fall 2014 gem chips - aauw

GEM Chips

Fall 2014

The GEM Fund: AAUW Asheville Scholarship Endowment, Inc.

Greetings from Our New GEM Board President

On Tuesday, October 21, Susan Grabel and I had the pleasure of attending UNCA’s Annual Scholarship Luncheon at the Kimmel Arena. Kimmel is a huge space and it was absolutely full of scholarship donors and student recipients. During this celebration of the generosity of supporters and the academic excellence of the students, there were plenty of inspirational highlights.

The student who spoke offering her perspective on being a scholarship winner talked about her studies in chemistry and mathematics and how receiving financial assistance helped her with the ability to focus on her school-work. She spoke of her ambition of going on to do advanced work in medicine and biomedical engineering/design.

A student at our table, when Susan explained our connection with GEM/AAUW, described being in a sociology class in the past week where our own AAUW president, Ann Snell, spoke about her experiences as a student and a professional. The student expressed her desire to be an AAUW member in the future. Ann must have done a fabulous job.

There were many highlights during this event, and Susan and I came away with a strong sense of satisfaction and commitment to the role GEM plays in promoting the educational advancement of local women. I want to pass this feeling on to AAUW Asheville and say thank you for your support and involvement in helping to provide undergraduate scholarships to UNCA and A-B Tech. You are truly making a difference.

Sincerely,

LaDean Peterson

GEM Celebrates Twelve Years of Growth and Giving

The fiscal year 2013-14 was another wonderful year of growth and giving for the GEM Fund of AAUW Asheville. Once again, our branch members and friends were generous and enthusiastic, contributing over $44,000 to either the endowment and/or the active scholarship funds. Based on contributions from the prior year, we were able to award 15 scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year, twelve $1,000 scholarships to Asheville Buncombe Technical College (A-B Tech), one $1500 special scholarship to an A-B Tech Culinary Arts student, and two $2,000 scholar-ships to the University of North Carolina at Asheville (UNCA) -- all, of course, awarded to worthy women whose educations had been interrupted or delayed.

This fall the Board also voted to award a record 16 scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year. Starting with a single scholarship of $500 at its inception in 2002, the GEM Fund has awarded 73

scholarships for a total of $73,500. From its original contribution of $500 from the branch, the endowment fund has grown so that, as of the end of the fiscal year June 30, the financial portfolio has grown to a little over $125,000 in the permanent endowment fund, plus additional sums of around $12,700 in CD’s and a little under $47,000 in checking accounts . This growth was only possible because of the continued support and generosity of the AAUW Asheville family.

Contents

President’s Message p. 1

GEM Scholars pp. 2-3

Fund Drive Season pp. 4-6

Donor Lists pp. 8-11

GEM & Endowment Info p. 12

Business Partners pp. 13-15

GEM Giving Opportunities p. 16

GEM Announces Fifteen Scholarship Recipients

for 2014 --15

Thanks to the generosity of the AAUW Asheville family, GEM awarded 15 scholarships

for the current academic year: twelve $1000 scholarships to students at A-B Tech, plus a

special award of $1500 to a student enrolled in the Culinary Arts program; and two $2000

scholarships to students at UNCA. This is what GEM is all about. Following are this

year’s recipients, the “faces of GEM” (Note that one A-B Tech recipient has yet to be

named.):

ATTENDING AB TECH

BRITTANY BALLARD

Brittany is currently enrolled in the

RIBN program, Bachelor of Science

in Nursing program, at A-B Tech.

Upon graduation, she plans to

transfer to Western Carolina

University to pursue a Bachelor’s

degree in Nursing. LEAH BATEMAN

Leah is currently enrolled in the

College Transfer Degree (AA)

program at A-B Tech.

She plans to graduate in December

2015 and transfer to a four-year

university.

JANET CONTENTO

Janet, currently enrolled in the


program, comments, “I only have a

few more semesters to go before I

have my AA degree, and then I will

go on to a four-year university. I

understand now that having an

education is essential in today’s

world.”

Sasha is currently enrolled in the


program and plans to graduate in

December 2014.

