Established as AUR prepares for its most comprehensive fundraising campaign to date, The Founders Circle is designed to support the university’s highest priorities through flexible, leadership-level annual giving.
The society is named in honor of AUR’s founders; David Colin, Lisa Sergio, and Giorgio Tesoro, who established the institution in 1969 with a mission to promote international understanding through American-style liberal arts education in Rome.
For more than 50 years, AUR has provided a global educational experience rooted in its location at the center of European history and culture. Today, leadership giving plays a key role in ensuring the university can continue to invest in academic excellence, student access, and experiential learning opportunities.
“Institutions like AUR are built not only on vision, but on sustained commitment,” said Scott Sprenger, President of The American University of Rome. “The Founders Circle recognizes those who understand the importance of that commitment - those who help ensure that our students continue to benefit from an education defined by both rigor and place.”
Gifts to The Founders Circle support areas of greatest need, including classroom technology, campus infrastructure, scholarships, and co-curricular programming that integrates the city of Rome into the academic experience.
Members of The Founders Circle receive recognition and engagement opportunities, including invitations to a President’s Annual Briefing, priority access to university events, and exclusive updates highlighting the impact of their support.
Annual gifts of $1,000 or more qualify for membership.