The 75th anniversary of SAIS offers a wonderful opportunity for alumni to celebrate the school’s rich history—and to invest in its future by increasing student aid, one of the top priorities of SAIS’ anniversary fundraising campaign.

Among peer institutions, SAIS ranks the lowest in endowment per student, leaving the school with less financial aid for the applicant pool. As a result, each year SAIS loses many top candidates to schools offering more generous financial aid packages.

Fortunately, a number of generous alumni have stepped up to commit matching funds toward a variety of giving opportunities as part of the school’s 75th anniversary Shape the World campaign.

“Their matching commitments give other alumni an opportunity to dramatically increase the impact of their gifts,” notes Kimberle Morton, associate dean for development and alumni relations at SAIS.

Alumni Gary Talarico ’83 and Linda Filardi ’83 were inspired to create a fellowship in honor of Benjamin Moore Rowland, PhD ’75, who recruited Talarico to join Lehman Brothers in the early 1980s to focus on developing investment banking opportunities with Japan.

At the time, Lehman Brothers was searching for an American graduate student who was fluent in Japanese, with business experience in that country. Talarico, a newly minted SAIS graduate, fit the bill perfectly: He subsequently spent 15 years at Lehman Brothers focused on Japan, and his entire career in investment banking and private equity has been involved with that country. Throughout his years at Lehman Brothers, Talarico says, Rowland remained a trusted colleague.

“Ben was an amazing mentor to me,” says Talarico, today managing partner of Cora Street Partners and an adjunct professor at SAIS. “His value and contribution to our Japanese business was immeasurable. He was so respected by his Japanese clients, as he invested so much time and effort in developing relationships of trust. It was from him that I learned the value of providing honest advice to clients even when it meant telling them not to do something that would make us money.”

With the Benjamin Moore Rowland Fellowship, Talarico and Filardi, senior director and associate general counsel at Capital One Bank, aim to support the work of future SAIS students whose interests are focused on Japan.

“Now more than ever,” notes Talarico, “the U.S.-Japan relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in Asia for the security and prosperity of the world.”

The couple’s matching gift means that alumni who want to support this fellowship will see the value of their gift doubled.

If you’re a SAIS alum who graduated during the 2000s, Todd and Christine Fisher want to offer a way for you to make a “down payment” now toward a permanently named fellowship fund in the future.

“With the Future Philanthropist Fund, we’re challenging fellow alumni to make a gift of $5,000 per year for five years, which we will match 1:1,” explains Todd ’91, chair of SAIS’ board of advisors.”

The Fishers are aiming to entice 20 alumni to commit to this challenge as Todd was enticed by a similar Bloomberg Challenge over 20 years ago. “The money would be placed in a pooled incubator fund and donors would get information on financial aid recipients and the chance to engage with the students directly. Over time these gifts would result in nearly $40,000 per year in new financial aid for students,” Todd notes.

But it doesn’t end there. The Fishers are hoping that donors will continue giving even after completing the initial $25,000 “down payment.” Once you contribute an additional $50,000 to the Future Philanthropist Fund, a new endowed account will be established in your name.

Gifts made in the form of a bequest typically aren’t set in motion until after a donor passes away. But alumni Peter and Pam Flaherty, both members of the SAIS advisory board, have created a way for SAIS donors to experience the immediate gratification of making a bequest with the Flaherty Bequest Matching Challenge

Peter and I both received a fantastic education at SAIS—enriching our lives with knowledge, opening a world of opportunities, and forging many lifelong friends,” says Pam ’68, former president and CEO of Citi Foundation. “We have been supporting SAIS for many years and decided this time to structure our gift to encourage others and enhance their giving.”

Here’s how it works: When you make a bequest commitment for an endowed fellowship, a cash gift equal to 5 percent of the face value of the bequest commitment (up to a maximum cash gift of $25,000) will be directed from the Flaherty Bequest Matching Fund to a current use fellowship of your choosing. (So, for example, if you document a $100,000 estate gift for an endowed fellowship, a student will receive a current use $5,000 fellowship in your name.)

