2016-2017 ANNUAL DONOR REPORT In Tune With Our Donors Dedication his annual report is Tdedicated to the memory of William James “Bill” Taggart. Morehouse College Interim President (April 7, 2017 - June 8, 2017) 2 Morehouse will be forever grateful to Interim President Taggart for accepting the torch, running the good race and crossing the finish line leaving a legacy of leadership, community partnership and progress benefiting the College for generations to come! 3 2016-2017 | LETTER FROM OUR CHAIRMAN Willie E. Woods ’85 Dear Alumni and Friends: It is not uncommon to hear of a Morehouse Man who marches to the beat of his own drum. In fact, most alumni and others who support our great alma mater do so because of the unrivalled reputation the institution has for producing exceptional men whose extraordinary leadership, intellect and ingenuity sets them apart from the norm. When these students enter Morehouse, they come from varying geographical locations, diverse socio-economic backgrounds, and with wide-ranging interests in their academic pursuits. But, in spite of the vast differences they bring to Morehouse, they depart from campus with the common belief that they are prepared and expected to make a positive impact in their respective careers and communities. Those of us who invest in their futures understand that the sound of philanthropy at Morehouse may range from the loud to the soft, but the resounding result of such giving is that collectively it goes a long way in educating and empowering young people to strive to be more, do more and affect more change in the world when and where it is needed. This annual report highlights these investments and trumpets the alumni, friends, faculty, staff, students, parents, corporations and foundations, as well as other institutional partners for their generous and judicious gifts. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I want to thank you for taking the time to respond to our appeals throughout the year with financial contributions that allowed us to accomplish great things in 2016-17. We remain grateful to you for helping us stay in tune with the institution’s most critical needs and hope to continue to hear from you as we work in harmony toward an even better Morehouse tomorrow! Yours truly, Willie E Woods Willie E. Woods ’85 Chairman, Morehouse College Board of Trustees 4 2016-2017 | LETTER FROM OUR PRESIDENT Dr. David A. Thomas Dear Member of the Morehouse Donor Community: Of all the assignments I received during the first few months of my tenure as the 12th president of Morehouse College, I am certain that drafting this letter to college supporters, like you, is among my most significant and rewarding responsibilities. For starters, I am grateful to the conscientious alumni who were moved to give because they recall their experiences as Men of Morehouse and credit their success as Morehouse Men to this great institution. I am also thankful that our corporate and foundation partners recognized the progress and promise of Morehouse and deemed it a worthy investment. Likewise, I am encouraged by trustee giving and the example of leadership and loyalty it provides and finally, I am energized by the contributions of faculty, staff, parents and students. When others see you passionately supporting the College, they too are compelled to follow your lead. I have long been a fan of this institution, admiring the great thought leaders this College has attracted, educated and groomed for over 150 years - scholars who have made a profound difference in their communities, careers and the world. The contributions you made this past year mean so much to me because they help reinforce Morehouse’s fiscal foundation, which I am now responsible for growing. Thank you again for every gift, of every size and for every reason, and I look forward to working with each and every one of you in 2018! Sincerely, David A. Thomas President, Morehouse College 5 2016-2017 | LETTER FROM OUR INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT Phillip D. Howard ’87 Dear Donor: You may not be one to toot your own horn, but given your magnanimous support of the College during the last fiscal year, allow us to do the honors. After all, it is because of your timely and selfless investments that Morehouse was able to continue offering scholarships to deserving young men, while also enhancing students’ experiences outside the classroom, growing the institution’s endowment and increasing the College’s operating budget through gifts to the Annual Fund. Likewise, your generosity in 2016-17, led to scores of students being exposed to opportunities they may not have been afforded without your generous contributions. This Annual Donor Report is our way of recognizing you for your commit- ment to giving, as well as bragging a bit about the successes and achievements we experienced, college-wide, simply because you saw fit to invest in Morehouse. Collectively, you made the difference in many freshmen