She tells us, “I want to give back to

the world and I believe that begins

with a college education. My goal is

to become a Nurse Practitioner.” SASHA BOWERY

BETH ECKER

Jessica is currently enrolled in the



She writes, “Completing college

degrees at A-B Tech and UNCA will

bring me closer to my goal of having

a career [in acupuncture] that

inspires me.”

Fall GEM Chips, 2014

JESSICA FINK

Beth is currently enrolled in the

College Associate in Fine Arts

Degree (AFA) program at A-B Tech.

She comments, “I believe that, in

order to better our lives, education

is one of the first steps. Moving

forward, I plan to further my

education by attending Warren

Wilson College.”

— continued on page 3

AAUW Asheville Scholarship Endowment, Inc.

New Scholarship Recipients, cont.

ATTENDING AB TECH

ANNE GIBSON

Anne is currently enrolled in

the Culinary Arts Degree

program at A-B Tech and, as such, is

the recipient of a unique GEM

“future chef’s” award.

She plans to graduate in May 2015.

SUSAN LIPPOLD

Susan is currently enrolled in the

Associates in Arts (College Trans-

fer) Degree program at A-B Tech.

She plans to graduate in May 2015.

MISTY STOVER

Misty is currently enrolled in the


program and plans to graduate in

May 2015.

Misty writes, “A college degree is

also a crowning achievement. It is

a chance for me to show my

children that it is never too late to

go after your dreams.”

Cherish is currently enrolled in the

Associates in Fine Arts (AFA) Degree

program at A– B Tech.

She tells us, “I am always so

appreciative of people sharing their

time and expertise ad thoughts with

me.”

CHERISH MILLER

NOVA STUART-

JAMERSON

Christine is currently enrolled in the

College Transfer (AA) Degree


Christine tells us, “When I am

finished at A-B Tech, I will be

transferring to the UNC Asheville to

obtain a Bachelor’s degree in

Psychology and my K-6 licensure.” CHRISTINE SYMS

Nova is currently enrolled in the


program at A-B Tech and plans to

graduate in May 2015.

She comments, “Although I have

taken classes from time to time at

A-B Tech, it was not until the fall of

2013 that I began to finish what I

started so many years ago.”

