next is NOW what’s next? next is NOW On March 3, 2015, with the announcement of the intended closure of Sweet Briar College, a force of will was released that demonstrated how a liberal arts education is vital to higher education today, how women’s colleges are more relevant than ever, and how Sweet Briar College, in particular, produces accomplished, fearless, impassioned leaders willing to take their destiny, and the destiny of the College that shaped them, into their own hands We are, indeed, the women Sweet Briar made us, well equipped to ensure that young women across the nation and the world have the opportunity to be educated and empowered as only Sweet Briar can Our Future Has Begun Despite the multiple challenges resulting from the closure announcement, Sweet Briar women won: we took back the keys and we continue to propel our beloved College toward a future that sets the standard for the education of women in this country and beyond, a future in which the beauty of the campus and its buildings are restored, a future that is worthy of our storied past You, your sister alumnae, and Sweet Briar’s friends are the keepers of the keys to that future Your financial support, at levels consistent with what we raised in the Saving Sweet Briar movement, will unlock that future for generations of young women who demand and deserve the Sweet Briar experience next is NOW What’s Next? To realize our vision: • address the neglect suffered by the College over a period of many years; • provide operational expense relief in the wake of the closure attempt; • protect the College’s endowment, ensuring that the College’s mission continues: to educate and empower women — in perpetuity Together, we can this Our immediate need by June 30, 2016, is $30 million in additional unrestricted funds Your gift now is more than a contribution; it is an investment in an extraordinary educational institution, the return on which will be reaped for generations to come Thanks to your generosity, Sweet Briar’s future has already begun Unlocking Our Success SWEET BRIAR FUND REVENUE SOURCES Acceleration of Saving Sweet Briar Pledges $10 million Gifts to the Sweet Briar Fund $10 million Challenge Gifts — matching gifts to the Sweet Briar Fund by visionary donors $10 million $30 million Our Path to Sustainability Sweet Briar Fund External Grants Endowment Tuition & Fees Auxiliaries FY ’16 (228) FY ’17 (324) FY ’18 (433) FY ’19 (539) FY ’20 (674) * Figures in parentheses are projected student enrollment * Endowment draw-down rate is 5% each year Five-year growth in revenue from tuition, fees, grants and auxiliary enterprises will lead to decreasing reliance on the Sweet Briar Fund for operating expenses Increasing budgetary health will allow us to grow our endowment and meet future capital needs next is NOW Keys to a Sustainable, Thriving Sweet Briar Continue, even improve, Sweet Briar’s mission to prepare young women to lead lives of great significance Women’s colleges are more relevant today than ever before, and women leaders in all areas of our global society have never been more needed For example, although only two percent of college graduates nationwide are from women’s colleges, we constitute more than 28 percent of the women on Capitol Hill and a similar percentage in corporate boardrooms across America Whether it is the community in which they live, the industry in which they work, or the causes to which they commit themselves, Sweet Briar women will continue to be well equipped to live lives of great significance that can change the world Implement cutting-edge best practices to increase and sustain enrollment Enrollment growth is the single most important key to Sweet Briar’s future, the metric by which Sweet Briar will be judged in the years immediately ahead All eyes are upon us And all available tools must be employed to attract the kind of students who are likely to become graduates; bright, capable women who will mirror the success of today’s alumnae In addition to Admissions staff, more than 400 Alumnae Admission Recruiters are mounting an unprecedented campaign to recruit 200+ new students each year who will persist through graduation Reduce expenses, responsibly Finding the delicate balance between reducing expenses and rebuilding our faculty and administration is no simple matter The College’s Board of Directors and administration are committed to targeted expense reductions and increasing efficiency, adopting a balanced approach to mitigate the effects of the closure attempt and lawsuit resolutions Enhance revenue from auxiliary enterprises while protecting endowment assets Numerous sources of additional revenue have been underutilized in recent years Realizing such revenue streams will help to fulfill the College’s commitment to reduce the draw-down rate on endowment to no more than five percent annually, starting with the current budget, as compared to an average of more than eight percent per year over the last decade Chart a clear course that shows where we’re going and how we will get there Only five months into Sweet Briar’s future, our rebuilding has progressed exponentially, with a new President and administration dedicated to perpetuating our value and values; a new Board committed to transparency and strategic planning and budgeting; and a new, invigorated Alumnae Alliance promising an era of reborn engagement Our strong, vibrant community will meet the challenges of the next five years head-on to ensure a thriving, sustainable Sweet Briar next is NOW Please consider a truly significant gift now Your gift to this Special Initiative for the Sweet Briar Fund shows your strong belief in Sweet Briar’s future — in perpetuity Drawing © Edith Schermerhorn 1980 Office of Alumnae Relations and Development P.O Box 1057 Sweet Briar, VA 24595 sbc.edu/alumdev alumnae@sbc.edu 800-381-6131 next is NOW ... challenges of the next five years head-on to ensure a thriving, sustainable Sweet Briar next is NOW Please consider a truly significant gift now Your gift to this Special Initiative for the Sweet...what’s next? next is NOW On March 3, 2015, with the announcement of the intended closure of Sweet Briar College, a force of will was released that demonstrated how a liberal arts education is vital... College’s mission continues: to educate and empower women — in perpetuity Together, we can this Our immediate need by June 30, 2016, is $30 million in additional unrestricted funds Your gift now is