March was another busy month for the division, concluding with our Spring DAR Town Hall (congrats to our inaugural DARing to Level Up Award winners), Georgia Women Give Spring Weekend, Board of Visitors Meeting and Senior Signature campaign (extended through Sunday!). Thanks to everyone who played a role in these initiatives and the many others that are getting us closer to $300 million raised by June 30. Last Friday, we surpassed $200 million, a major milestone as we level up this year!
And extra-special kudos to everyone for another record Dawg Day of Giving. We reached 13,026 gifts for a total of $5.5 million — an achievement not possible without such a collaborative approach focused on impact. I enjoyed stopping by and seeing so many schools and colleges hosting campus activities to elevate the day. THANK YOU!
We're officially in the last quarter of the fiscal year, and I look forward to seeing where our continued hard work and collaboration will lead. As I mentioned during the DAR Town Hall, remember to practice Radical Candor (caring personally while challenging directly) to build trust and open doors for communication that will help us all continue to level up.
Please let me know if I can be of help to your team. Thank you! |
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Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the UGA Foundation |
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What You'll Find in This Month's Pulse |
- 📈 Fundraising Update
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Matching Funds ✌
- Upcoming DAR Meetings 📆
- 🎉 Events for Target Audiences
- 🥼 School of Medicine Update
- UGA Mentor Program Update 🤝
- Commencement Volunteers 🎓
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🖤♥️Staff Appreciation Celebration
- 💸 Dawg Day of Giving
- 🎓 2025 Senior Signature Update
- Flavor of Georgia Tasting 😋
- 2025 Alumni Awards Luncheon 🍽
- 💯Bulldog 100 Nominations
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Name a Squirrel Campaign 🌰
- Engagement Center Changes 📲
- DARing to Level Up Awards 🏆
- Academic Achievement 🎓
- 🥰 Teresa Harris Guthrie Award
- Bulldog Print & Design / Mailing Updates 📭
- Advancing the Arch 🐾
- 📰 DAR News You Can Use
- DAR Headshot Schedule 📸
- 🔔 Ring the Bell: DAR Success Stories
- DAR Staff Travel ✈️
- Open DAR Positions 🎉
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👨💼 Staff Announcements
- Pets of DAR 🐕 🐈🐖 🐍 🦜
- 🥳 Just for Fun
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Here is where we stand in fundraising as of April 3. Questions? Email Danielle Free. |
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The UGA Foundation allocated $4 million for matching funds for top priorities. The remaining matching funds include:
School of Med. Scholarships - Remaining: $450K - Structured like the GCS model, allowing for a spendable portion of each pledge payment to assist in recruiting our first class.
Additional details: - Minimum commitment of $50,000 will be eligible for a $50,000 match.
- Commitments may be pledged.
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One match per donor.
- Commitment must support the creation of a new endowed fund.
Matching funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis with a signed letter of commitment until the funds are exhausted. Please forward a copy of the letter of commitment via email to Megan Jenkins. |
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Savor the State: A Flavor of Georgia Tasting Experience Sponsored by CAES April 17 | 2-6PM (Drop-in)
Classic Center
Please register by April 14
*Details below |
Discover DAR April 24 | 9AM Delta Innovation Hub |
Spring Alumni Board Meeting May 2 Rusk Hall |
Emeritus Quarterly Event
May 7 Athens, GA |
| Spring Development Meeting May 12 | 9AM
Tate Grand Hall |
DAR Years of Service Awards
July 21 | 2-3:30PM One Press Place |
Fall Development Meeting September 8 | 8AM Tate Grand Hall |
Fall Regional Team Retreat
September 16-18 |
Winter Development Meeting
February 9 | 2PM Tate Grand Hall |
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Events for Target Audiences |
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Honors Week
March 31-April 4 Miscellaneous Events |
Alumni Awards Luncheon April 4 Tate Grand Hall |
Dawg Day of Growth April 10 Terry Exec. Education Center |
Ring Ceremony
April 25 | 3PM UGA Chapel |
NYC Chapter: Women of UGA Brunch April 26 | Noon Sarabeth's Greenwich Village (NYC) |
Delta Hall 10th Anniversary Donor Luncheon May 1 | Noon Tate Grand Hall |
| Ladies Legacy Luncheon May 17 Alpharetta, GA |
1961 Club Donor Celebration
June 13 Atlanta, GA | Venue TBD |
PAWS Stewardship Event August 19 | 11AM-2PM Sanford Stadium Locker Room *More info. to come. |
40 Under 40 Awards Luncheon September 5 Tate Grand Hall |
Fall PLC Weekend
September 5-6 Athens, GA |
Presidents Club Reception
October 17 Tate Grand Hall |
Georgia Women Give Fall Lunch & Learn
October 17 Athens, GA |
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School of Medicine Update |
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UGA Mentor Program Update |
As of March 19, we are pleased to report: -
# of Mentors - 5,958 (598 new registrations since July 1)
- # of Mentees - 5,890 (1,822 new registrations since July 1)
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Current Matches - 825 (includes 16 week/quick chats/circles)
Questions? Email Bethany Bagwell. |
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Seeking Volunteers for Commencement |
DAR is seeking staff volunteers to help with Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on Friday, May 9 in Sanford Stadium. This year, you can sign up for a preferred assignment. There will be volunteer training sessions and stadium walk-throughs held on Monday, May 5 at 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please sign up by April 14.
