Next campus building project: New apartment village

Building campus vibrancy

When campus leaders unveiled the university’s 2007 strategic plan, they identified several projects designed to enhance Hollins students’ living and learning experience. Strategic plan projects already completed include the restoration of the Hill Houses, completed in 2015, and the renovation of classroom and lab spaces in the Dana Science Building, both funded through the generosity of Hollins alumnae and friends. The capstone project is a fresh, contemporary student housing village, to be built along East Campus Drive.

The village will replace the Williamson Road apartment complex, which has housed Hollins students since the 1970s. The apartments have become dated, and their distance from the heart of campus, across a busy street, has made them a less desirable location for students. The new units, designed to harmonize with the Hill Houses, will provide an exciting residential space for students. More important, housing all students on campus, while providing options for the autonomy they enjoy, will boost the sense of community and Hollins spirit.

The new apartments will offer a variety of living configurations, with flexibility for single and double bedrooms, communal living space, kitchens, and front porches. They will be constructed from materials consistent with Hollins’ commitment to the environment. Additional amenities include washing machines in each unit, shared green space, and spectacular views.

Because university leaders are committed to incurring no debt, construction will begin as soon as the $5-million level in commitments is achieved for the first phase of construction. The cost of the entire project requires $10 million in philanthropic support. Once students are relocated back on campus, Hollins plans to work with partners to develop the property across the street with a mix of retail, restaurants, and other residential spaces.

Donors seeking naming opportunities may consider these initial options:

Name entire project:             $5 million

Name two buildings:             $1,000,000

Name a building:                   $500,000

Name an apartment               $200,000

Name a common room:         $100,000

Name the village green           $75,000

Name a kitchen:                       $50,000

Name a porch:                         $35,000

Name a bedroom:                     $25,000

For more information, please contact Suzy Mink, senior philanthropic advisor, at minks@hollins.edu or (202) 309-1750.

Changes coming for the 1842 Society and Miss Matty’s Circle

Condensed levels, improved communications take effect in July

The 1842 Society is Hollins’ premier recognition society for annual donors to Hollins. The brainchild of the late Pat Bain ’49, the society dates from 1968. It initially recognized members giving $1,000 or more yearly to the annual giving fund. In the 1990s, the membership buy-in level increased to $1,842 and has stayed at that level ever since.

Miss Matty’s Circle recognizes current students and alumnae who have graduated from Hollins in the last 14 years and are considered leadership donors. Membership is currently based on a three-tier system based on years out of Hollins.

Beginning July 1, 2018, members will see changes to both the 1842 Society and Miss Matty’s Circle. These changes are intended to enhance both fundraising for Hollins and the methods for sharing important campus news with donors. The number of levels within the 1842 Society will be condensed from six to five. The Botetourt Society (gifts from $1,842 to $2,499) will remain in place, although the minimum gift to attend the 1842 Society weekend will increase to $2,500. Miss Matty’s Circle gift levels will follow a rubric according to the number of years since graduation. For the first year after graduation, donors who give $100 will be recognized as members of Miss Matty’s Circle, a decrease from the current $250. For a complete list of changes and incentives see www.hollins.edu/giving.

Donor Spotlight

Holly Mackay ’89: Why I made a planned gift

Since I consider Hollins to be an extension of my family it seemed only appropriate to include “her” in my will. I participate in making annual gifts to Hollins because they are essential to the ongoing operations of the university, but I knew by making a planned gift I could have a more substantial impact.

I set up a fund to honor my mother, Susan Marckwald Mackay ’62, and to support those students interested in travel abroad. My primary catalyst was to recognize my mother and all that she has done for Hollins, but I never expected to get such immense satisfaction from knowing my gift was making a distinct difference in a student’s ability to go abroad. Getting letters annually from the recipients of funds is tangible confirmation that these gifts matter, and it inspires me to want to do more.

I don’t have children of my own, so I really appreciate leaving a standing legacy that will help other people’s children pursue their dreams. I have unwavering confidence that Hollins will act as a reliable steward of the gift I leave. After all, how many institutions have a proven 175-year track record!

Holly P. Mackay is a financial planner with Lincoln Financial Advisors Sagemark Consulting. An economics major, she started her career in the management trainee program with Chevy Chase Bank. When she was working for Chevy Chase Financial Services, she obtained her CFP, CLU, and ChFC designations and a master’s degree in financial planning.

Giving inspires giving

How one act of generosity led to another

Elizabeth Donahoo ’92 with family friend Patrick Hayes

During Reunion 2017, Elizabeth “Liz” Donahoo Bishop ’92 related a moving story about the power of gifts that honor enduring friendships.

It began, she said, with Patrick Hayes, a good friend to the Donahoo family. He often visited the Hollins campus on his way to Williamsburg and the William & Mary campus. “He fell in love with Hollins and the extraordinary women he met,” she said.

“Upon my graduation, Pat set up a trust [to] ensure that this group of Hollins women…could continue to see one another once a year and nurture the special friendship that had begun here at Hollins. We took full advantage of this opportunity to get together every year after graduation.

“Here we are 25 years later. We have all been in each other’s weddings. We are godparents to each other’s children. I even gained a sister-in-law, Jennifer Wake Donahoo ’92.

“It seems fitting and appropriate that his gift go back to Hollins where it all began, and we give it in honor of Patrick Hayes.”

Like the friendship that inspired his gift, Hayes’s legacy endures. At the time of his death last year, his “friendship” trust was used to create the Patrick Hayes Reunion Trust Art History Award, which will recognize in perpetuity outstanding work by a senior majoring in art history.

To read Elizabeth Donahoo’s letter to Patrick Hayes, visit www.hollins.edu/magazine and click on “web only.”