Attending UNCA

AMANDA CLOYD* JOAN MANDENG

*2nd-year recipient

Jillian Johnson

Elaine Kabat

Sandy and Al Kaplan

Marilyn Kolton

Mary Kirk

Marilyn Kolton

Pamela Lane

Mary Lasher

Betty Letzig

Renée Levine

Anne and Robert Louttit

Constance MacDonald

Barbara Mayer

Helen McClintock

Martha McMullen

Arlene Merritt

Eve Miller

Jacque Morgan

Pat Argue

Patricia Ashe

Catharine Battle

Bev Briedis

Melinda Brown

Sherry Brown

Barbara Campbell

Scherry Chapman

Susan Fishbein

Jayne Gallanger

Louise Haas

Eugenia Harrell

Suzanne Harter

Marjorie Herbert

Carolyn Hubbard

Mary Hyde

Eleanor Johnson

Marion Johnson

Fran Myers

Gladys Podhurst

Mary Powell

Elizabeth Preyer

Jill Preyer

Sue Reynolds

Nancy Schuman

Jan Schwartz

Ruth Slawson

Jeanne Smolkin

Ruth Slawson

Norma Snap

Ann Clarke Snell

Juanita Spanogle

Peg Steiner

The Hughes-Cunningham

Fund, Vanguard Charitable

Endowment Program

Tributes

bert

In honor of the good health of the Quinn

family: Mary Hyde

In honor of Emily Quinn’s son Duncan — a

speedy and complete recovery: Jayne Gal-

langer

In memory of Sylvia Piecuch: Marilyn Kol-

ton

In honor of Norma Snapp and her service to

AAUW: Constance MacDonald

In honor of Jill Preyer: Eleanor Johnson

In honor of Irene’s 80th birthday and Irv

Rothberg’s 90th birthday: Gladys Podhurst

In honor of Laura Brown Quinn, mother-in-

law: Emily Quinn

In memory of Bebe Kelly & all GEM Board

members, past and present: Pat Argue

In memory of Mary Hyde’s special birthday

from literature book club: Pat Argue

In honor of Pat Argue and her service to the

GEM Board: Bev Briedis, Marilyn Kolton,

& Martha McMullen and Prudential Foun-

dation Matching Gifts

In memory of Bebe Kelly, the mother of Pat

Argue: Melinda Brown, Susan Fishbein,

Marilyn Kolton, Helen McClintock, Martha

McMullen, Jacque Morgan, Fran Myers,

Mary Powell, Jill Preyer, Jeanne Smolkin, &

Kathleen Thibodeau

In honor of Ann Clarke Snell and her work

as GEM Fundraiser Chairperson: Scherry

Chapman, Eugenia Harrell, & Marjorie Her-


AAUW Asheville Family and Friends Make

GEM Fund Drive Season Great Success!

— Continued on next page

Once again, this year’s spring Fund Drive Season was a huge success,

thanks to the continually amazing generosity and enthusiasm of the

AAUW Asheville family and friends, who together contributed, in

one way or another, almost $21,000 from April through June, equal

to that of the previous year. LaDean Peterson led the fund drive

planning team, along with team members Helen McClintock, Cathy

Battle, Susan Grabel, Jeanne Smolkin, Karen Mauro, Marlene

Shaklan, Millie Massey, Pat Argue, and Alice Doner.

For the fourth year, the event took place at the historic Fernihurst

mansion on the A-B Tech campus. Branch members supplied a

sumptuous buffet, under the guidance of LaDean Peterson. On

June 1, over 100 guests enjoyed the beautiful late spring day, with

good wine, live classical guitar music, and, best of all, great

conversation, surrounded by flowers and the ambiance of the

nineteenth-century mansion. The short program included words

from Beth Stewart, Dean of Arts and Sciences at A-B Tech; 2013-14

GEM Board president, Pat Argue; fund drive chairwoman, LaDean

Peterson; and, best of all, words from two of our 2013-14 GEM

Scholars.

In addition to attending the event, folks had the opportunity to

participate in the spring fund drive in a variety of ways — bidding in

the silent auction, purchasing raffle tickets, and/or contributing

directly to GEM as contributors

or sponsors. See page 8 for a list

of sponsors.

Page 4

Guests gather in main entrance hall.

Great food, wine, and conversation Words from Fund Drive Chairwoman, LaDean Peterson, and from two of our 2013-14 scholars Brad Earnhardt on classical guitar

Fund Drive Season, cont.


Members’ Boutique

Members Contributing Goods or Services to the Members’ Boutique or Raffle

Portia Alexander

Cathy Battle

Joyce Boehlen

Alice Doner

Susan Grabel

Laura Greeley

Suzanne Harter

Beth Johnson

Molly Keeney

Marilyn Kolton

Sharon Kopstein

Pat Kutay

Millie Massey

Karen Mauro

Helen McClintock

Meredith Miller

Lynette Miller

Meredith Norwood

Jill Preyer

B A Schenk

Jan Schwartz

Ilona Sena

Jeanne Smolkin

Ann Snell

The Raffle

Karen Mauro and Marlene Shaklan “beat the bushes” to find great goods and services for the raffle. Guests could buy tickets at the door for over 25 items — everything from theatre tickets to doggie treats. Especially popular were raffle tickets for gift cards to great local restaurants, cafés, and taverns (Our members enjoy the good life!). In addition, there were three featured items, for which raffle tickets could be purchased ahead: a one-of-a-kind necklace, valued at $425, by local jewelry designer Suzanne Q Evon; a $250 gift card from design studio Yesterday’s Tree; and a gliclée landscape painting, called “Carolina Morning” and valued at $250, by notable local artist Wendy Whitson. All together, the raffle brought in $2200. Please see pages 13-15 to check out the names of our business partners, who contributed items for our raffle and reward them with your patronage.

Put your raffle ticket in the bag(s) of your choice!

Guests browse the Members’ Boutique.

Thanks to all those who contributed to or bid in the Members’ Boutique or raffle.

