$300,000 NEEDED

Saint Paul’s College nears fund-raising goal

• SPC president expresses gratitude for support
• Calls on donors to help college win the campaign’s “sprint to the finish”

(LAWRENCEVILLE, Va.) – MAY 18, 2012.  Expressing deep appreciation to friends and alumni of Saint Paul’s College, SPC President & CEO Eddie N. Moore, Jr. announced today that the school has almost reached its goal to raise required funds to ensure reaffirmation of accreditation.

“We have come such a long way and we are so close to success,” said Moore. “We need $300,000 in new donations.  And we’re calling on the folks who pledged $280,000 to Saint Paul’s to honor those pledges now to help us meet our goal.”

Saint Paul’s launched its “Now & Forever” campaign six months ago to raise $5 million to support the school’s operating budget, partially reduce the deficit and attend to campus renovations, all the while demonstrating financial stability and strategic management.  The fund raising, budget right-sizing and organizational re-structuring at Saint Paul’s were key elements in the school’s drive to be reaffirmed with full accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS), which meets the week of June 18.

“We reported our results to date to the Commission on May 17 as required,” said Moore. “We know we still have work to do to bring the Now & Forever campaign to a successful conclusion and if we can raise the remaining $300,000 by next week we will send a message that our cash goal has been reached and then it will be up to SACS to determine if our on-going efforts are considered sufficient to warrant reaffirmation for Saint Paul’s. We can do it!  We have come too far not to make it all the way.  We look to the future with renewed hope that this historic institution will continue to open doors of opportunity for worthy students in years to come.”

The Now & Forever campaign opened with vital support from Virginia philanthropist Jane Batten, who provided a $500,000 challenge grant through the Batten Educational Achievement Fund of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.  Mrs. Batten’s generosity also allowed the creation of a $1 million endowment to support SPC’s Single Parent Support System, the only program of its kind in Virginia.

Saint Paul’s College, a private coeducational liberal arts institution in Southern Virginia, was founded in 1888 and is affiliated with the Episcopal Church.  The historically black college has received significant help from its alumni, friends, foundations, corporations, public agencies and a diverse faith community.

• Leaders in the Episcopal Church spotlighted the Now & Forever campaign on the regional and national levels.  The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church issued an open letter of support for Saint Paul’s and The Rt. Rev. Herman Hollerith IV, Bishop of the Southern Diocese of Virginia urged his parishioners to come to the school’s aid. In his letter, Bishop Hollerith noted, “It is important to our Diocese that Saint Paul’s College not merely survive, but is equipped to meet the challenges of the future and to continue to form students for service and leadership. I call on all Episcopalians to rally their resources around Saint Paul’s and, above all, to keep the college’s leadership and students in your prayers during this challenging time.”
• In addition, investor Charles M. Royce and his wife Deborah, who have strong ties to the Episcopal Church, provided a $250,000 challenge grant that set the stage for the “sprint to the finish” portion of SPC’s campaign in early May.  Alumni and friends responded to and met the challenge, so the Royce Grant was instrumental in raising a total of $750,000 for Saint Paul’s.
• Churches of other denominations also have come together in support of SPC, including Pastor Luke E. Torian, and his congregation at First Mount Zion Baptist Church in Dumfries, Virginia, who made a donation of $10,000.

• In addition, Norfolk civic leaders Harvey Lindsay, Frank Batten, Jr. and The Rev, Joseph N. Green, Jr. along with their wives have supported the College with gifts and hosted a luncheon in May that raised $250,000.
• Inspired by the realization that Saint Paul’s is in a strong position to become reaffirmed, Bob and Anna Lou Schaberg of the Virginia Non-profit Housing Coalition visited the College on May 15 and presented President Moore with a pledge of $100,000 of unrestricted funds upon reaffirmation in June.
• At Saint Paul’s “National Alumni Day” May 12, the National Association of Alumni, its chapters and classes presented additional gifts totaling more than $150,000.
• On May 24, the Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission voted unanimously to provide a $310,000 matching grant to Saint Paul’s for capital improvements.

“We have so much to be grateful for,” said Moore.  “We offer heartfelt thanks to all of our donors and friends.  We know the job of putting Saint Paul’s on a secure footing for the future is only beginning.  But we also know that meeting this challenge will make a difference in the world and change lives for the better.”

About Saint Paul’s College:

Founded in 1888 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church, Saint Paul’s College is a private, historically black, accredited, four-year coeducational and culturally diverse liberal arts institution of higher learning located in the rolling hills of Brunswick County in Southern Virginia. Saint Paul’s offers baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences, teacher education endorsements, pre-professional programs, and the only Single Parent Support System initiative for degree-seeking single parents in Virginia.  Saint Paul’s offers an accelerated degree program for working adults in four locations across Virginia including Richmond, Farmville, Franklin, and on Saint Paul’s Lawrenceville campus.  Learn more at www.saintpauls.edu.

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