If you saw my note in the most recent Phoenix Rising magazine, you already know the big news. We’re launching our first-ever Rise Together Annual Giving Campaign, and I’m excited to share with you why I think this effort is so critical to fostering a culture of giving and growth for our beloved Cumberland University.  

As an alumna of Cumberland University, I was honored to be asked in 2021 to join the Board of Trust. Soon after, I accepted the invitation to chair and help launch the Rise Together Annual Giving Campaign. This campaign is the first of its kind at Cumberland, and I’m honored to assist with this initiative, because I believe that access to a quality education should not be a privilege reserved for some, but instead a resource available to all. In virtually every institute of higher learning, charitable giving is a critical part of financing the mission of education. Simply put, we cannot preserve accessibility without philanthropic support.

Treasures like Cumberland University persevere through centuries because of the charitable support of individuals and organizations who share a commitment to opening doors of opportunity. It takes all of us, working together, giving what can, how we can, and when we can, to ensure a vibrant future for this institution that gives so much to so many.   

It has been my privilege to work alongside an incredibly talented staff in preparing to launch a more structured and sustainable annual giving campaign that we hope will become just as much part of our culture as the Phoenix or our annual Colloquium. In launching Rise Together, our commitment to prospective, current and future donors is clear: articulate our needs with fidelity to our finances, and inspire gifts of all sizes to help us transform the lives of our students, and in turn, transform our communities.  We also owe it to our donors to celebrate and communicate important milestones. In that spirit, we’ll be sure to provide updates about the campaign, and we invite you to stay tuned, follow us on social media if you don’t already, and let us hear from you if there’s good news you think we should share.  

In the meantime, if you have not yet made a gift in 2022, I hope you’ll join me in making our first Annual Giving Campaign a success. We’re stronger when we Rise Together. 

Gratefully, 

Jessica Fain, Trustee and Annual Giving Chair