For the third consecutive year, the event also featured a Members’ Boutique. Talented members contributed their own hand-made ceramics, jewelry, scarves, greeting cards, drawings, sculptures, and photography. In addition to member-created works of fine art and crafts, some members also offered unique special services, such as a guided bird walk, a tour of three members’ gardens, workshops in Zentangle and card making, a farm visit and picnic, and a fall penthouse art tour and luncheon. Especially popular were the special dinners offered by Suzanne Harter, who is planning a fabulous French dinner for six, and by Meredith Miller, who offered a Southern dinner for four. All in all, the Boutique brought in $2,600. Even better, it highlighted the talents of our members and provided for some wonderful opportunities for fellowship and fun. Guests peruse items in the Members’ Boutique.

Jillian Johnson

Elaine Kabat

Sandy and Al Kaplan

Marilyn Kolton

Mary Kirk

Marilyn Kolton

Pamela Lane

Mary Lasher

Betty Letzig

Renée Levine


Constance MacDonald

Barbara Mayer

Helen McClintock

Martha McMullen

Arlene Merritt

Eve Miller

Jacque Morgan

Pat Argue

Patricia Ashe

Catharine Battle

Bev Briedis

Melinda Brown

Sherry Brown

Barbara Campbell

Scherry Chapman

Susan Fishbein

Jayne Gallanger

Louise Haas

Eugenia Harrell

Suzanne Harter

Marjorie Herbert

Carolyn Hubbard

Mary Hyde

Eleanor Johnson

Marion Johnson

Fran Myers

Gladys Podhurst

Mary Powell

Elizabeth Preyer

Jill Preyer

Sue Reynolds

Nancy Schuman

Jan Schwartz

Ruth Slawson

Jeanne Smolkin

Ruth Slawson

Norma Snap

Ann Clarke Snell

Juanita Spanogle

Peg Steiner



Endowment Program

Tributes

bert


family: Mary Hyde



langer


ton







law: Emily Quinn














Kathleen Thibodeau





Winning Bidders Enjoy Boutique Special Offerings

Page 6

Jill Preyer explains her garden design. Winning guests visited four gardens: Jill’s and those of Susan Grabel, B A Schenk, & Alice Doner.

Betsy Kirk, Deb Fulton-Helmer, Peg Steiner, Karen Mauro, and Beth Ellers are among those joining hostess Helen McClintock for a night of fun poker and Jeanne Smolkin’s homemade pizza. All agreed they hadn’t laughed so much in a long time.

Helen waves a winning hand!

Sherry Brown joins fellow students to learn the art of Zentangle from Cathy Battle.

Find us on the Web under

“GEM” at

http://asheville-

nc.aauw.net.

GEM helps

women “gain

educational

momentum.”

Scholarships

change lives.

Page 5 Page 7 AAUW Asheville Scholarship Endowment, Inc.

Looking for

a Few Good Women!

As you can tell from the preceding pages, the spring fund drive

and fundraiser party are great events. And, they are both fun to do

and fun to attend. We are looking for “a few good women” to

head up the planning for next spring’s fund drive and party.

Speaking from experience, as a former planning committee chair-

woman, this task is neither onerous nor overwhelming. To the

contrary, it is great fun and so rewarding — providing scholarships

for local women and, at the same time, culminating in a great party

that says “thank you” to our the AAUW membership, friends, and

family. There are always many, many members who are willing to

help with all the various tasks — both small and large; we just need

a few branch members to step up to “take charge” and do the

initial planning. Perhaps you have some new ideas for the fund

drive season, for a different approach, different venue, or different

events. Or, perhaps you just want to add your personal touch to

what has become a nice tradition at Fernihurst. Regardless, the

new planning committee will be free to plan the fund drive season

and event(s) in the way they think best. While not serving on the

main planning committee, those of us who have chaired the

committee before will be here to help (including staying quiet) in

any way we can but hope that new voices will come forward to

usher in another great fund drive season in 2015. If you are

interested (Perhaps you’d like to co-chair with a friend?!), please

contact LaDean Peterson, last year’s chairwoman and current

GEM Board president, or Susan Grabel or me, Alice Doner —

both GEM Board vice-presidents and former fund drive chair-

women. It’s fun and it’s for a great cause! Contact us soon!

