Giving Stories

Six Smart Tax Moves for Year-End Savings

Leave a Comment

Cupped hands holding a small slip of paper that says "Make a Change" and a handful of coins. As the year winds down, so do our wallets – between holidays, travel, and other year-end expenses, it’s a costly time for many. Here are some simple strategies that can help you save on taxes and get yourself set up for financial success in the new year:

  1. Review Your IRA: If you’re 73 or older, you may need to take a Required Minimum Distribution. Stick to the required amount to avoid unnecessary taxes.
  2. Give to Charity: Donations to qualified nonprofits can lower your taxable income while supporting causes that matter to you.
  3. Rebalance Your Investments: Offset capital gains by selling underperforming stocks at a loss and review your overall portfolio.
  4. Make Early Payments: If you have deductible expenses such as medical bills or property taxes, pay them before year-end to take advantage of this year’s deductions.
  5. Defer Income: If you’re expecting a year-end bonus or freelance income, delay it until the new year to reduce your 2025 tax bill.
  6. Pay Your Mortgage Early: If you own a home, make your January mortgage payment in December to increase this year’s deductible interest.

These tips are a great starting point for year-end financial wellness. Want to make a meaningful impact while continuing to save? Consider a gift to support the University of Mary Washington before Dec. 31, 2025. It’s a wonderful way to close out the year while creating future opportunities for UMW students.

Please note: Mary Washington will have limited business hours and mail delivery Dec. 22-31, so all gifts sent by mail must be postmarked by Dec. 31, 2025, for charitable deduction eligibility. To give by credit card, visit umw.edu/gift and select GIVE NOW by Dec. 31 at 11:59 p.m. If making a gift via IRA distribution or securities, please contact Jeremy Vaughn at jvaughn@umw.edu or 540-654-2063.

This story originally ran in the fall 2025 Gift Planning Connections Newsletter.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

Shaping Business Futures

Leave a Comment

Professor Emeritus of Business Galen deGraff stands with Rob Strassheim '96 in the doorway of the Galen deGraff Classroom in Woodard Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.
Professor Emeritus of Business Galen deGraff stands with Rob Strassheim ’96 in the doorway of the Galen deGraff Classroom in Woodard Hall. Photo courtesy of Rob and Sarah Strassheim.

From the classroom to the boardroom, Galen deGraff’s impact echoes in every business success story he helped launch

Professor of Business Emeritus Galen deGraff, who passed away on July 12, 2025, made a lasting impact on business students during his years teaching management and finance at UMW. Known for sharing real-world insights from his career — including his time as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam — deGraff brought course material to life and encouraged students to pursue internships and independent studies.

“He was a professor, mentor, and friend to Sarah and me,” said Rob Strassheim ’96, who, with wife Sarah Gildersleeve Strassheim ’01, honored deGraff by naming a classroom after him in UMW’s College of Business and established an endowed scholarship in his name to attract out-of-state business administration majors. “This provides a way for his students to support future UMW business students by donating in his memory.”

To make a gift to the Galen F. deGraff Scholarship in Business, visit alumni.umw.edu/degraff. 

This story originally ran in the fall 2025 Gift Planning Connections Newsletter.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

UMW’s LaunchPad Program Propels Students to First-Year Success

Leave a Comment

University of Mary Washington first-year student Crow Sindelar spreads out glitter pens and neon highlighters on a table in the Cedric Rucker University Center and begins plugging this semester’s courses into a new day planner.

First-year student Crow Sindelar shows off their new day planner provided by the LaunchPad program. Supported by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant, the four-week program gives incoming students a crash course in syllabus organization, time management, campus involvement, and how to utilize computer tools like Canvas and Microsoft Office.
First-year student Crow Sindelar shows off their new day planner provided by the LaunchPad program. Supported by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant, the four-week program gives incoming students a crash course in syllabus organization, time management, campus involvement, and how to utilize computer tools like Canvas and Microsoft Office.

“It’s helpful to review your syllabus and expectations so you can track assignments, midterms, and finals – and make it aesthetically pleasing,” said Crow, a sociology major who color-codes classes in the calendar with sparkly blue, purple, green, and pink ink. “I want to stay organized and manage everything in college.”

That’s the goal of LaunchPad, a new series of events helping incoming students transition to UMW by building executive functioning and social skills critical for college success. Supported by a Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grant, the four-week program, which concluded last week, offers a crash course in syllabus organization, time management, campus involvement, and using computer tools like Canvas and Microsoft Office.

“College is one of the biggest transitions these students have faced since kindergarten, and they’re navigating it on their own without their parents,” said Melissa Jones, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of students. In her role, Jones leads New Student Programs and co-created LaunchPad with UMW First-Year Experience Director April Wynn. “We want them to know they’re not alone,” Jones said.

