Leadership Circle

For Catherine Hildebrand, a music major on pace to graduate in 2014, the benefits of attending Gonzaga are almost too great to measure.

“Gonzaga has helped me be the person I am,” she said. “My entire perspective on life and the world has been changed by the people I have met, the friends I have made, the cultures I have encountered, and the technical, behind-the-scenes activities that take place to make every little thing happen here.”

All those little things are part of the complete Gonzaga Experience. And it would not be possible for the University to continue providing an exceptional, Jesuit education without private support.

Now and throughout its 125 years, the Gonzaga community of donors, which includes parents of current students and alumni, has been committed to helping talented and deserving students realize their dreams.

A special group of parents help to make up the Leadership Circle, which provides extraordinary scholarship support while also meeting the budgetary needs of the University each year. With a gift of $1,500 or more to Gonzaga, parents have the opportunity to join the Leadership Circle and partner with others who have committed to GU at the highest level. This dedication provides more than 80 percent of the University’s annual dollars raised and ensures that a rigorous academic experience, steeped in Jesuit tradition, is provided — and accessible — to students today.

Membership in the Parents Leadership Circle offers special benefits, such as preferred access to University information, leadership and special programs and events. In addition, each fall we publish an “Honor Roll” of Leadership Circle members to publicly thank those whose gifts have qualified them for membership during the past fiscal year.

But perhaps the most meaningful reward is the knowledge of having strengthened Gonzaga’s mission of developing men and women for others.

Many parents choose to direct their gift to the Fund for Gonzaga. This enterprise serves as a critical source of funding for the University’s highest priorities and directly supports the complete academic experience. The Fund for Gonzaga, for example, contributes to creating faculty positions, which keeps the student-to-faculty ratio low and classroom sizes small. This allows students to engage on a more personal level with their professors and classmates.

As far as Catherine is concerned, one of the most important things the Fund for Gonzaga does is supply the music department with sheet music and instrument maintenance. That may seem insignificant, but it means a great deal to students like Catherine.

Regardless of where your interests lie and how you wish to direct your gift, be assured it is greatly needed and deeply appreciated by Gonzaga’s students and faculty.

To learn more about the Leadership Circle or to join, visit gonzaga.edu/leadershipcircle.