- Friday, May 9 (Undergraduate Ceremony in Sanford Stadium)
- 4:15-9:30 p.m. (Gates at 5:30 p.m., Ceremony at 7:30 p.m.)
- A boxed meal will be provided
Contact Anna Gray with questions. |
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Staff Appreciation Celebration: May 12 |
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Another Successful Dawg Day of Giving |
Our fourth annual Dawg Day of Giving brought in more than 13,026 gifts for a total of $5.5 million to support UGA students and programs, a new single-day record! We surpassed our 11,000 gift goal around 9 p.m. (congrats to Courtney Ayers on her best guess win!)
Everyone in the division (and beyond) played key roles in this event - THANK YOU! From the core planning team, to school/college partners, to Advancement IT and Gift Accounting, to student and alumni volunteers, to staff, faculty and administrators - this was a campus-wide success. A few key wins for the day: - Gifts were directed to every school/college and numerous divisions
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President Morehead, Kirby Smart and Southern Living lifestyle editor Ivy Odom lent their voices to our efforts
- 28 alumni chapters hosted events from Southern California to London
- Donors hailed from all 50 states and five countries
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400+ students passed through Tate Student Center to celebrate the day
- $248,500 was donated thanks to challenges and power hours
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More student organizations than ever participated in challenges
- 1,800 student gifts were acquired (beyond the original 1,000 goal), unlocking an additional $5,000 to the Let All the Big Dawgs Eat Fund
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20 tabling events across campus - thanks to all areas that hosted one!
You can visit givingday.uga.edu to check out our leaderboards and other details. Questions? Email Sherry Abrams.
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Senior Signature Campaign Ends Sunday |
As of April 3, the donor number is at 3,223 ... but the deadline for the Class of 2025 to participate in Senior Signature has been extended to Sunday, April 6! Any student graduating in calendar year 2025 — undergraduate, graduate or professional — is eligible to participate and have their name included on the class plaque in Tate Plaza. Please help spread the word to the student body. Promotional assets are available in an online toolkit.
Questions? Email Terrance Smith.
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Savor the State: A Flavor of Georgia Tasting Experience |
The DAR Employee Experience Committee invites you to enjoy an afternoon supporting CAES at the Savor the State: A Flavor of Georgia Tasting Experience. This event is a food product contest where attendees can meet the 2025 Flavor of Georgia finalists and taste their creations. Have fun with your DAR colleagues as you indulge in a variety of delicious offerings, including baked goods, snack foods, beverages, and more.
April 17, 2025 2-6 p.m. (Drop-In Event) The Classic Center
If you plan to attend, please register by April 14. DAR is covering the cost of tickets for this event. As such, please only register if you plan to attend. This is a drop-in event, and staff are expected to notify their supervisors of plans to be out of the office. Parking is available at the Classic Center for a fee, or in nearby UGA lots with a DP.
Questions? Contact Michelle Carter. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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2025 Alumni Awards Luncheon
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Later today, DAR will present the annual Alumni Awards during a luncheon in Tate Grand Hall. This year's honorees include: - Allison C. Ausband (ABJ '83) - Alumni Merit Award
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Terry Brown (BBA '84) - Alumni Merit Award
- Jennifer Frum (PHD '09) - Faculty Service Award
- Cathie and John (AB '62) Crawford Family - Family of the Year Award
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John Huland Carmical Foundation - Friend of UGA Award
- Lucy Pinto (BBA '12) - Young Alumni Award
The webpage will be updated with video content. Questions? Email Amanda Brown. |
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Bulldog 100 Nominations Are Open
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Name A Squirrel Campaign Launches in April
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The Annual Giving team will launch a special solicitation campaign at the end of the month with a goal of 2,000 donors by early May. The campaign will leverage the strange affinity (or fear?) of the quite active squirrels on campus by offering donors two special incentives: -
Donors of $10+ receive a certificate when they name a campus squirrel
- Donors of $70+ will name a squirrel, get a certificate and a special plush squirrel
More details to come! Until then, scroll to the bottom of this email for a sneak peek at some of the content you may see in a social feed near you. |
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Engagement Center Calling Structure Changes
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As a reminder, changes are coming to the Engagement Center. Beginning April 1, student ambassadors are operating in a virtual call center structure. This overview outlines the upcoming changes. Please direct questions to your Annual Giving liaison or to Sherry Abrams.
