From the Desk of Pamella Henson
Dear Eliot Society Volunteer,
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community of leaders and advocates. Your commitment and involvement ensure we stay connected with alumni, parents, and friends in meaningful ways, and that WashU continues to thrive.
As a volunteer, your outreach and engagement aren’t just appreciated, they are essential. Throughout the year, your leadership will help renew Eliot Society memberships, strengthen donor relationships, and bring others into this important work.
Importantly, your personal touch — whether through a conversation, a thank-you, or an invitation to renew — often results in gifts to the Annual Fund. These unrestricted gifts are utilized immediately, enabling WashU to invest in students, faculty, and innovation as needs and opportunities arise.
They are also pivotal to the success of With You: The WashU Campaign, which features the Annual Fund as one of its five key fundraising priorities.
Whether you’re just getting started or have been a longtime volunteer, your efforts help move WashU forward. I’m grateful for your partnership and leadership this year, and I know, together, we will make the coming
year a success.
Warmly,
Pamella Henson
Executive Vice Chancellor, University Advancement
Your Impact Begins Here
As an Eliot Society volunteer, you are part of a dynamic group of leaders who are passionate about supporting the WashU Annual Fund. You are at the heart of an exciting mission: to grow and strengthen our community, engage with fellow WashU supporters, and spread the spirit of giving far and wide. You are an ambassador making lasting connections and helping shape the future of WashU through your contributions and leadership.
What you’ll be doing
Energize and grow our community
Help renew and grow membership at all levels.
Thank our donors
Express gratitude to existing members for their generous support using GiveCampus, our innovative volunteer platform.
Collaborate and share ideas
Attend meetings with other passionate volunteers.
Promote the power of Eliot Society support
Be a voice of influence! Talk about the importance of the Eliot Society at meetings and events.
Serve as an ambassador
Represent WashU at events, welcoming new members and inspiring alumni and friends to
support the Annual Fund.
Be an event host
Consider hosting events to help create memorable experiences for WashU alumni, parents and friends in your community.
Why your role matters
Make a difference
Your annual gift — and those you help facilitate — is a vital part of ensuring WashU’s continued excellence.
A welcoming community
You are part of an inspiring network of alumni, parents, students, and friends who are making an impact together.
Building connections
Via access to exciting annual Eliot Society and WashU events, you are building connections with passionate supporters and celebrating all things WashU.
Top Five Things to Know This Year
FY26 Annual Fund goal: $31.5 million
FY26 Eliot households goal: 5,000, with 80% member retention
The Annual Fund is a strategic fundraising priority of With You: The WashU Campaign.
FY25 Annual Fund results: $28.8 million
Sources of Annual Fund Support
in FY25
- 58.8% ($16.9M)Alumni
- 17.7% ($5.1M)Parents
- 11.6% ($3.3M)Friends
- 5.9% ($1.7M)Foundations
- 4.2% ($1.2M)Corporations
- 1.6% ($461K)Organizations & Groups
The Importance of the Annual Fund
The Annual Fund provides essential, expendable income that allows the chancellor and the deans to address urgent needs and to respond to opportunities as they arise. It supports every area on campus, and its funds go to work immediately to help ensure that every student has what they need to do and be their best.
FACT: WashU’s tuition provides approximately 60% of the operating revenue for Danforth Campus schools, while the endowment furnishes about 10% of the university’s operating revenue.
Why it matters: WashU wants to continue to be the best, and that requires considerable expenses. Like any leading university, tuition and endowment alone cannot meet all costs. The Annual Fund, led by the Eliot Society, provides critical resources to make up the 30% gap.
FACT: The Annual Fund is made up of unrestricted gifts that are invested in academic programs, scholarship support, student research, faculty resources, and technology.
Why it matters: Endowment funds are restricted in their use. The Annual Fund, however, can be put to use right away to address a variety of needs across campus, like recruiting world-class faculty, supporting interdisciplinary research, bolstering scholarships and internship stipends, or offering seed grants. And so much more.
FACT: In FY25, the Annual Fund provided $28.8 million for immediate use to the programs and people that make WashU great. Gifts from Eliot Society members made up 81.1% of that fund.
Why it matters: WashU’s exceptional education and student experience would not be possible without the Annual Fund, and Eliot Society members contribute the majority of WashU’s Annual Fund dollars. As a result, all students, faculty, and researchers at WashU benefit from Eliot Society support.
Learn more about WashU’s endowment or read Chancellor Andrew D. Martin’s Endowment 101 blog series.
With You, This is What WashU Can Do
The world needs breakthrough solutions to our biggest challenges. WashU is answering the call — and we invite you to join us. To fulfill the bold promise of societal impact we imagine, the university has launched With You: The WashU Campaign. This multiyear, comprehensive fundraising effort will enable us to implement the blueprint for our future. We seek the partnership and philanthropy of our entire community of alumni, parents, and friends to help us build a better, brighter world.
Online Resources
MAKE A GIFT Whether your gift is by check, credit card,
phone, or even a corporate match, we make the
transaction easy.
AREAS TO SUPPORT Whether your gift is by check, credit card,
phone, or even a corporate match, we make the
transaction easy.
ELIOT BENEFITS Find out more about the ways we thank
our Eliot Society members for their generosity and loyalty.
OUR OUTREACH PLATFORM Explore GiveCampus,
our online volunteer platform for peer-to-peer outreach.
FAQS This brief list covers questions you might have.
For more information about the annual fund or the eliot society
- 314-935-7423
- 877-215-2727 ext. 1
- eliotvolunteer@wustl.edu