Wynn, an associate professor of biological sciences, said LaunchPad emerged from conversations with faculty who noticed students needed help adjusting to post-pandemic college life shaped by new technologies, including discussions around using AI in the classroom.

“These students are part of the Chromebook generation and often have little experience using Microsoft products,” said Wynn. LaunchPad meets them where they are, she said, helping them build the confidence, community, and skills they need to thrive academically and socially.

The first week of LaunchPad saw 225 students attend its sessions on syllabus organization, which also gave them the chance to print syllabi in the nearby Center for Career and Professional Development.
The first week of LaunchPad saw 225 students attend its sessions on syllabus organization, which also gave them the chance to print syllabi in the nearby Center for Career and Professional Development.

After seeing the success of another donor-funded initiative, Soft Landings, a pre-arrival program for UMW students with autism spectrum disorder, Jones and Wynn, along with Assistant Director of New Student Programs Lillian Lester ’20, secured a $5,000 Impact Grant, which covered peer mentor stipends, day planners and supplies, workshops, outreach, and more.

While LaunchPad is geared toward first-year students, Jones said they hope to plan it around the fall senior class meeting in the future to provide a refresher for soon-to-be graduates. “They’ll need these skills for the workforce, and it aligns with Life After Mary Washington,” she said.

First-year sociology major Jasper Hocker learned about the program from a pamphlet handed out at Orientation. He worked with sophomore peer mentor Eliot Suh, a business administration and accounting major, to print his syllabi at UMW’s Center for Career and Professional Development. “I mostly used Google products in high school, so I’m hoping to attend the Microsoft sessions,” Jasper said.

UMW first-year student Lucy Rabung (left) sought the help of her peer mentor, Lauren Spagnuolo, a sophomore, who helped her organize all her syllabi and record the dates of her assignments in a new day planner provided by LaunchPad.
UMW first-year student Lucy Rabung (left) sought the help of her peer mentor, Lauren Spagnuolo, a sophomore, who helped her organize all her syllabi and record the dates of her assignments in a new day planner provided by LaunchPad.

Lucy Rabung, a first-year psychology major, texted her peer mentor, Lauren Spagnuolo, in a panic after receiving syllabi for five different courses.

“Starting college can be overwhelming,” said Lauren, a sophomore psychology major and disability studies minor, who remembers a peer mentor guiding her as a new student. “I wanted Lucy to know she didn’t have to do it all alone.”

She encouraged Lucy to attend a LaunchPad session, where she helped her break down each syllabus and record due dates in her planner.

“If not for these resources, I’d feel like I was struggling,” said Lucy, whose family and friends at other institutions have been impressed when she’s told them about the program. “Everyone at Mary Washington has made me feel welcome and cared for.”

UMW’s Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants program is made possible through donors’ gifts to the Fund for Mary Washington. These gifts are vital to the University’s ability to improve the student experience and support faculty, providing crucial flexibility to respond to emerging challenges and seize opportunities as they arise. When alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff give to the Fund for Mary Washington, they are choosing to be part of a community that is committed to giving back and making the world a better place – enabling students to make positive change through programs like the Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04

UMW Names Championship Soccer Field After Longtime Coach Roy Gordon

Leave a Comment

As founding coach of the University of Mary Washington men’s soccer team, Roy Gordon led his players to win after win and multiple championships throughout his 34-year career.

Coach Roy Gordon (right) poses for a photo with Assistant Athletic Director of Communications Clint Often during a ceremony held Sunday to name the Roy Gordon Field. Photo by Kaitlyn Kimball.
Coach Roy Gordon (right) poses for a photo with Assistant Athletic Director of Communications Clint Often during a ceremony held Sunday to name the Roy Gordon Field. Photo by Kaitlyn Kimball.

Along the way, Gordon coached the Eagles to nine NCAA tournament appearances and eight Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) titles and amassed a record 432 wins – a feat that earned him a spot among NCAA Division III coaching elite. He also oversaw the relocation in the 1980s of Mary Washington’s home field to the Battlefield Athletic Complex, which hosted the NCAA Division III national championship in 1997.

Joined by his family, friends, former colleagues, current coaching staff, university administrators, and players from the past and present, Gordon scored yet another accolade on Sunday, as the University named the championship soccer field in his honor. The initiative, spearheaded by decades of alumni student-athletes dedicated to the game, culminated in a ceremony held between the women’s and men’s soccer matches, when UMW unveiled a scoreboard overlooking the Roy Gordon Field.

“Mary Washington has been an incredible place for me to have worked,” said Gordon, who was inducted into the UMW Athletics Hall of Fame after his retirement in 2011.