You can continue to view Phone Pledges in the Annual Giving Dashboard. To view the entire fiscal year, select "All Quarters" in the "Overview by Quarter" dropdown.
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Inaugural DARing to Level Up Awards
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Congratulations to our inaugural DARing to Level up Award winners. Your excellence in the areas of Leadership, Collaboration and Impact are appreciated by the division and we thank you for your commitment to UGA and our division. Many thanks to everyone who nominated a colleague this year!
A landing page for these awards is now live on the DAR website, and nominations will open in late 2025/early 2026 for next year's awards. View photos of this year's honorees.
Many thanks to Kelsey Hogan and Marisa Castengera for their efforts to create the official awards through Athens Trophy. |
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Celebrating Colleagues' Academic Achievements
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Congratulations to the DAR colleagues who were recognized for a variety of academic achievements during the DAR Town Hall: - Abbie Blackstock
Allison Chesnutt Ali Elyaman Sandeep Reddy Guthireddy Kaylin S. Jones Laura Ashley Lester - Michael Morrow
- Will Woodard
- Chelsea Wesnofske, Ph.D.
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2025 Teresa Harris Guthrie Award |
Congratulations to Emaleigh Cone, a third-year art and graphic design major who began as a student worker with the Research & Prospect Management team in Fall 2023. Emaleigh received the 2025 Teresa Harris Guthrie Student Worker Award last week for her contributions to DAR's fundraising efforts via data management.
According to her nominator: "In DAR, we believe that everyone is a leader in their role, and Emaleigh exemplifies this principle. She leads by example, demonstrating positivity and a strong work ethic. Emaleigh has made remarkable contributions to the School of Medicine fundraising initiative through meticulous data cleanup. She has dedicated countless hours to critical projects, including the Savannah Aquarium and the Stelter Gift and Estate Planning Survey entries."
Thank you to everyone who nominated an outstanding student worker this year. We will soon email this news to donors to Teresa's fund to demonstrate the impact of her legacy through outstanding students like Emaleigh. |
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Bulldog Print & Design // Mail & Receiving Services Update
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Richard Piotrowski will be retiring this spring after 12 years of service in Bulldog Print + Design. Effective immediately, Dwayne Weaver will lead both the Bulldog Print + Design and Mail & Receiving Services teams. With both Mail & Receiving and Bulldog Print + Design operations housed at the Administrative Services Warehouse, Weaver will oversee all operations to maximize efficiency and integration between the areas. On March 18, Administrative Services and Mail & Receiving Services moved to UGA phone numbers. All phone numbers, except the fax number, changed with the transition.
Questions? Email printing@uga.edu or campmail@uga.edu. |
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Advancing the Arch (May 2-3) |
The Alumni Relations team and colleagues across campus are busy planning for the first Advancing the Arch Volunteer Leadership Training Conference on May 2-3 on campus. Registration is limited to two representatives from each campus volunteer group and closes on April 18. If you have questions or would like to attend a portion of the weekend as a staff guest, please email Kate Lantz by April 18.
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Some updates from across campus and the division |
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📸 DAR Headshot Schedule 📸 |
Have you scheduled a headshot with Edwin Hammond? Fill out a scheduling form below; headshots are taken in front of One Press Place. |
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Spotlighting Collaboration on LinkedIn
Congrats to Christina Varnedoe (Regional Development) and William Draper (Student Affairs Development) on partnering to create a valuable engagement touchpoint with UGA grad Jamie Lindley (VP of Byrd Cookie Company) when UGA students visited Savannah on an IMPACT Spring Break trip. Get the full story in Christina's LinkedIn post,
a great way to communicate ways to support UGA to new audiences and steward those who already are (like Jamie).
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Busy February for the Regional Team Did you know that the Regional Team had 52 major gift asks in February - the most of any month to that point in the fiscal year. Congratulations! Here are two examples of great collaboration to bring a gift to fruition:
$275,000 Blended Gift for Franklin College of Arts and Sciences
• $250K: Dr. Albert Allen Seals Professorship in Biochemistry Fund (estate gift)
• $25K: Biochemistry Undergraduate Society Support Fund (cash gift)
This gift is a collaboration between Ali Elyaman, Patrick Knowles and Vince Thomas, as all played an important role in cultivating the donor to close the gift.