beginning their academic journeys at Morehouse and many seniors successfully completing theirs. You made it possible for hundreds of students to study abroad and for international scholars to experience a diverse and meaningful cultural and educational exchange at Morehouse. You gave our renowned Glee Club and championship Speech and Debate Team the chance to perform and compete on the world stage, and you supported fac- ulty research and development so that our brightest young minds could be taught and mentored by some of the most gifted educators in the academy. For these things and the many other ways you demonstrated your loyalty to Morehouse in FY17, we say thank you and look forward to your continuous support in helping Morehouse shape and tell our important stories as the world watches, listens and waits to hear of the next Martin Luther King Jr., Spike Lee, Calvin Butts or Randall Woodfin. Gratefully, Phillip D. Howard ‘87 Interim Vice President for Institutional Advancement 6 2016-2017 | LETTER FROM OUR DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP Ardis M. Blanchard Dear Morehouse Supporter: One of the best ways that Morehouse can stay in tune with its donors is to produce an annual report detailing all gifts received by the College the previous year and highlighting the generous contributors who made them. Whether you are a first-time or recurring donor; an alumnus or friend of the College; a corporate or foundation partner, you are an important member of the Morehouse donor community and the Office of Stewardship and Donor Relations is proud to present this report representing private gifts and grants in 2016-17 totaling over $14.7 million. Working harmoniously to address the College’s most pressing priorities, your support of scholarships, academic programs, athletics, operations, faculty development, facility improvements, technology upgrades and various other initiatives greatly enhanced our students’ overall educational experience during the last fiscal year. Regardless of what struck a chord with you and inspired you to give, your generosity had a profound impact on Morehouse. Thank you for giving us cause to produce this publication that clearly demonstrates what giving at Morehouse sounds like and why it is so important to the future of this great institution. Yours in stewardship, Ardis Maria Blanchard Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations 7 TRUMPETING the Cause STEM d nual Fun An Athletics Glee Club chapel restoration Scholarships Business & Ec on Speech & D eb ctems ate Regardless of what you gave to in 2016–17 and why you gave it, the ultimate result of your contributions is that they helped deserving Morehouse scholars who will go on to live productive lives and serve their communities as capable, confident and conscientious global leaders. 8 2016-2017 | ALL DONORS BY SOCIETIES Benjamin E. Mays Society - Robert V. Franklin ‘47 Moody’s Corporation Eugene J. Duffy ‘76 ($1,000,000.00 +) Gordon D. Greenwood ‘85 Morehouse College Glee Club Alumni Lenora & Edmond Dugas MJS Foundation Inc. Health 1st Foundation, Inc. Keven R. Patterson ‘89 Jeffrey A. Dugas, Sr. ‘76 J. Alexander M. Douglas Jackson National Life Insurance Company Thomas A. Payne ‘63 Mitch Earle Valerie Ervin Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta William Pickard Econet Wireless Michael B. Polk JPMorgan Chase & Co. Haynes Pressley, Jr. ‘51 William Edwards ‘72 The Ray Charles Foundation Yolanda & Dale E Jones ‘82 Albenny Price, Jr. ‘78 Emily Felton The Newell Rubbermaid Foundation KeyBank Raytheon Company Eugene Felton, Jr. ‘92 LARS Charitable Fund Regions Bank David H. Ferguson ‘81 Howard Thurman Society - Abby & Robert J. Levin Robin D. Richards Matthew M. Fields ‘97 ($500,000.00 +) Lorna & Michael K. Lindsay ‘75 Rotary Club of Atlanta Foundation Samantha Fields Anonymous Donor Valerie & Avery A. Munnings ‘86 Thomas H. Scott, Jr. ‘67 Dewitt C. Fortenberry ‘86 Anonymous Donor Joseph L. Press III ‘84 Willis Sheftall, Jr. ‘64 Annie & Dan Frazier The Coca-Cola Company Deborah & David Rogers James H. Shelton ‘89 Maurice B. Gilbert ‘82 The Coca-Cola Foundation The Chicago Community Foundation Silicon Valley Community Foundation Christopher A. Gilmore ‘97 United Negro College Fund UNCF Khari C. Simmons ‘98 Quinton Glenn, Jr. ‘75 Summa Cum Laude - ($10,000.00 +) Sirte Med Primary Care Kelvin C. Gray ‘86 John Hope Society - ($250,000.00 +) Alfonso Leo Adderly ‘60 Cherylen & Dwight T. Smith ‘82 Griffith Family Foundation Billye S. Aaron Adella Thomas Management, LLC Finis E. Smith ‘70 Marshall C. Grigsby ‘68 *Estate of Geneva H. Bell Advisors Charitable Gift Fund Ratanjit Sondhe Barbara B. Hall Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation American Endowment Foundation Amanda L. Stafford Alvin E. Harris ‘73 Tsitsi & Strive Masiyiwa Anonymous Donor Earl Stafford, Sr. N. Danita & Michael D. Harris ‘80 Project Higher Life/Capernaum Trust Int’l Anonymous Donor James O. Stallings ‘67 Benny M. Hawkins, Sr.