Assistant Athletic Director of Communications Clint Often, who read the resolution approved by the UMW Board of Visitors in the spring, called him “one of the most important figures in Mary Washington athletic history.”

Gordon thanked wife Terrie and their family, President Troy Paino, Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo ’95, and Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte, who also serves as the UMW Foundation executive director, as well as Mary Washington donors. He also recognized Director of Athletics Emeritus Ed Hegmann, a graduate-school classmate who recruited him to work at Mary Washington in 1977. They trusted one another, Coach Gordon said, and that turned their friendship into a thriving working relationship.

“Having success on the field and getting wins was always a motivating factor, but for 34 years, my goal was to provide a quality experience for my student-athletes,” he said.

Visibly moved during the ceremony, Coach Gordon thanked his family and friends, former colleagues, Mary Washington alumni, administrators, UMW Athletics staff, and Mary Washington donors who contributed gifts and pledges toward the field renovations and facilities upgrades. Photo by Kaitlynn Kimball.
In addition to President Troy Paino, Coach Gordon (center) thanked current UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo ’95 (left) and Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement Katie Turcotte (right), who is also executive director of the UMW Foundation. Both worked with dedicated alumni to reach out to men’s and women’s soccer supporters. Photo courtesy of Katie Turcotte.
Coach Gordon poses with wife Terrie and their family in front of the scoreboard that overlooks the Roy Gordon Field. Photo by Kaitlynn Kimball.

Over the past two years, a committed group of former players has worked toward the same goal, in collaboration with UMW Athletics and the Office of University Advancement and Alumni Engagement. Together, they’ve helped men’s and women’s soccer supporters, including alumni, parents, and friends, contribute nearly $386,000 in gifts and pledges, combined with an earlier fundraising initiative that established a $95,000 endowment for men’s soccer in Gordon’s honor.

“Coach Gordon knew how to provide leadership and helped us forge relationships with each other,” said Scott Karr, who led the charge with former teammates and fellow 1990 grads Dave Lausten and Ranjit Sidhu. “He was disciplined and worked us hard but taught us how to be a team.”

Gordon was named Coach of the Year by the Capital Athletic Conference, National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), and the Virginia State College Division on multiple occasions. In 2007, he became one of only eight head coaches in Division III history to surpass 400 career wins. He received NSCAA’s prestigious Honor Award in 2009 and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2023.

UMW’s current athletic coaches have carried the torch, building nationally competitive teams, making ongoing enhancements to the University’s athletic facilities, and helping recruit talented student-athletes while bringing larger crowds to games.

Coach Roy Gordon poses in front of the scoreboard that bears his name, along with his family, friends, former colleagues, UMW Athletics staff, and soccer alumni who contributed funding toward field renovations and facilities upgrades on the championship soccer field. Photo by Kaitlynn Kimball.

“How many hours did we spend on these fields?” said Sidhu, who helped encourage UMW soccer supporters to contribute toward the renovations and facilities upgrades. “It was such a formative time in our lives.”

A Fredericksburg resident, Lausten said he feels pride when he watches UMW’s soccer teams compete. “It’s a reflection on us and those who came before us who helped build this program.”

Catullo hopes to maintain the momentum, both on the field and through donor support, aiming to reach a $500,000 goal. “These improvements will elevate the program, provide top-tier facilities, and attract the best future talent,” he said in a media release last spring. “Additionally, the success of this project will help drive future fundraising efforts across other UMW Athletic facilities.”

LEARN MORE about the project and make your gift electronically. The Office of University Advancement can explain customized giving options. Call 540-654-1024 or email advance@umw.edu for more information.

– Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04 

UMW Reports Record-Breaking $37.8 Million Raised in 2024-25

Leave a Comment

The University of Mary Washington wrapped up its most successful fundraising year ever June 30, with a record $37,867,639 in gifts and pledges made in 2024-25. Giving participation increased across every UMW constituency, including alumni, parents, friends, faculty, staff, and students.

The University of Mary Washington announces its most successful fundraising year to date, with $37.8 million raised in 2024-25 to support UMW students, programs, faculty, and staff.
The University of Mary Washington announces its most successful fundraising year to date, with $37.8 million raised in 2024-25 to support UMW students, programs, faculty, and staff.

“We’re truly grateful to both our new and longtime donors for investing in the mission of this University,” UMW President Troy Paino said. “Your contributions play a vital role in helping us recruit, retain, and graduate students who are not only prepared for life after Mary Washington but for the rapidly changing digital world and workforce of the 21st century.”

This record-setting year also pushed UMW’s endowment to surpass $100 million, creating lasting philanthropic resources for merit- and need-based scholarships, academic programs, experiential learning, faculty resources, and more.

