Questions and Answers

With the "public phase" of Reveille off to such a grand beginning, many in the VMI Family who have questions about this ambitious fundraising campaign for VMI. We hope the dozen questions & answers below will help all members of the VMI Family better understand the purposes of Reveille.

What is Reveille: A Call to Excel?

Simply put, Reveille is a five-year public fundraising campaign that will provide VMI the resources it needs to strengthen its singular mode of education and thus ensure that VMI maintains its reputation for providing an outstanding academic preparation for life and its legacy of producing leaders of integrity, discipline, and confidence. In financial terms, the goal of this effort is a total of $175 million in gifts and commitments.

VMI is a state-supported school. Why does it need such an ambitious fundraising program?

Most alumni, faculty, staff, families, and friends understand that appropriations from the Commonwealth of Virginia do not cover all or even a majority of the educational and operational costs of VMI. In Fiscal Year 2000, only about one third of VMI’s income was "State General Funds." Tuition and fees and private support from various sources (endowments and the Foundation Fund) each made up one-third of the rest of VMI’s budget. But, Reveille is not about making sure VMI can make ends meet this year or over the next few years, it is about ensuring that VMI has the means to assure itself of that extra measure of excellence necessary to ensure its future is as illustrious as its past.

Thanks to generous donors and prudent management, VMI now has the largest per-student endowment of any public college in the United States. In the future, however, the task of providing the high quality education that the young people who accept VMI’s extraordinary challenges deserve will be more expensive than it has been in the past. The resources raised through Reveille are vital, therefore, if VMI is to provide a challenging education that is consistently "on the cutting edge."

Will all of the money raised through Reveille be devoted to academics?

Ever since it was founded in 1839 as the nation’s first state-supported military college, VMI has prepared its graduates to be leaders in "the varied walks of civil life." The Institute, therefore, has always embraced a definition of education that goes far beyond the classroom. So, many of the resources raised through Reveille are earmarked for purposes not directly related to academics.

As previously stated, VMI has a broader definition of "education" than most other schools, Reveille’s goals include $25 million for VMI’s renowned intercollegiate athletics program and another $25 million to boost VMI’s celebrated co-curriculum which is centered around its honor, class, and military systems and Barracks life. The primary thrust of Reveille, however, will be to elevate VMI’s academic reputation among its peer institutions by ensuring that every cadet receives an undeniably superior undergraduate education. The lion’s share of Reveille--$100 million—will be devoted to academics.

The need for immediate support of VMI’s programs and for the unrestricted funds that will allow VMI to take advantage of opportunities and respond to challenges will not diminish during the life span of Reveille. This campaign, therefore, includes a goal of $25 million in donations to the programs under the umbrella of VMI’s Annual Giving program—the Foundation Fund, the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund, and the Athletic Operations Fund.

Many of VMI’s current academic programs will benefit from Reveille—for example, scholarships for cadets and the professional development assistance for the faculty. There also are new programs that Reveille will help bring to fruition such as Center for International Programs that will boost cadets’ understanding of the world’s other nations, peoples, and cultures and thus make them more effective leaders in a world made "smaller" by technology and trade. Reveille also will help bring new and ever-evolving technologies to Post.

The "quiet phase" of Reveille began on July 1, 1998. During this period, the response was magnificent in the number and generosity of donors. So much so that at the official kick-off for Reveille—the Parade Ground Dinner on October 21st—the chairman of Reveille, Mr. George G. Phillips, Jr. ’60, was able to announce that donations and commitments to Reveille totaled $109 million.

Within that $109 million are two commitments of $20 million each from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Saunders III ’58 of New York City and another donor. All in all, Reveille received 22 gifts and commitments of $1 million or more. The Faculty and Staff Campaign’s results are remarkable, too. As of 20 October, full-time, part-time, and retired faculty and staff had given and pledged $750,000. In an amazing show of support to VMI, more than 94% of VMI’s employees made a donation to Reveille.

Who is expected to give to Reveille?

To be successful, Reveille will need the participation of the entire VMI family—its alumni, parents, and friends. We also are mindful that, for a number of reasons, VMI has a great store of goodwill among a great many individuals, corporations, and foundations who do not have a close connection to the Institute. They admire VMI’s traditions, its steadfast dedication to its high standards, and the character of its cadets and graduates. We are hopeful that everyone will respond to Reveille and donate to this worthwhile cause.

Are you counting on small or large donations to ensure the success of Reveille?

Admittedly, it is a cliché, but truly every gift counts. For example, in Fiscal Year 2000, VMI’s Annual Giving program took in more than $3.3 million, money that was put to work immediately for VMI. The vast majority of these donations came from donors who gave relatively small amounts. More important to judging the importance of these donors is that it would take more than $60 million in endowments to generate the same amount we received from our Annual Giving donors.

How can I participate in Reveille: A Call to Excel?

To find out how best you can serve, call the VMI Alumni Agencies at 800.444.1839. Ask for Buddy Bryan ’71 (ext. 236), Louise Dooley  (ext.238), Kelly Underwood '00 (ext. 243),or Meade King ’85 (ext. 244) at the VMI Foundation; at the VMI Keydet Club, Greg Cavallaro ’84 (ext. 237) and Donnie Ross ’74 (ext. 233) can answer your questions about Reveille. More information is available at the Q & A page.