donor impact report - monmouth university
TRANSCRIPT
DONOR IMPACT REPORT
July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
2 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
MESSAGE FROM UNIVERSITY
ADVANCEMENT VICE PRESIDENT
3
The success of Together We Can: The Campaign for Scholarship, helped to lead Monmouth
University to an impressive level of external
philanthropic support in the 2018-2019 fiscal
year—reaching the second highest total in
University history.
During the final year of President Dimenna’s
tenure, more than $15.4 million in gifts, pledges,
and planned gifts contributed to an increase
of more than 65 percent over the $9.3 million
committed the previous year.
With the help of over 2,000 donors, the volunteer-
backed effort, Together We Can: The Campaign for Scholarship, exceeded its ambitious target
by more than 30 percent. After extending the
campaign one month to coincide with the
presidential transition, the scholarship drive
captured more than $19.6 million in gifts, pledges,
and planned gifts.
While the scholarship campaign was the
clear focus of our fundraising efforts last
year, we also received a number of important
contributions that will strengthen Monmouth
in the years ahead.
Thanks to a generous gift from former board
chair, Bob Sculthorpe ’63 ’15HN, students are
able to do extensive research on local waterways
and ocean life aboard the 49-foot research vessel
Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, named in memory of
his daughter. A $270,000 grant from the Jules
L. Plangere, Jr. Family Foundation provided
significant upgrades for lighting and audio
equipment in the Monty Television Studio at
the heart of the Jules L. Plangere, Jr. Center for
Communication & Instructional Technology,
will also have a direct impact on providing state-
of-the-art equipment for experiential learning.
Looking beyond the gates of our undergraduate
campus, a quarter million dollar gift from
the JAM Anonymous Foundation helped to
further architectural planning for the proposed
Monmouth Marine & Environmental Field
Station on the banks of the Navesink River. Once
community funding is secured for construction
of the Station, students in our Marine &
Environmental Biology Policy program and in our
School of Education will benefit from hands-on
research and teaching opportunities through a
partnership with the Borough of Rumson.
Excitement about the success of the previous year
has carried forward to the fall semester and the
start of a new chapter in Monmouth’s history.
Following a comprehensive national search,
Dr. Patrick F. Leahy ushered in a new era as
Monmouth’s 10th president on August 1.
President Leahy has already committed to an
ambitious timetable for a new strategic plan
that will build upon the accelerating trajectory
of achievement that Monmouth has enjoyed in
recent years. The process will set new strategic
priorities for the university, resulting in exciting
fundraising activities in the years to come.
While each new year brings a new class of eager
first-year students, and a new cohort of Hawks
ready to graduate and begin a new journey, some
things are steadfast. Your support makes a real
difference to the experiences and outcomes of
our students. I hope you enjoy reading about the
collective impact you have made on our students,
our university, and our future as much as we have
enjoyed the remarkable progress at Monmouth
over the last year.
With sincere thanks,
JONATHAN MEER
Vice President for University Advancement
4 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
YOUR GIFTS IN ACTIONJULY 1, 2018 – JUNE 30, 2019
Fundraising Highlights
1,898 new donors
808 new alumni donors
$15,422,827 raised in gifts and pledges
Leon Hess Business School$1,224,931
$71,648
$374,808
$896,037
$79,680
$1,941,579
$386,117
$802,866
$9,645,161
Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies
School of Education
School of Science
School of Social Work
Wayne D. McMurray School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Athletics
Facilities
Other or Undesignated
3,404 donors
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Donor-funded Scholarship Support
Awarded more than $1.5 millionin donor-funded private scholarships
546number of students who received donor-funded scholarships
119number of annual scholarships awarded
175number of endowed scholarships awarded
6 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
TOGETHER WE CAN: THE CAMPAIGN FOR SCHOLARSHIPJULY 1, 2017 – JULY 31, 2019
On July 31, we successfully concluded Together We Can: The Campaign for Scholarship. Our goal
for the campaign was $15 million; Thanks to our
generous donors, alumni and friends, we raised
$19,644,297 in gifts and pledges—surpassing our
target by more than 30 percent.
A $200,000 challenge grant from OceanFirst
Foundation in June helped spur on $456,969
in new gifts and pledges late in the campaign.
A generous $4 million trust commitment from
alumnus Don Bressler ’61, and his wife, Hedy,
made an emphatic conclusion to the campaign
for our students.
We were fortunate to secure very strong
participation from our Board of Trustees, and
broad support from faculty and staff, with
almost $700,000 committed by members of the
University community.
The overwhelming success of the campaign
will enhance Monmouth’s ability to attract
highly qualified students from economically,
geographically, and culturally diverse
backgrounds, and accelerate our trajectory of
academic excellence in the years ahead.
