Why Barbara Saperstone Is All In for NOVA’s Annual Fund
Barbara Saperstone retired form NOVA in 2015. She was previously provost of the Annandale Campus. Here, she describes why she is a passionate supporter of the NOVA Foundation Annual Fund:
I was a member of the NOVA community for 35 years. I started by teaching part-time, then became a full-time faculty member, then Chair/Dean and Provost. I followed this path because I truly believe in the mission of the College. And most importantly, I believe in our students, and I know that you do as well. So does the NOVA Foundation.
You recently received an e-mail about the NOVA Foundation’s 2021 Annual Fund asking for your support. I want to tell you why the 2021 Annual Fund is important and why I invite you to join me with your support.
The NOVA Foundation was founded in 1979 as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization with the sole mission of securing private resources for the support of the students, faculty, staff and the mission and values of the Northern Virginia Community College.
The recent e-mail message described how the NOVA Foundation helps our students whose families are struggling due to the health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before Congress passed the CARES Act in March 2020, the NOVA Foundation established the COVID-19 Emergency Student Aid Fund to help our students who were negatively affected by the pandemic.
The Foundation was proud to help launch the college’s first-ever emergency grant program for faculty and staff who have been hurt by the pandemic. It was the Foundation’s Annual Fund that provided money for these emergency grant programs.
It is also the Foundation’s Annual Fund that provides the funding for the InNOVAtion grants that offer faculty and staff an opportunity to apply for funding to support new projects or expanded programs. This year, to support the college’s commitment to excellence, the Foundation dedicated its InNOVAtion grant budget to help establish the new DEI Innovation Grants program.
Whenever the college identifies an unfunded need for which there are no state or local funds available, it is the NOVA Foundation that comes forward to help by using Annual Fund dollars. The Annual Fund is a stairway to flexibility for the Foundation to provide help where and when it is needed most.
As you make plans to support your favorite charities at year end, I hope you will consider making a contribution to the 2021 Annual Fund. There are four ways to contribute:
- You can mail a check to the NOVA Foundation at 4001 Wakefield Chapel Road, Suite 252, Annandale, VA 22003.
- You can donate online at the Foundation’s 2021 Annual Fund page.
- You can donate directly through PayPal.
- You can sign up for automatic payroll deductions with NOVA’s payroll deduction form in which you can choose a one-time donation, recurring donations or donations to start and stop at a particular time.
The goal for the 2021 Annual Fund is to raise $100,000 by the end of this year. The need is great and there is still time to make a tax-deductible donation. Please join me in support of the College.
Dr. Barbara Saperstone retired in 2015 after 13 years as Annandale Campus Provost and 35 years of total service to NOVA, and she was granted emeritus status by the College Board.
Submitted by:
NOVA Foundation, foundation@nvcc.edu