Letter from the UGA Foundation Chair
Reflecting on this past year, I am filled with pride. We are living in a time of incredible success for this University, and it is through your commitment and dedication that we find ourselves here. So, to start, I thank you.
Fiscal Year 2023 provided another outstanding demonstration of the above noted commitment: $242.8 million in gifts, raising UGA’s three-year rolling average to $235.1 million. That steadily rising average indicates a sustained, widespread generosity that will support Georgia for generations.
The UGA Foundation (UGAF) is here to ensure those donations—and all of the $1.9 billion in Foundation assets—are managed carefully. The Board of Trustees is honored to carry out this work, which this year included the allocation of over $8.4 million to numerous UGA and board priorities: matching funds for the creation of need- and merit-based scholarships, meal plan scholarships, student wellness initiatives, support of rural students, and much more.
We are living in a time of incredible success for this University, and it is through your commitment and dedication that we find ourselves here.
- Neal QuirkChair, UGAF Board of Trustees
We also welcomed several key personnel this past year. Jill S. Walton (BSA ’99, MPA ’03) became UGA’s interim vice president for development and alumni relations. Jill has dutifully served UGA for nearly 25 years, and her dedicated leadership has powered numerous successful fundraising initiatives. Additionally, Elizabeth Prince (BBA ’02) was named UGAF chief financial officer. For 15 years, she has been invaluable to the Foundation’s financial operation, and we are most fortunate to have someone with her expertise, integrity, and poise in this role.
One other seat that is changing hands is the one I have occupied these last two years. Serving as chair was a tremendous honor for me, and I am beyond grateful to have been elected to do so. It has been deeply fulfilling to see first-hand the powerful commitment of my fellow trustees and all UGA supporters, as well as the amazing things their commitment makes possible. I leave the position fully confident in the Foundation’s future. Incoming chair Allison C. Ausband (ABJ ’83) has been a trustee since 2016 and executive vice-chair since 2021, and she is an exceptional leader and a devoted champion for UGA.
Thank you to President Morehead for his incredible leadership and to UGA’s administration and staff for their daily dedication and hard work. Thank you to UGA’s faculty and students for driving the University’s progress. Finally, my thanks again to you, our UGA donors, for making all of the above possible.
Sincerely,
Neal J. Quirk Sr.
Chair, UGAF Board of Trustees