Jillian Johnson

Elaine Kabat

Sandy and Al Kaplan

Marilyn Kolton

Mary Kirk

Marilyn Kolton

Pamela Lane

Mary Lasher

Betty Letzig

Renée Levine


Constance MacDonald

Barbara Mayer

Helen McClintock

Martha McMullen

Arlene Merritt

Eve Miller

Jacque Morgan

Pat Argue

Patricia Ashe

Catharine Battle

Bev Briedis

Melinda Brown

Sherry Brown

Barbara Campbell

Scherry Chapman

Susan Fishbein

Jayne Gallanger

Louise Haas

Eugenia Harrell

Suzanne Harter

Marjorie Herbert

Carolyn Hubbard

Mary Hyde

Eleanor Johnson

Marion Johnson

Fran Myers

Gladys Podhurst

Mary Powell

Elizabeth Preyer

Jill Preyer

Sue Reynolds

Nancy Schuman

Jan Schwartz

Ruth Slawson

Jeanne Smolkin

Ruth Slawson

Norma Snap

Ann Clarke Snell

Juanita Spanogle

Peg Steiner



Endowment Program

Tributes

bert


family: Mary Hyde



langer


ton







law: Emily Quinn














Kathleen Thibodeau





Find us on the Web under

“GEM” at

http://asheville-

nc.aauw.net.

12th Anniversary GEM Fund Sponsors*

*GEM donors who contributed at the Diamond (gifts of $1000 or more), Ruby (between $500 and $999), or Sapphire (between $100 and $499) levels during the spring fund drive season. See the story

on page 3 for more details.

Diamond Level

Anonymous

Mary Powell

Jeanne and Stuart Smolkin

Ann and Farley Snell

Ruby Level

Pat and Edward Argue

Beth Ellers

Janet and Richard Graham

Marilyn Kolton and Louis Dwarshuis

Sapphire Level

Portia and Larry Alexander

Sandra and Robert Bernard

Lucy Borland

Barbara Campbell

Alice and Robert Doner

Marcia Flinn

Susan and Lowell Grabel

Jocelyn Williams Hill

Eleanor and David Johnson

Karen and Joe Mauro

Marion Mayfield-Johnson

Helen McClintock

Verna McGauhey

Martha McMullen

Arlene Merritt

Eve Miller

Fran Myers

Susan and Robert Palmer

LaDean and Carl Peterson

Judith Roach

Barbara Robinson

Anne Sayers

Ilona and Michael Sena

Joanne and Martin Swenson

GEM helps

women “gain

educational

momentum.”

Scholarships

change lives.

Additional Direct Contributions during 2013-14

Kathryn Conway Preyer Charitable Lead Trust

Martha McMullen

Judy Duncan

Betty Letzig

Joe and Cheryl Chasin

Leah Karpen

Betsy and Cary Kirk

The “Poker Gals”

Page 8

All contributions are gratefully accepted and acknowledged and honorees and families are notified.


Birthday Dollars for Scholars Program Going Strong

Beginning in 2014, Jeanne Smolkin, GEM Board Treasurer, began sending out calls for

“Birthday Dollars for Scholars,” a program in which each month contributors could check off

the names of members with birthdays that month and send a contribution to GEM in their

honor. Recipients received a special GEM birthday card — created by GEM Board Vice-

President Alice Doner — wishing them a “Happy Birthday” from branch members who had

selected their name. Many recipients have commented how pleased they were to receive

their card. Since its inception in January, the program has brought in over $6000 in

contributions. Following are the names of those who made one or more contributions

through the “Dollars for Scholars” program. Please consider joining the fun, honoring the

birthdays of your friends, and providing funding for college scholarships for worthy women.

Watch for Jeanne’s e-mail each month.