Campaign co-chairs Carol Stillwell and Valerie Montecalvo
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69newly established annual scholarships
35newly established endowed scholarships
15newly established distinguished endowed scholarships
30% 327 Undergraduates
Senior Class Giving
73 Graduates14%
JULY 1, 2017-JULY 31, 2019
8 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
Impact Stories
Linda Deutsch ’65 has covered some of the
highest-profile legal cases in America since her
time as a student at Monmouth. After a 48 year
career in journalism, Deutsch now serves as a
special correspondent for The Associated Press
following her retirement in December 2014.
Her first “trial of the century” a superlative
that her journalistic career has encompassed
many times—was Charles Manson. Her career
spans the trials of Sirhan Sirhan, Angela
Davis (Black Panthers), Patty Hearst, Daniel
Ellsberg, John DeLorean, director John Landis,
Exxon Valdez skipper Joseph Hazelwood, the
Menendez brothers, William Kennedy Smith,
the four police officers accused in the beating
of motorist Rodney King, Unabomber Theodore
Kaczynski, O.J. Simpson, Anna Nicole Smith,
and Michael Jackson.
When she started at The Associated Press in
1967, she was the only woman in the newsroom.
She was also one of the female journalists who
sued The Associated Press for equal pay and
the right to be called “newswomen” rather than
“newsmen,” as a champion for both the freedom
of the press and the rights of women journalists.
With her legacy as a national reporter secure,
Deutsch made a huge impact on the outcome of
Together We Can: The Campaign for Scholarship
with her generous bequest to establish and
support the Linda Deutsch ’65 Distinguished
Endowed Scholarship.
Her planned gift—with an estimated value of
$1 million—will provide funding to aspiring
journalists, and build upon Deutsch’s long
involvement with Monmouth. From her days as
a reporter and editor at The Outlook, editor of the
Monmouth Letters (now Monmouth Review),
Distinguished Alumna in 1996, and member
of the Monmouth Award for Communication
Excellence (MACE) Committee, Deutsch has
continued to give back, and to propel future
generations of students toward the model of
professional excellence her career embodies.
In recognition of her generosity, involvement,
and professional legacy, the office space of the
student-run newspaper, The Outlook, was named
the Linda Deutsch ’65 Student Journalism Center
on November 11. The dedication took place on
the second floor of the Jules Plangere, Jr. Center
for Communication, where The Outlook is
currently located. Plangere was publisher of the
Asbury Park Press when Deutsch launched her
career there.
“Monmouth was one of the best experiences
of my life. It was the place where people really
cared about learning. It was a treasure trove
of intellectual experience. I wouldn’t be the
same person I am today if it hadn’t been for
Monmouth,” Deutsch says.
LINDA DEUTSCH ’65
Legendary reporter creates new legacy
9
CAMPAIGN CO-CHAIRS
Valerie Montecalvo
Carol A. Stillwell
CAMPAIGN HONORARY CO-CHAIRS
John C. Conover III
Paul G. Gaffney II
Rebecca Stafford ’03HN
CAMPAIGN CABINET
Steven M. Bachrach
Mary Lee Bass ’92M
Raymond N. Brunt ’77 ’78M
Karyn F. Cusanelli ’89
Joyce DeJohn
Grey J. Dimenna
Tina Grecco-Almeida ’01
John Henning
Leah K. Lazzaro ’04M
Janet Mahoney ’87
Robin Mama
Rita L. Mangan ’77
Thomas J. Michelli
Donald M. Moliver
Antoinette M. Musorrafiti
Mary Anne Nagy ’91M ’01M
Charles T. Parton ’01HN
Andrew Pedersen
James D. Pillar
Patricia Ralph
Richard L. Ricciardi ’86M
Rosaly Rivera ’07 ’14M
Lu-Ann Russell
John L. Ryan
Harry Silver
Edward Skibiak
Ellen Skibiak
Joseph Snable ’95
Richard F. Veit, Jr.
Nicholas Verzicco ’19
Kenneth Womack
STAFF COORDINATOR
Stephanie Tolas ’03 ’05M
THANKS TO OUR CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS
10 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
Impact Stories
Jim Pillar, associate vice president for Student
Life, has worked at Monmouth for more than
24 years—helping students navigate their
educational journey. His entire career has been
in student services, spanning a wide range
of responsibilities. Growing up in a working
class family with two sisters in Old Bridge, NJ,
his parents believed that “good karma” was
important to happiness. Jim’s parents also wanted
their children to enjoy an even better quality of
life than they had. Jim recalls that an important
part of the fabric that defined his family was
helping make the world a better place by helping
those in need around them. Jim’s mother, Patricia,
was always assisting with church food drives
around the holidays or simply trying to help
those who needed some assistance. “You helped
however you could, through your actions or
financially if able,” Jim said.
