Making a Splash: John H. N. Fisher '77
Challenge Drive for the Pool

Undesignated Gifts Vital to Pool's Success

February 16, 2006

Undesignated gifts played an important role in the success of the pool challenge. Deke Welles '70, vice-chair of The Exeter Initiatives and challenge participant, explains. "Originally, I kept my campaign gift undesignated in order to be responsive to changing needs. This way I could help close a gap or put something over the top. In the case of the pool, the timing was tight, and we needed some sort of guarantee in order for the project to move forward. I decided to use part of my gift in this case, because the aquatics program is so important to the school.

"The pool, like many of our campus projects, is an example of the critical role undesignated gifts will play in The Exeter Initiatives. We certainly need gifts that are intended to go directly to specific priorities, such as financial aid. At the same time, we want to highlight the fact that undesignated gifts can be very helpful in meeting needs that are crucial but might be under funded. As we move into the second half of this campaign, I anticipate that undesignated gifts will be instrumental in meeting our faculty housing and dormitory renovation needs, in particular. These projects are vital to the well-being of our students and faculty, and we are grateful to donors who provide the trustees with flexibility to attend to those priorities as they emerge."

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