Birthday Dollars for Scholars Contributors

Nini Abbott

Pat Argue

Pat Ashe

Cathy Battle

Lucy Borland

Beverly Briedis

Melinda Brown

Bobby Carney

Alice Doner

Deborah Fulton-Helmer

Jayne Gallinger

Joen Goodman

Susan Grabel

Barbara Griswold

Judith Hoy

Molly Keeney

Betsy Kirk

Marilyn Kolton

Lynn Lederer

Renée Levine

Jennifer McClery

Helen McClintock

Linda McCracken

Eve Miller

Jacque Morgan

Fran Myers

Ellen Nutter

Karen O’Hara

Betty Paine

LaDean Peterson

Gladys Podhurst

Jill Preyer

Emily Quinn

Judith Rhodes

Barbara Robinson

Kitty Schaller

BA Schenk

Jeanne Smolkin

Ann Snell

Peg Steiner

Eleanor Walther

Carolyn Worthington

Jillian Johnson

Elaine Kabat

Sandy and Al Kaplan

Marilyn Kolton

Mary Kirk

Marilyn Kolton

Pamela Lane

Mary Lasher

Betty Letzig

Renée Levine


Constance MacDonald

Barbara Mayer

Helen McClintock

Martha McMullen

Arlene Merritt

Eve Miller

Jacque Morgan

Pat Argue

Patricia Ashe

Catharine Battle

Bev Briedis

Melinda Brown

Sherry Brown

Barbara Campbell

Scherry Chapman

Susan Fishbein

Jayne Gallanger

Louise Haas

Eugenia Harrell

Suzanne Harter

Marjorie Herbert

Carolyn Hubbard

Mary Hyde

Eleanor Johnson

Marion Johnson

Fran Myers

Gladys Podhurst

Mary Powell

Elizabeth Preyer

Jill Preyer

Sue Reynolds

Nancy Schuman

Jan Schwartz

Ruth Slawson

Jeanne Smolkin

Ruth Slawson

Norma Snap

Ann Clarke Snell

Juanita Spanogle

Peg Steiner



Endowment Program

Tributes

bert


family: Mary Hyde



langer


ton







law: Emily Quinn














Kathleen Thibodeau




Fall GEM Chips, 2014 Page 10

Joyce Boehlen, AAUW Asheville Vice

President for Membership, died on August 5, 2014,

after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer. Joyce

was a generous and outgoing woman, whom we

will miss very much. Many friends and family

members made contributions in honor and memory of

Joyce. Following are their names.

Pat Argue

Kay Ashlevitz

Cathy Battle

Bev Briedis

Sherry Brown

Linda Bushar

Bobby Carney

Judy Colella

Alice Doner

Susan Grabel

Wendy Haner

Ellen Henk

Eleanor Johnson

Molly Keeney

Betsy Kirk

Sonja Kozlowski

Mary Lasher

Helen McClintock

Kitty McKeithen

Hollis Millsap

Bryce Nelson

Hart Nelson

LaDean Peterson

Emily Quinn

Diane Raycroft

Sharon Sandel

Kathryn Schmeiser

Theresa Selzer

Marlene Shaklan

Jeanne Smolkin

Ann Clark Snell

Jana and Gary Tull

Gun Wechsler

Carolyn Worthington


GEM Tributes for 2013-14

Many GEM donors chose to honor family and friends with a gift to GEM . When you

want to honor a special day or offer remembrance, please consider making a gift to GEM in

their honor: a gift that really does “keep on giving.” Following are GEM tributes f

or 2013-14, in addition to those for Joyce:

In memory of her mother, Ellen Hull Keever — Cynthia Keever

In honor of the birthday of her college roommate and life-long friend, Mary Howell Mueller — Alice Doner

In memory of Polly Cody, a former AAUW Asheville Lifelong member — Norma Snap

In honor of Eve Miller, “on the big round one” — Melinda Brown

In honor of Jeanne Smolkin — Molly Keeney

In honor of Ruth Slawson — Helen McClintock

In memory of the birthday of her mother, Maxine Menefee LaRue, “whose grace and kindness touched all those around her” — Alice Doner

In memory of the birthday of her grand-mother, Sadie Alice Sharpe, “whose wit and unbounded generosity lit up the lives of all those around her” — Alice Doner

In honor of the 90th birthday of her aunt, Billie Menefee Gordon, who “still takes the old ladies to church” and “whose great wit and kindness continue to work magic for all those who know her” — Alice Doner

In honor of Leah Karpen’s being named a “Woman of Influence” in the Asheville community — Jayne Gallinger

In honor of Fran Myers — Ellen James

In honor of Marion Chamberlain — Joanne Swenson

In honor of Nancy Ransom: “You are an inspiration in making the world better for women!” — Beth Ellers

In honor of Alice Doner — Tom and Cynthia Menefee

In memory of Leonard Teir — Nini Abbott

In memory — on Mother’s Day — of Maxine Menefee LaRue, Sadie Alice Sharpe, and Mildred Anne Palmer, “great women who positively shaped my life” — Alice Doner

