Shivley Named Outstanding Philanthropist of 2007

CONWAY, Ark. (July 17, 2007)

Hendrix donor Lucile Esmon Shivley has been selected as Outstanding Philanthropist of 2007 for her exceptional service to the people of Arkansas. She was nominated for the Outstanding Philanthropist award by Hendrix College and Dr. Rock Jones, executive vice president.

The award is given by the Arkansas chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Mrs. Shivley, Hendrix College class of 1932, and her late husband Charles have been loyal supporters of Hendrix College since the 1950s. Since that time, they have given more than $1 million to Hendrix, mostly in the form of challenge grants. They are charter members of the Hendrix College Heritage Society. The society is made up of those that honor Hendrix through a will, trust, or life insurance policy. The couple has also supported the college’s capital campaigns over the years.

Mrs. Shivley’s support of Hendrix College continued after Charles’ death in 2001. She made the inaugural gift to Your Hendrix Odyssey: Engaging in Active Learning by establishing the Shivley Fund for Global Service. This fund helps finance student projects that incorporate service learning into international travel or study abroad.

Mrs. Shivley’s gift challenges, which encourage others to join in with her giving, have helped set a giving record at Hendrix with more than 110 new leadership donors to the College.

For Lucile’s 95th birthday last fall, she challenged Hendrix donors to increase their giving to the Annual Fund for Scholarships and Financial Aid. She initially agreed to match all increased Annual Fund gifts dollar-for-dollar, up to $95,000. After the great response, she raised her challenge to $250,000. Her challenge generated $379,000 in increased giving for the fund.

Shively will be honored at the annual celebration of National Philanthropy Day on Wednesday, Nov. 14 in Little Rock.

National Philanthropy Day was established by AFP in 1986 to increase awareness of the importance of philanthropy in the lives of Americans. It was also created to acknowledge outstanding contributions in the field.

Hendrix, founded in 1876, is a selective, residential, undergraduate liberal arts college that emphasizes experiential learning in a demanding yet supportive environment. The college has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.