“With this strategy, we’ll be able to significantly enhance our future endowed fellowship funds while also providing much-needed current use cash for fellowships,” says Peter, B ’67, ’68, managing director of Arcon Partners and vice chair of TechnoServe, which works with people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries.

Mike White ’76 enjoyed a long and successful career in international business, as Vice Chair of PepsiCo, CEO of PepsiCo International, and CEO of Directv.

More than many people, he recognizes the importance of investing in financial aid for future students—both now and for years to come.

That’s why White has committed matching funds to build a financial aid endowment through the Michael White Endowed Scholars program. Alumni who pledge to contribute $50,000 over the next five years will see their gift matched by White’s program—boosting the overall amount to $100,000, which will then be transferred to an endowed fund.

“SAIS was extraordinarily generous in providing me much-needed fellowship support when I was a student,” says White, who now serves on the SAIS Advisory Board. “With a wife and infant child, I could not have afforded to come to SAIS without that financial aid. Now I am delighted we can help today’s students in the same way we were helped in the 1970s.

“The study of international relations is critically important in an increasingly complex and globalized world,” he adds. “SAIS plays a vital role educating the next generation of diplomats and business executives, and we are delighted to help support the school.”

“Through Mike’s vision and generosity,” notes Kimberle Morton, “we are creating an opportunity for alumni who might not otherwise be able to create an endowed fund to do so.”

Under the auspices of SWL, Pike’s funding has enabled SAIS to provide scholarship support to two rising stars and AUW Alumnae, Sabiha Subah Mohona and Samanta Sharmin Laskar. Mohona and Laskar began their SAIS education this past fall with full funding to pursue master’s degrees in international studies at SAIS. Both are Bangladeshi nationals, and both graduated from AUW with economics degrees in 2016.

Through the SWL Initiative, Mohona and Laskar have become able to travel to Washington, D.C., and take advantage of opportunities to extend their experience beyond the classroom through an internship, practicum, and professional mentorship. The funding from the SWL Initiative allows SAIS to be an extension of the important educational experience these students have already completed at AUW, where most students receive scholarships to obtain degrees to which they otherwise would not have access.

“Programs such as SWL are essential in solidifying the place of women as leaders in the global arena, and the SAIS-AUW partnership is an exemplar of a valuable bridge between Asia and the U.S., making it possible to forge connections between women from diverse regions of the world,” notes Kimberle Morton.

She adds, “SAIS is excited to support the SWL Initiative. We are grateful for Kathy’s leadership, and we are thrilled to witness the growing momentum at SAIS focused on advancing women’s education and leadership in global affairs. It is important now more than ever to highlight the efforts that our SAIS community undertakes to support the future generations of women, understanding the global impact one can have when we realize opportunities to minimize the distance between our global communities.”

In 1943, Christian A. Herter and Paul H. Nitze founded the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) to address a critical need in the post-World War II era: preparing future leaders for careers in international affairs taught by those who shaped foreign policy. Today, more than 19,000 SAIS alumni in over 120 countries, including more than 200 current and former ambassadors, are fulfilling the vision of Herter and Nitze.

A distinguished diplomat and public official, Herter, along with Nitze, provided the visionary leadership that the school required during its early years. Now, SAIS needs its alumni to serve as the new leaders today and for the future. Please join fellow alumni and friends in giving back to SAIS by becoming a member of the Christian Herter Society and supporting the school as it continues to provide the best education in international affairs.

Your annual gift of $2,500 or more is critically important in helping SAIS to:

• Provide necessary financial aid to excellent students.
• Attract and retain outstanding faculty.
• Expand and adapt program offerings to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing international environment.

Benefits of Herter Society membership extend beyond leadership alumni status:

• Priority invitation status for lectures and events
• Two tickets to Commencement in Washington, D.C.