Philanthropy

Susan Leavitt began funding the Susan B. Leavitt ’83 Scholarship in 2013.  The scholarship supports students with financial need who have overcome a personal or family hardship (including physical disability, death, divorce, illness) and students who are interested in studying abroad. Susan established this scholarship to help future generations of Mary Washington students have an exceptional educational experience like she did. If you are interested in making a gift to support the Susan B. Leavitt ’83 scholarship, you can make a gift at umw.edu/give2umw and note “Susan Leavitt Scholarship” in the “Other” Designation box at the top of the form. Additionally, Susan is a current Board Member of the College of Arts & Sciences.

In 2010 she was recognized as “Philanthropist of the Year” for the National Capital YMCA and has a standing scholarship contribution that covers the costs of camp attendance for children who cannot afford to attend camp in honor of her former colleague, Nancy Dunning. Nancy, a fellow Realtor, was a great supporter of the YMCA and its programs. She fully embodied the organization's values, to “Build Strong Kids, Strong Families, and Strong Communities.” With this endowment, Susan is committed to furthering Nancy’s legacy and supporting the YMCA in its mission.

In 2017 the Bologna Class of 1997 of the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), spearheaded by alumna Susan Leavitt, decided to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their year at the Bologna (Italy) campus raising funds for a Bologna Class of 1997 Fellowship that would benefit deserving students in financial need. Since its inception, the fellowship has been awarded to three students. Susan has also been a loyal supporter of the Maria and Robert Evans Fellowship, an endowed fund that was established to honor late SAIS Bologna Center Director, Robert Evans, and his wife, Maria. Since its establishment in 2003, the fellowship has made it possible for 22 students to pursue their Master of Arts in International Studies at SAIS Bologna. She also directly supports the Robert Evans Library, which contains a specialized collection of over 85,000 volumes specializing on international relations.