“Reaching the $100 million milestone for our endowment demonstrates the power of philanthropy to strengthen UMW today and to help secure its future,” said Katie Turcotte, vice president for advancement and alumni engagement and UMW Foundation executive director. “The generosity of our donors combined with strong fiscal management from the UMW Foundation Board of Trustees ensures that the Foundation contributes directly to the University’s success, while providing lasting support for students, faculty, staff, and programs for generations to come.”

Achieving this milestone was possible in part, Turcotte said, because of the final distribution of the transformational $36 million estate gift that Irene Piscopo Rodgers ’59 left her alma mater when she passed away in 2022, funding four new full-ride scholarships for out-of-state students, in addition to the eight she established during her lifetime, and creating one of the largest endowments for undergraduate STEM research in the country. Her generosity has inspired both current and first-time donors to prioritize the University in their philanthropic giving. Yet, even outside of that single large gift, the fundraising team at Mary Washington has continued to increase its work with donors, reaching new heights for new outright and multi-year gifts each year.

Bucking national trends, UMW saw an 8% increase in unique donor count in the last year. A total of 5,526 supporters, over half of whom are alumni, helped Mary Washington reaffirm its strong commitment to delivering students an exceptional public liberal arts and sciences education filled with high-impact learning experiences such as internships, study abroad, and undergraduate research opportunities.

Contributions supported 317 areas across the University, spanning academics, arts, athletics, leadership and service programs, career development, cultural initiatives, and programs to help prepare and educate students on the advancement of AI and other emerging technologies.

Making a UMW education affordable and accessible remains a priority at Mary Washington, with donors giving $3.57 million to support endowed and non-endowed scholarships in 2024-25. More than 824 scholarships and awards totaling $2.3 million were given to 553 students who received one or more awards. Seventeen awards were given to students for the first time, including the Curie Darwin Newton, Marshall E. Bowen, Colonel Patricia Hess Jernigan ’64 Veterans, and Ralston Costume Design and Technology scholarships.

Mary Wash Day 2025 shattered previous records for dollars raised, with donors contributing over $1.3 million – the first time in the event’s history that totals exceeded six figures. This year also saw a 58% increase in dollars raised over last year and a 12% increase in donations, with 3,654 gifts made to support students, faculty, and programs.

For the first time in almost a decade, giving to the Fund for Mary Washington surpassed $1 million. The unrestricted annual fund underpins every aspect for which the University is known and loved – a leading liberal arts and sciences education, small class sizes, personal relationships with professors, and more. UMW reported a 133% increase in gifts from first-time donors to the Fund.

The Fund for Mary Washington Impact Grants program, now in its second year, awarded $25,000 in donor-funded grants to power student- and faculty-led projects. These include a first-year success workshop, essential technology upgrades, vital accessibility improvements, vibrant campus art initiatives, and passport grants that enable life-changing study abroad experiences for first-time travelers.

Other 2024-25 highlights include:

  • A 24% increase in young alumni donors (from the Classes of 2015-2024)
  • A 43% increase in first-time donors and a 76% increase in young alumni first-time donors
  • A 13.7% increase in parent donors (parents of current students and alumni)
  • A 24% increase in University friend donors (community members, grandparents, and other non-alumni supporters)
  • A 7% increase among UMW faculty and staff donors

In addition, UMW’s College of Arts and Sciences’ Beyond the Classroom Endowment surpassed $1 million in gifts and pledges to support undergraduate experiential learning. More than $576K was raised for arts and cultural initiatives like UMW Theatre, Philharmonic, Galleries, Music, and Dance, as well as the William B. Crawley Great Lives Lecture Series, Gari Melchers Home and Studio, and the James Monroe Museum and Memorial Library.

Event attendance was up for the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, with hundreds of donors taking part in the Celebration of Giving and the Student Showcase and Scholarship Luncheon. More than 3,400 alumni participated in regional network and affinity group gatherings, presidential events, Mary Talks, UMW Alumni On the Road trips, Homecoming, and Reunion Weekend, which welcomed 400 attendees to campus last spring.

“I’m inspired by the dedication and passion of Mary Washington alumni who give back to their alma mater,” said Mark Thaden ’02, associate vice president for alumni and donor engagement. “I’m equally grateful for the incredible alumni team and volunteers who serve on boards and bring these events to life. We hope to see more of you in the future – and if you haven’t been back to campus in a while, it’s a great time to visit.”

Make a gift for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which runs from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026. To learn more about giving options, please contact the Office of University Advancement at advance@umw.edu or 540-654-1024. Explore upcoming Mary Washington alumni events.

-Article written by Assistant Director of Advancement Communications Jill Graziano Laiacona ’04