In October 2025, Georgia Tech successfully launched the Hill Society Brunch, reestablishing a signature stewardship experience for the Institute's most generous donors. The Hill Society represents Georgia Tech's premier community of alumni and friends whose leadership giving advances the Institute's mission to transform tomorrow, elevate its global reputation, and provide an exceptional education to students from across the state, nation, and world. Reactivating a special event for this group of donors after a ten-year hiatus required intentional design, departmental collaboration, and a renewed focus on meaningful donor engagement.

Hosted in the historic Biltmore ballroom, a landmark once celebrated as the South's supreme hotel, a special brunch was crafted to immerse attendees in Georgia Tech's traditions and history. The venue itself (known for hosting dignitaries such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Bette Davis, and Charles Lindbergh) set the tone for an elevated and nostalgic experience.

A central feature of the program was a fireside chat with Georgia Tech's current president and two Presidents Emeritus. This choice fostered a warm, candid dialogue that resonated deeply with attendees.

This session will explore how the Georgia Tech Donor Relations team revived a dormant tradition to create a high impact stewardship experience, the strategies used to cultivate intimacy and authenticity among top tier donors, and the lessons learned that can be applied to similar donor relations initiatives at other institutions.