or organization – especially to larger institutions.

The answer is simple: a million-dollar gift to a school that has an endowment valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars is just another gift. A million-dollar gift to Brenau is transformational for the entire university, an interconnected community whose members rise and fall together. A drop of water splashing into a cup creates a kind of momentum and action that cannot be replicated by, say, a drop of water hitting the surface of Lake Lanier.

Brenau’s comprehensive campaign, ForeverGold: An Extraordinary Legacy, is our effort to fill our institutional needs – to splash fresh water into the institutional teacup in drops of all sizes. The $40 million effort will provide the financial support for Brenau that will enhance educational experiences.

I am happy to say that we have raised $26.5 million toward the effort. During the 2014-15 fiscal year, we reached and exceeded the halfway point of our overall goal. However, the work is not finished.

Before we move forward and celebrate the future successes of the ForeverGold campaign, it is important to thank those who previously provided financial support to Brenau. For those of you who gave, please know how grateful we are for your generosity. The list of names published on our 2014-2015 donor report reflects those who provided gifts during the last fiscal year – July 1, 2014, through June 30, 2015 – and represents only a modest acknowledgement of what you have done. We hope that you will share our pride as you peruse this magazine and see some of the ways your contributions have started Brenau’s transformation. Learn about individuals – particularly students and alumni – who have been strongly influenced by their experiences at Brenau.

We hope that you will be inspired by what you read and continue your support in the coming years.

Your investment will pay dividends for the students who find a better life through their education at Brenau and for all who are impacted through their interactions in the communities in which they reside.

Thank you for your current and future generosity to Brenau and all of its initiatives!

To make a gift to Brenau University please visit https://forevergold.brenau.edu/.