Jason Walser, Executive Director, The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation
Invest: spoke with Jason Walser, executive director of The Blanche & Julian Robertson Family Foundation, about the impact of the Foundation’s support on Livingstone, expanding student opportunities, and successful investment in higher education. “From improved academic performance to great retention, the student quality is on the rise, and this can only benefit Livingstone and Salisbury long-term,” Walser said.
What attracted the Robertson Family Foundation to invest in Livingstone College, and what impact do you hope that support will have over the long term?
Livingstone College has been an integral part of our community for more than a century, and hopefully will continue to be so for centuries to come. Economically, it pumps tens of millions of dollars into our economy each year, through staff payroll and economic activity generated by students. Culturally, Livingstone enhances Salisbury’s reputation as a community that values higher education. Livingstone is one of four institutions of higher learning in our community, and their staff and faculty play music in our local churches, student-teach in our local schools, wait on customers at local restaurants, and serve in so many other roles that enhance Salisbury’s role as a diverse, young, and “cool” small town.
How important are philanthropic partnerships in helping colleges like Livingstone expand opportunities for students and strengthen their academic mission?
As a historically black college, Livingstone has unapologetically provided opportunities for first-generation college students for generations. Born out of a desire to provide freed slaves an education so that they might have some level of opportunity and self-determination, Livingstone has never had a large endowment or pedigreed Alumni base. They have focused on giving young men and women a sound education regardless of their family’s wealth, and as a result, they have a hard time competing with state-supported schools and others with large endowments. Philanthropy has been an important part of their success from the beginning, including support from the AME Zion Church, individuals, and foundations like ours.
How do you measure the success of investments in higher education, and what outcomes are most important from the Foundation’s perspective?
We see success when Livingstone is growing and on sound financial footing. And of course, we love seeing the improvement in the quality of students that our support helps bring to our community, which we are seeing. From improved academic performance to great retention, the student quality is on the rise, and this can only benefit Livingstone and Salisbury long-term.
