Why We Give: A Family Affair

Endowed and named unrestricted funds, such as the Phipps Family Unrestricted Endowment, notably help secure UVA Law’s long-term needs.

“The Law School will always have a very special place in our hearts,” said Kim Phipps ’91. “Errol and I met and got married while in school, both first-generation lawyers. And now both of our daughters, Sara ’20 and Sydney ‘22, are alumnae. We are all proud to be a part of the UVA Law community.”

Errol ’91 said, “When I graduated from NYU in 1988, one of the reasons their alumni association offered to encourage giving back was something to the effect that the value of your degree is only as good as the school is perceived in the then-present. That resonated with my 22-year-old self, and I’ve given almost yearly ever since. That practice continued when we graduated from the Law School. My motivation became more altruistic over the years.”

“We decided to create an endowment to do our part in continuing the legacy of excellence and community that UVA Law is widely known for and that we experienced and were able to greatly benefit from,” Kim said. “We chose to create an unrestricted endowment because we realize that needs change from year to year and what is most needed today may not be what is most needed tomorrow. We believe an unrestricted endowment gives the people who are closest to and most in tune with the current needs of the school and its students the flexibility to put the funds to the best use.”