As institutions of higher education adapt to rapid changes and evolving student needs across the country, alumni, parents and donors of the Martin J. Whitman School of Management have responded with record-setting philanthropic support and engagement. Their historic commitment continues Whitman’s momentum and supports its transformation plan to become a top 25-ranked business school within five years.
Thanks to the generosity of the Whitman community, more than $10.9 million was raised in cash donations during the 2024-25 academic year—surpassing the previous high of $7.9 million and marking the most successful cash fundraising year ever. Whitman also attracted the greatest level of participation since 2020, with 1,649 donors rallying to support the school.
“The Whitman School is immensely grateful to the community of alumni, parents, friends and donors who make Whitman a priority for their philanthropy,” says Interim Dean Alex McKelvie. “In today’s world of accelerating change, the Whitman School is more committed than ever to ensuring students receive a business education that will propel them to future success in industry and in life. As part of providing best-in-class, innovative and experiential opportunities for our students, donor support is integral to fulfilling our mission.”
Whitman students offer a thank you to the school’s generous donors
Notably, of the 1,649 donors supporting Whitman this year, 1,266 of them made gifts less than $2,500. This is a testament to the power of Whitman and the Orange community—proving that every gift, regardless of size, has a direct impact on our success.
Support for the Whitman School in 2024-25 was amassed through multiple avenues, including annual giving to the Whitman School Dean’s Fund, scholarship and endowment support, and multi-year commitments through the newly established Whitman Leadership Circle giving society.
The Whitman School Dean’s Fund, which provides vital unrestricted annual support, received nearly $3.2 million in cash giving and pledges–tripling the amount of funding from previous years and marking the best year ever. The Dean’s Fund supports the greatest priorities and needs at the school, including student professional development opportunities, student financial support, experiential learning and case competitions, program and curricular innovation, career readiness programming and more.
The record-setting support for Whitman is a direct result of the successful launch of the Whitman Leadership Circle recognition program (WLC). Founded in the fall of 2024, the WLC is a philanthropic leadership society created for alumni, families and friends to support and engage with the Whitman School. In its inaugural year, 49 WLC donors made commitments generating more than $6.3 million in new support for the school.
The WLC empowers donors to directly support Whitman through multi-year leadership gift commitments. For their generosity, WLC donors receive a personalized stewardship experience that includes special recognition, exclusive communication from the dean, invitations to special events, receptions, seminars and virtual meetings, unique gifts and apparel, and opportunities to interact with students and faculty. These interactions enable the Whitman School to thank donors, demonstrate the impact of their support and enhance their deeper commitment to advancing the school’s mission and vision.
Commitments to the WLC begin at $25,000 ($5,000 per year over five years) and can be designated to any area at Whitman that a donor chooses. The program’s six levels of commitments extend to $1 million or more.
“When we launched the Whitman Leadership Circle, we set out to harness the power of our collective community to transform the Whitman School through philanthropy. In just one year, we have seen alumni, parents and friends step up to answer this call in extraordinary ways,” says Michael Paulus, assistant dean of advancement and external engagement. “This momentum is reflective of the energy surrounding the Whitman School, and our team is excited to continue connecting the Whitman community to meaningful opportunities that ultimately support our students.”
As the Whitman School continues its five-year transformation plan to become a top 25-ranked business school, the collective support from alumni, parents and friends augments the opportunities Whitman provides students to develop, network and position themselves for their careers.
“Our goals for the future of Whitman are bold, just like our students,” says McKelvie. “Their success and the success of our community is our utmost priority. Philanthropic support from our alumni and donors is more than just an investment in this success—it demonstrates the unity and commitment to a shared vision for where Whitman is headed nationally in offering a top business education.”
Visit the Whitman Leadership Circle website to learn more about opportunities to make an impact, or complete the WLC interest form to learn how to become an essential part of the legacy of the Whitman School.
This story was written by Tatiana Motevalli-Oliner