It was his mother who helped him find his job at
Monmouth, thanks to a classified ad in the Asbury Park Press in the spring of 1995, spotted while
cutting an advertisement out of the paper. Jim
was transitioning careers at a different university,
and considering leaving higher education when
his mother reminded him of the importance of
a career with purpose, and serving others. She
wanted him to enjoy work that made a difference
in the lives of others, and thus his Monmouth
relationship began.
Jim started an annual scholarship to honor
his mother’s memory. “Mom always wanted
to help whoever she could, so the scholarship
was created with minimal criteria, to help those
who need it most. I’ll let the experts decide on
who should receive the scholarship.” Jim also
pledged to permanently endow his scholarship
with an estate gift so his mother’s legacy will
live in perpetuity.
Throughout his distinguished career working with
students, Jim has seen how a minimal amount of
financial assistance can allow students to survive
and can make or break a young person’s future.
When the opportunity came to assist in Together We Can: The Campaign for Scholarship he
jumped at the chance to volunteer stating, “even
if you cannot give large amounts of money you
can make a difference through your efforts… help
how you can where you can,” ingrained in him by
his parents.
JAMES PILLAR, Ed.D.
A career in service to students
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Ellen and Ed Skibiak’s daughter, Allie, was an
aspiring sophomore at Fairfield University
when she had to withdraw from school for
medical reasons. During her leave, Allie lost
academic confidence and began considering
career options where a college degree was
not necessary. Ellen and Ed were supportive
of whatever path Allie chose, but strongly
encouraged her to consider higher education
one more time.
Allie’s two cousins, both recent graduates
of Monmouth, had already shared the great
experiences that they had at the university. Her
cousins raved about professors who played a
pivotal role in their academic growth, and how
Monmouth’s faculty were committed to the
success of each student.
Realizing Monmouth could be a great option
for her, because of its location close to her
doctors and family; and the positive experiences
of her cousins, Allie drove with her parents
to the admissions office for an interview. She
instantly felt at home on campus and knew that
Monmouth was the right choice.
Monmouth’s Department of Disability
Services worked with Allie to ensure she
had all the support she needed on campus
to feel comfortable and succeed, including
accommodations for Allie’s service dog, Tulip.
Allie says that her classmates were always
supportive and open-minded.
Allie graduated summa cum laude in 2018 and
is currently pursuing her MBA at Monmouth.
Thankful for the support that Allie received
during her time at Monmouth, Ellen and
Ed Skibiak gave back by establishing two
scholarships.
Ellen says, “Monmouth was a turning point for
Allie. It’s a gem. A quiet, unpretentious gem that
occupies a beautiful space by the Jersey shore.
So many lives could take a great path being at
and thriving in an environment like Monmouth.”
ALLIE SKIBIAK ’18
An extended family at Monmouth
12 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
NICOLE SIVETZ ’19
Next stop: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for a Ph.D. in biological sciences
When Nicole Sivetz began her Ph.D. studies at
the Watson School of Biological Sciences at Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) this fall, it
was a homecoming of sorts. Last summer, Sivetz
participated in CSHL’s highly selective summer
undergraduate research program. “Cold Spring
is kind of like the Disney World of molecular
biology,” says Sivetz about the world-renowned
institution, which is home to eight Nobel
laureates. “People from all over the world come
here to teach, share the latest in their research,
and … make decisions about policies that involve
research development. It’s a place that has its
finger on the pulse of what goes on, and it was my
dream to go there to learn.”
Sivetz, an Honors School graduate who
majored in molecular biology and chemistry at
Monmouth, worked on cancer-related therapies
in the labs of Professors Martin Hicks and
Massimiliano Lamberto. She says being able to do
hands-on, mentored research beginning in her
freshman year “definitely gave me an advantage”
when she applied to CSHL’s Ph.D. program.
Her strong academic performance was rewarded
by support from a number of scholarships
during her senior year, including, the Dooley
Family Scholarship, the Dr. Harold Jacobs
Memorial Scholarship for Excellence in Science/
Technology. The Hedy and Donald Bressler
Endowed Scholarship, the ICFNJ Sol J. Barer
Scholarship in Life Sciences, and the Monmouth-
Ocean Development Council Scholarship.
“I’m so grateful to be leaving this place
[Monmouth] knowing that I left no stone
unturned and that I took advantage of everything
this place had to offer me,” says Sivetz. “I’m not
afraid for what’s next. I feel very prepared.”
