Eleanor Weis took the helm of the college’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations in late April, continuing on her previous five years at Mason as the director of advancement and alumni relations for the School of Business. She brings more than 25 years of fundraising experience to the college, including leading a fundraising team for Hospice of Northern Virginia, serving as a consultant on feasibility studies and capital campaigns for the Episcopal Church Foundation, and serving as a fundraising consultant for the Population Association of America.
Weis appreciates the importance and scope of the college’s work. “CHSS is really at the heart of everything that the university does,” she said. “I’m a history major myself; I see that the value that CHSS brings to the university is something that can’t be overstated.”
She also sees the opportunity in connecting with the college’s extensive base of alumni. “There are so many wonderful alumni who want to reconnect and to engage in the life of the college,” she said. “They’re looking for opportunities to help current students and to network with other CHSS alums. We will be working to expand our outreach and to provide opportunities for this sort of engagement,” she said.
“Some of these opportunities might be speaking in a classroom, coming to a mentorship event, judging a competition, or serving on an advisory board. Those are really wonderful ways for people in the community to say, ‘I care about what you’re doing, George Mason. I care about what you’re doing, CHSS. I want to help you make this college as strong as it possibly can be, and I really believe in what you’re doing for our students. Let me help you.’”
For CHSS faculty, too, she sees a valuable role in outreach. “It’s important for us to have a good understanding of what the research centers are working on and what faculty are teaching,” she said. “We want to be able to talk with alumni and community partners about this work and to advocate in a way that builds connections and resources. At the end of the day, the strongest supporters of their programs are people who really understand the difference their making.”
Within the college’s development and alumni relations team, Weis puts forward the team’s strategic goals, serves as an advocate for the college’s objectives, and is a resource to faculty and staff who wish to donate or to learn how to raise funds. Upon request, she offers a “How to Ask” workshop and has taught classes in donor stewardship.
“Our team is focused on building out a really professional foundation,” she said. “We will be working with donors and community partners to ensure they understand where their help can have the biggest impact, and we need the faculty to help us help them. If we’ve laid the right foundation, we will be able to bring together those who do good work with those who want to support this important work.”
October 07, 2020
