SVOTS raises more than $340,000 for seminarians
Saint Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary [SVOTS], Yonkers, NY raised over $340,000 to support seminarians during its fall and winter 2018/2019 fundraising campaigns.
On November 1 and 2, 2018, SVOTS held its Fall Benefit and Theological Convocation to support the Seminary’s Tuition-Free Initiative, which offers fully paid tuition to seminarians. Through the Fall Benefit Gala and related campaign in the weeks that followed to boost funding for scholarships, SVOTS raised approximately $284,000.
The Seminary also raised nearly $60,000 through its annual Giving Tuesday fundraising campaign on November 27, 2018. Donations toward the effort came in before Giving Tuesday, on the day of, and in the weeks following.
“It is remarkable to see how people stepped up to support the work that Saint Vladimir’s does,” said Archpriest Chad Hatfield, SVOTS president. “Offering seminarians fully paid tuition, in particular, has been a massive financial commitment on the part of the Seminary, but we believe strongly that the Church’s future leaders should not go forth burdened with debt from their time here—or worse, be too deterred by the prospect of student loan debt to answer their call to come to Seminary in the first place.”
Since 2012, SVOTS has offered fully-paid tuition to seminarians through its matching grants program. The Seminary shoulders 75% of the cost to make this happen, if a seminarian can obtain 25% of the cost of tuition through their home parish, diocese, or other Church source.
Each year, SVOTS participates in Giving Tuesday and partners with a non-profit. SVOTS will donate a tithe of the recent Giving Tuesday total to its select non-profit partner for 2018, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Kerala Flood Relief Project.