University of Michigan

The Fairfax Initiative for Strategic Giving

Jean Fairfax (AB ’41), seated, welcomes Dilip Das, special counsel to the senior vice provost, to the November 2008 Fairfax Initiative Strategic Giving Committee Meeting.

Dr. Darnell Kaigler, Sr. (MS ’86), foreground, and Vice President for Student Affairs E. Royster Harper (BSED ’73, CERTT EDUC ’73, AM ’74) learn of the many new opportunities to support students through the Fairfax Initiative.

A lifelong champion of civil rights and education, 88-year-old Jean Fairfax (AB ’41) is today putting her passions to work at her alma mater.

Through her recent, $100,000 gift, matched by the Ford Foundation’s Fulfilling the Dream Fund, the Phoenix, Ariz. resident has launched The Fairfax Initiative for Strategic Giving to encourage African American alumni and friends to give back in meaningful ways to the University of Michigan.

“Our University must continue to undertake steps to address such issues as the affordability of education, the need to ensure the retention and success of black students and faculty and the guarantee of a welcoming and nurturing environment,” said Fairfax. “The Initiative’s purpose is to engage former students, who were enrolled in many colleges and disciplines during many eras in the U-M’s history, as current and prospective donors, and to urge them to give generously and strategically to our University.

“By ‘strategic’ we mean giving that brings about meaningful and progressive change within the University and in the world at large.”

The Initiative reflects Fairfax’s distinguished academic career that began at Michigan, and a belief in the power of education passed on by her parents, who both graduated from college in the early 20th Century. After graduating from the U-M, she received her master’s degree from Union Theological Seminary and went on to an active career in civil rights and public service, philanthropy and advocacy, including positions at historically black colleges, the American Friends Service Committee and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.

Today, her Initiative encourages philanthropy by informing potential donors of the many ways they can contribute to help students overcome the financial challenges of attending college, thrive intellectually on campus and complete their degrees, prepared for future success. The program provides donors with a range of possibilities to make a difference, including support for scholarships or global travel stipends, special recruitment and retention initiatives, rewards for scholarly achievement, professional internships and much more.

To learn more about the Fairfax Initiative for Strategic Giving, please visit our website.