In honor of a “wonderful woman and great friend,” Verna McGaughey — Bev Briedis

In memory of her mother, father, and brother — Jansen McCreary

In honor of Ruth Slawson and Roberta Carney — Joyce Davis

In honor of Alice Doner — Mary Mueller

In memory of Betsy Ewing — Juanita Spanogle

In memory of Connie Flippo — Pat Argue

In memory of Grace Walker — Elaine Potter

In honor of Melinda Brown — Pat Argue

In memory of “Fred” — Shelley Freeman

In memory of Michael Thomas Hayes, “a real foodie who left us too early in life” — Anonymous

In memory of Emily Boyce — Pat Argue

In memory of Glen Hultgren — Michael Siegendorf

In honor of Dr. Margaret Aydelotte and Katherine Armitage, “thinking of you and wishing you the best” — Marilyn Kolton

In honor of Pat Argue, “a wonder woman for GEM” — Marilyn Kolton

In memory of Laura Enteen — Marlene Skaklan

In memory and honor of her mother “on behalf of the estate of Polly Cody. We are so grateful for the work of AAUW and for the members able to share our final NC ‘farewell’ to our mother in Black Mountain on July 12. Best wishes on behalf of my mom’s five children.” — Harriet M. Cody

Gifts that really do

“keep on giving.”

GEM Tributes

Another year of

growth and

giving!

Thanks to all

those who

have

supported

GEM during

the past year.

All contributions are gratefully accepted and acknowledged and honorees and families are notified.


Our members know the importance of education in every woman’s life, so, in 2002, AAUW

Asheville members and friends founded the GEM Fund, an organization with the sole purpose of

raising funds for local undergraduate scholarships for deserving women. Starting with a single

scholarship in 2002, the GEM Fund has grown so that, beginning in the school year 2011-12 and

continuing through the coming academic year, GEM has been able to provide ten scholarships to

Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College (A-B Tech) and two to the University of North

Carolina at Asheville (UNCA). Since its inception, GEM has awarded 58 scholarships.

The GEM Fund is supported entirely by contributions or funds earned on investments from prior

contributions. We accept many types of donations, including cash, stock, insurance policies, and

legacy gifts. Donors may specify whether they want their contributions to go to the active

scholarship fund, which funds scholarships for the coming school year, and/or to the permanent

endowment fund, which ensures that money for scholarships will be available for future years. All

undesignated contributions are split evenly between the active and endowment funds and all are

gratefully accepted and acknowledged. Karen Mauro, GEM Board member and chairperson for the

GEM Finance Committee, has written the following the article to provide information on the

importance of the endowment fund in ensuring that scholarships will always be available in the

future.

Why the GEM Fund?

“Diamonds aren’t a girl’s best friend: an education is.”

What Is the Endowment Fund and

Why Is It Important?

We have been fortunate at GEM in that we have had, in the past few years, successful fundraisers, generous donors and thriving stock and bond markets. Indeed, they usually tend to go hand in hand. Donors tend to donate more either in cash or goods when they have what they perceive as a windfall generously provided by a bull market. Charities, such as ours, also tend to feel more generous when their reserve funds and their endowment increase dramati-cally in value and so want to increase scholar-ship payouts.

Yet, as stewards of these funds, we must understand that we need to maintain a reserve for scholarships so that in times of bad markets and possibly lower level of donations, we aren’t tapping into a declining endowment account to maintain these scholarships.

In an article published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, November 2010, three rea-sons donors most often cited as a major moti-vation for donating to a charity were:

They felt their gifts could make a difference.

They felt financially secure.

They believed the organization receiving the gift was run efficiently.

At some point, if an endowment loses money because of declining markets or the number of scholarships is reduced dramatically from flush times, donors could interpret these declines as inefficient management of funds and give less. The challenge moving forward is to make sure donors are responding to the critical needs for sustainability and growth. Every year we strive to maintain or increase the number and/or amount of scholarships we believe to be sustainable. By leaving assets in a scholarship reserve fund, an organization such as ours prudently allows for the loss of one large donor, reduced contributions by others and / or a market downturn. This allows for the possibility of “waiting out” declines and leaving the reserves for the inevitable bad times.

