Haley Crafton Fowler came to the University of Central Arkansas as a student in 2002. Her parents encouraged her to attend UCA and the reason is not surprising: Fowler could continue the family legacy. Eight maternal and paternal relatives attended UCA, making it a very special place for the entire family.
She became the director of annual giving and part of the development team in September 2014. The move to development was a natural progression in her UCA career. “It was an easy transition. The pipeline starts with alumni membership and then those members typically become donors to the annual fund and, eventually, major gift donors. It’s been challenging, but working in Alumni Services really helped,” Fowler said.
In her new role, her primary responsibility is raising money for the UCA Fund. The motto of the UCA Fund is, “Every Gift. Every Year.” The UCA Fund is comprised of unrestricted and designated annual gifts and supports student scholarships, faculty grants, research grants and program enhancements.
The UCA Fund supports STEMulate Academy, a program to jumpstart college-level math and science education. It was also used to fund a faculty grant connecting UCA students with scientists via Google Hangouts and a Girls of Power conference for 8th grade girls to experience and embrace the study of science. The Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre (AST) was started with a faculty grant from the UCA Fund. AST provides theatrical opportunities for students, faculty and community members. Participants take part in every aspect of the theatrical process including assisting with props, building sets and acting on stage with professional actors from around the country. AST presents four productions in a repertory format each summer. This year’s productions are “The Merry Wives of Windsor”, “The Merchant of Venice”, “As You Like It” and “Fiddler on the Roof”.
Fowler’s work in development is more focused, but no less hectic. Numerous giving appeals must be organized and planned. Last fall’s Thank a Bear campaign had current UCA students sending thank you notes to donors. “It was a great success. Students learned that it takes more than just tuition and fees to provide all the opportunities a UCA education has to offer. Donors enjoyed receiving the notes with personal messages from the students,” she said.
In February, Fowler launched a valentine appeal for married alumni who met at UCA. It encouraged each couple to give the dollar amount of their wedding anniversary. “We received gifts from couples who have been married 35-57 years. Next year, I’m going to include a card so they can tell us how they met at UCA and share their story.”
Fowler started her career at UCA in 2006. She first worked in Student Services and then moved into Alumni Services in 2007. She was the assistant director of Alumni Services until 2014. She served as the advisor for the Association of Future Alumni (AFA). Fowler worked with Young Alumni (anyone 35 years old or younger), the legacy brick program and scholarships. A lot of her work was event-based or programmatic, so she was also responsible for securing sponsorships to cover the costs of those events or programs.
In 2005, Fowler was on the Greek housing committee and remembers hearing talk of the possibility of the creation of a Greek village. The sorority houses, which are phase one of the project, broke ground in the spring of 2014 and will open in the fall of 2015. “One of the advantages of being at UCA so long is that it allows you to see dreams come true,” Fowler said. UCA provides the brick and mortar for the houses. Any upgrades, such as wood flooring, kitchen backsplashes and crown molding are provided by each sorority. Fowler has been advising the National Panhellenic Council (NPC) and the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) sororities on fundraising. She likes to stay connected to students and is the faculty advisor for Alpha Sigma Tau sorority and Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity.
Haley and her husband, Michael, are both UCA graduates and hope their children, Crafton and Campbell, will attend UCA.