$300,000 Estate Gift for Family and Consumer Sciences
• Distinguished Professorship + Study Abroad Award + Scholarship
Courtney Hart and Suzanne Griffeth teamed up to secure a joint meeting with a prospect in Atlanta. The meeting was successful and led to documentation of an estate gift. |
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| Donors Recognize Father's Legacy with a Planned Gift
Kenneth E. Papa, PhD, was a well-known plant pathology professor and one of the first geneticists at UGA. The Papa Outstanding Graduate Student Award is presented annually in his honor, but recently, his children met with Elizabeth Carlson and Ryan Rasmussen
to discuss elevating their father's legacy further. The siblings elected to establish a $100k grad student fellowship (now $150K thanks to matching funds) with an additional $4k spendable to immediately begin supporting a student. After the gift closed, Elizabeth Carlson, Ariel Waldeck and Mary Ann Parsons established a stewardship plan with Plant Pathology Department Head Harald Scherm, Ph.D. The Papas will return to campus to visit Scherm, the most recent recipient of their fathers' award, and their father's last student who is on faculty at UGA. A great collaboration between CAES and Gift & Estate Planning — both on the solicitation and stewardship side of things.
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Chris Jefts Valdosta/Tifton, GA (April 10-11)
Macon/Milledgeville, GA (April 22-23) Atlanta, GA (April 30) |
Vince Thomas Augusta, GA (April 2-4) Columbus, GA (April 16-18)
Miami/WPB, FL (April 30-May 2) |
Rob Carrico Charleston, SC (April 8-11) Richmond, VA (April 29-30)
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Ellie Engquist Athens, GA (April 13-14) |
Christina Varnedoe Savannah, GA (Month of April) |
Katie Adams Tampa, FL (April 13-17) |
Chandler Boyle Charlotte, NC (April 21-23) |
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Kyle Bryson Dallas, TX (April 9-10) Houston, TX (April 23-24) |
Courtney Hart
Athens, GA (April 14, 17, 21) |
Alysse Capitanelli NYC (Week of April 21) |
Elizabeth Kozak Athens, GA (April 22-24) |
Michelle Rotondo
Athens, GA (April 14) |
Weldon Kolker Gainesville, GA (April 9 + 10)
Savannah / SSI, GA (April 22-25) |
Madi Cox ATL Area (April 8-10) Columbus/Albany (April 22-24)
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Matt Brown Athens, GA (April 21) |
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Parent Giving Team Travel
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Courtney Ayers Austin, TX (April 3-6) Columbus, GA (April 22-24)
Misc. ATL Daytrips |
Meredith Glenn Richmond, VA (April 14-17)
South Georgia (April 30-May 1) Misc. ATL Daytrips |
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Eric Schmidt Tampa/Naples, FL (April 13-16) Charlotte, NC (April 20-23) Misc. ATL Daytrips |
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Kaylin Jones Chicago, IL (April 7-10) |
| Mason Black St. Simons Island, GA (April 25-27) |
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Open Position Postings in DAR
We encourage anyone interested in applying to do so. All UGA HR policies and procedures apply. If you know of a potential candidate who may be a good fit for an opportunity, contact Christy Dasher.
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Congrats to Anna Gray, named Asst. Director of Special Events, Special Events
- Welcome to Xander Haymore, IT Client Support Associate, Advancement IT
- Welcome to Adrianna Watson, Data Collection Specialist, Records
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Welcome to April Buckley, Gift Accounting Specialist, UGAF Gift Accounting
- Welcome to Michaela Collins, Asst. Director of Development, Engineering
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Name: Daisy Owner: Kathryn McHugh (PSO)
Fun Facts: Eight-year-old Daisy lives on Kathryn's family farm in Winterville and is basically an 800-pound puppy. She likes treats, head scratches, and will follow you around the pasture. |
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Things are gettin' squirrely this month as DAR launches the first "Name a Squirrel" campaign to solicit donors during the final quarter of the fiscal year. The Annual Giving and DARCOMM teams have some fun content in the works - so keep your eyes peeled! |
Spring Into Swing: Softball Experience The March Employee Experience event was a blast as DAR colleagues met to cheer for the softball team vs. LSU on March 21 at Jack Turner Stadium. Thanks to the Employee Engagement Committee for coordinating this team-building activity! |
Bulldawg Game Break The Employee Experience Committee hosted a Bulldawg Game break in late February and attendees had a blast. Staff gathered in One Press Place to play Jenga, Uno, Connect 4 and other games. Thanks to all who came out! |
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Do you have information or a suggestion for an upcoming edition of the Pulse? |
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