GEM by laws state that we are to be a perpetual endowment fund and by holding reserves for possibly leaner earning future years we are helping to do just that.

Karen Mauro, GEM Finance Committee Chair

http://chronicle.com/article/Donations-by-the-

Wealthy/125319/

On the GEM

“giving sheet,” you

may designate

how you want

your contributions

distributed, as

well as listing any

tribute infor-

mation. Giving

sheets can be

found on and

printed from the

AAUW Asheville

website, under

“GEM” at http://

asheville-

nc.aauw.net.

http://chronicle.com/article/Donations-by-the-Wealthy/125319/

http://chronicle.com/article/Donations-by-the-Wealthy/125319/


3377 Sweeten Creek Road Arden, NC

828-650-7300

Fundraiser Business Partners

Twenty-six local businesses, service providers, and artists contributed gift cards for goods and

services to be auctioned at the June 1 fundraiser party, contributing over 30 gifts that raised over

$2200. Please thank these partners by patronizing their businesses, services, and studios.


Please

patronize our

business

partners!

AAUW Asheville Scholarship Endowment, Inc. AAUW Asheville Scholarship Endowment, Inc.

Pamela Udall

Board of Directors

LaDean Peterson, President

Susan Grabel, First Vice-President

Alice Doner, Second Vice-President

Jeanne Smolkin, Treasurer

Helen McClintock, Secretary

Karen Mauro, Finance Committee Chairwoman

Pat Argue, Past President & Advisor

Marilyn Kolton

Pat Kutay

Millie Massey

Jill Preyer

Emily Quinn

Ann Snell, AAUW Asheville President & Representative

Alice Doner, “GEM Chips” Editor

4B Long Shoals Road, #135

Arden, NC. 288704

The GEM Fund of

AAUW Asheville

The GEM Fund

Ways to Make Our GEM Shine

The GEM Fund is supported entirely by contributions or funds

earned on investments from prior contributions. We accept many

types of donations, including cash, stock, insurance policies, and

legacy gifts. Donors may specify whether they want their contributions to go to the

active scholarship fund, which funds scholarships for the coming school year, and/or to

the permanent endowment fund, which ensures that money for scholarships will be

available for future years. (See page 6 for more information on this topic.) In addition

to making direct contributions, there are some other important ways to make a gift to

GEM:

The Beatrice Rice Wells Legacy Society

The Beatrice Rice Wells Legacy Society comprises a special group of donors who

have graciously designated a contribution to the GEM Fund in their wills. Providing for a

donation to GEM in your will is an especially powerful way to support GEM and our GEM

scholars, a gift that truly does keep on giving. For more information, contact Jill Preyer at

[email protected].

Tributes to Loved Ones and Friends

To honor the memory of a loved one or to celebrate a birthday, anniversary, holiday, gradu-

ation or just to celebrate those important people in your life, consider making a gift to the

GEM Fund. Additionally, you may want to honor a good friend; in the AAUW Asheville news-

letter, you will find a list of that month’s member birthdays. Wish them a “Happy Birthday”

and, for special friends, consider making a gift to the GEM Fund in their honor. GEM will

send word of your thoughtfulness to you and your honoree. Not only do these gifts honor

loved ones; tributes and legacy gifts help worthy women get an education they might not

otherwise have. See page 5 of this newsletter to find examples of what GEM contributions

support.

The Gem Fund has 501(c)3 status and, as such, all contribution to GEM are entirely tax deductible.

Contributions an any amount are gratefully accepted and acknowledged.

Contributions, with checks made out to the GEM Fund, may be sent to THE GEM FUND at 4B Long

Shoals Road, #135; Arden, NC; 288704.

As the philanthropic arm of AAUW Asheville, the GEM Fund supports AAUW’s

mission of empowering women by breaking down educational and economic barriers.

GEM raises funds to award undergraduate scholarships to women whose college

educations have been interrupted or delayed. Our goal is to help these women attend

local colleges, “Gaining Educational Momentum (GEM).”


For more information,

contact board

president LaDean

Peterson at 828-650-

3005 or LaDeanJune@

charter.net.

fall 2014 gem chips - aauw

Documents