Impact Stories
13
The day after receiving his BSN from Valparaiso
University, Ali Shahine moved to New Jersey
to enroll in Monmouth’s MSN in Adult-
Gerontological Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
program. Shahine, who turned down acceptance
offers from both Georgetown and Sacred Heart
universities, says Monmouth was a good fit
academically and offered him the prestigious
Marjorie K. Unterberg Scholarship in Nursing, a
a perk he found to be rare while looking at other
master’s programs. “Graduate school can be
pricey, so that was a big difference,” he says.
That doesn’t mean Shahine didn’t need student
loans—he did (though there’s a happy ending to
this part of his story as well). He also worked full
time as an RN throughout his master’s studies,
first at Monmouth Medical Center and later at
Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City—something
made easier by the hybrid nature of his
last-semester which allowed him to take class
on campus, and online the following week.
Shahine says the knowledge he accumulated
from his studies at Monmouth, and the hands-
on experience he gleaned through his clinical
experiences (as well as working as an RN) “truly
prepared me for the next step.” For now, that
step is working as an RN in the Cardiovascular
Intensive Care Unit at Scripps Memorial
Hospital La Jolla. He plans to take his Nurse
Practitioner boards this summer, after which he
would ultimately like to work as an NP in either
cardiology or dermatology, and perhaps teach.
Oh, and about those student loans? By scrimping
and saving—and working a lot of overtime
at the hospital—Shahine paid off both his
undergraduate and graduate student loans before
graduating last May. “I’m debt free, done with
school, and I have a job,” he says. “Thank you!”
ALI SHAHINE ’19M
Next stop: Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla in San Diego
14 // Giving Year 2019 • July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2019
Holiday Ball Monmouth University’s annual Holiday Ball, held
on the first Saturday of each December, is the
region’s preeminent social event. The gala raises
funds to support scholarships; In 2018, the festive
event raised more than $135,000.
Kislak Real Estate Leadership Excellence Award DinnerThe Leadership Excellence Award recognizes the
interdependent relationship between Monmouth
University and the real estate industry. The
award is conferred annually upon an outstanding
individual for his or her distinctive contributions
to the state of New Jersey and the nation through
a career in real estate.
The 2019 event honoree was Ralph Zucker,
president of Somerset Development, LLC.
Distinguished Business Leaders Award DinnerThe Distinguished Business Leaders Award
was established in 1983 as part of Monmouth
University’s 50th anniversary celebration to pay
tribute to the important contributions of the
business community in the development of this
school during its first half-century. The award has
honored individuals, and groups of individuals,
who have made distinctive contributions to
the tri-state business community through
outstanding corporate and civic leadership.
The 2018 honoree was Carol Stillwell, president and
CEO of Stillwell-Hansen, Inc. Proceeds benefited
the Grey J. Dimenna, Esq. Endowed Scholarship
and the Simko Family Endowed Scholarship.
Trustee Denis Gallagher ’76 will be honored with
the Distinguished Business Leaders Award on
February 27, 2020. Gallagher, an entrepreneur and
founder and former chairman and CEO of Student
Transportation, Inc., was also the recipient of the
Distinguished Alumni Award in 1992.
The R/V Heidi Lynn SculthorpeThe School of Science and Urban Coast Institute
(UCI) celebrated the naming of the Research
Vessel Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe, a 49-foot boat
that can carry 21 passengers, sleep between 6-8,
and venture 20 nautical miles from shore. The
vessel, which is Monmouth’s largest, was named
in memory of former student and daughter of
former Monmouth University Board Chair
Robert B. Sculthorpe ’63 ’15HN. Along with
two smaller research vessels, the 18-foot Little Hawk and 27-foot Seahawk, the R/V Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe significantly increases opportunities for
student-faculty research near our coastal campus.
GIVING HIGHLIGHTS
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President’s Society recognizes donors who
have made cumulative gifts of $1,000 or more
annually to support Monmouth’s schools,
programs, facilities and athletics during the
fiscal year.
Endowment Society includes donors who
have given $25,000 or more to establish an
endowment.
Vision Society distinguishes the university’s
premier donors, those who have made
cumulative gifts of $100,000 or more during their
lifetime to support Monmouth.
Shadow Lawn Society embraces donors whose
gifts will benefit the university in the future,
through estate gifts, beneficiary designations, or
financial plans.
GIVING SOCIETIESAbout Monmouth University’s Giving Societies
Members of the Vision Society were recognized at a reception on the roof of Wilson Hall.
Our four giving societies-President’s Society, Endowment Society, Vision Society and Shadow Lawn Society-were created to recognize generous supporters of Monmouth University. Our societies celebrate
four types of giving:
www.monmouth.edu