2023 Impact Report

YOUR IMPACT REPORT JULY 1, 2022 TO JUNE 30, 2023

You are furthering the education of amazing JMU students and helping them change the world.

YOU ARE RISING TO THE OCCASION Those of us who know this place ­­— who love this place — have undoubtedly seen or experienced firsthand what is possible when we work together. This year, you and 17,483 others contributed nearly $27.5 million in support of JMU students, faculty, programs and facilities.

JMU IS RISING TOO

#1 most recommended public school in the U.S. - Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Ed

95.6% of recent graduates report being employed or in a graduate program - University Career Center

80% of our undergraduate students do research, a practicum, an internship or student teaching by the time they graduate.

98% of JMU classes

are taught by professors, a rarity for schools our size. ii

YOU ARE OPENING THE DOOR As we take pride in JMU’s place in the spotlight, one of our most urgent needs is to increase the number of scholarships available.

This year, private contributions to scholarships have totaled over $5.2 million. This allowed deserving high school seniors who need this support to say “yes” to JMU.

One important initiative, JMU’s lifechanging Valley Scholars program, includes Ayam Ali (’23) and Kaitlyn Good (’23), who graduated this May. They have built their success on a foundation of early opportunity, support from 1,435 donors and their own dreams, talents and resilience.

In 2022–23, about 12% of undergraduates at JMU were firstgeneration students like Centennial Scholars Syd Jones (’24) and Janaiya Hill (’24). JMU is helping them face unique obstacles, from deciphering the culture and language of higher education to navigating feelings, as they achieve their dreams.

In the years ahead, you’ll hear more about the impact of student scholarships, how you can help first-generation students, and JMU’s plans to welcome an increasingly diverse student body from all types of backgrounds.

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YOU ARE CHEERING FOR CHAMPIONS No matter the sport or the conference, our athletes know how to win: •

Last fall, our Volleyball Dukes were JMU’s first team to win a Sun Belt Championship.

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Football made the top-25 AP ranking, with every game day causing Google searches on “James Madison University” to skyrocket.

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Both men’s and women’s basketball earned over 20 wins.

What’s more, women won the Sun Belt Conference tournament and secured a No. 14 NCAA tournament seed.

Your gifts to the Duke Club and the Proud and True Fund have powered this historic transition to the Sun Belt Conference.

Your donations immediately go to impact all 18 JMU varsity sport programs and more than 450 student-athletes, allowing JMU Dukes Athletics to continue to field a premier NCAA Division I intercollegiate program.

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YOU ARE REACHING NEW HEIGHTS This has been a year of celebration, including “Reaching New Heights” week in February. Instead of our traditional Giving Day (returning on February 22, 2024!), supporters joined together in a weeklong recognition of JMU’s recent successes.

Giving to key priorities across campus, 2,339 donors contributed

$581,655.44 to 94 different funds!

In addition to investing more than $40,000 in the Madison Vision and Parents and Families funds during the week, donors pushed all unrestricted giving to a whole new level this year — $522,173.

JMU leaders use these flexible dollars to address emerging opportunities and urgent needs.

This spring, 29 students participated in an intensive service-learning project in the Dominican Republic. With support from donors like you, the trip was made accessible to first-generation and otherwise underrepresented students, whose travel costs were covered.

See the video: https://j.mu/drtrip

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YOU ARE INSPIRING A LEGACY Since our founding in 1908, JMU has challenged students to give their all and embrace big ideas. You’ve generously championed these longstanding initiatives as among the best of the best. Each program celebrated a landmark anniversary in 2022 or 2023.

10th Madison Trust

In this decade, contributors have pooled their funds to support 100+ JMU innovations and inventions with over $1.1 million.

10th Women for Madison

This female-focused philanthropy initiative is the first of its kind at JMU. During Women for Madison’s $1.3 million effort in 2021-23, members of the Amethyst Circle gave together and provided 27 scholarships.

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100th The Breeze

Award-winning student journalists have covered campus news and trends for a century, gaining valuable beyond-theclassroom experience.

50th The College of Business Initially offering courses in typing and shorthand, the CoB now produces global business leaders prized for their problem-solving, teamwork and innovation abilities.

50th Marching Royal Dukes

Among the nation’s largest athletic bands (with 535 members!), the MRDs are faithfully supported by more than 2,300 donors.

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YOU ARE FUELING THEIR DREAMS Professors at JMU make students their top priority. Just ask scholarship recipient Deaquan Nichols (’23) who chose JMU over Princeton for the relationships with faculty mentors like Phil Frana and Oleksandr Kokhan. He also sought research opportunities and the chance to create an individualized academic path — which leads him next to medical school.

You make all of this possible. Your gifts, large and small, are the reason the Madison Experience endures.

Thank you.

Office of Annual Giving MSC 4401, 2022 Alumni Dr. Harrisonburg, VA 22807 855-JMU-GIVE Phone giving@jmu.edu www.jmu.edu/give

8/2023