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Posts tagged ‘alc’

Sep 26

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Young Alumni and Midd Fundraising

Yesterday, I attended my very first Alumni Leadership Conference (ALC) up at Bread Loaf (two words, FYI). This 34th annual gathering of alumni volunteers gives graduates of Middlebury a chance to get-together outside Reunion or Homecoming to focus on fundraising for Middlebury and get updated on the latest of what is happening on campus. As a recent alumnus, these gatherings are curious exercises because they seem to be primarily made up of people from the classes of the 80s and 90s. So, I felt a little out of place, also perhaps because I wasn’t even really supposed to be there. I am neither a class agent nor a class correspondent. But as a regular yet inquisitive alumnus of this fine institution, I was determined to investigate this annual event.

It’s refreshing to hear fundraising talked about so openly and clearly at the ALC . It’s very hard, perhaps purposefully so, to hear about fundraising back on campus. I think the majority know about the big donors: how else are you going to get a name on a building? But there are a ton of small donors that really do count both in percentage participation and in actual dollar amount. That’s why most alumni will get a call (or ten emails and a facebook reminder) in the late Spring asking for money. The small guys usually contribute to the annual fund, the pool of money that the school relies on (partially) to keep the school running every year — lightbulbs, staff salaries, etc. Usually the push is for unrestricted funds but last year the push was to give to financial aid which totaled up to a reported $2.4 million translating to financial aid for around 70 students. Nearly 3000 people gave small amounts to that financial aid challenge. Other times people give to endowment. Recently valued at $815 million, it’s hard to see the effect of the endowment as clearly as the annual fund, but it is the driver of long term growth.

It struck me that there is a real disconnect between all these fundraising activities and recent graduates. Maybe it takes the time to reach the 5th or 10th reunion to “get it,” but anecdotally, I find more and more friends saying: “I’m not giving to Middlebury.” And worse, they don’t know why they would give to Middlebury even if they wanted to or had the money to. Is that why my very own Class of 2009 did 29% participation last year, the lowest among all classes? Or is that because my classmates in particular don’t have jobs? To be fair, the classes of 2005-2008 averaged 50.5% participation in giving to Middlebury last year. Maybe one could postulate that once graduates get beyond the first year post-grad and begin to feel nostalgic for Middlebury, they begin to give back.

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Jan 26

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Fundraiser Burnout

Somewhere between ordering Grille delivery from MAlt DR and RSVPing on Facebook to Alianza’s variety show, it hit me. Wow, everyone is raising money for something or other, not just President of the College Ron Liebowitz flying worldwide for the Middlebury Initiative (or the latest video-release).

I’m talking about the torrent of student organizations raising money, particularly for service trips. ALC (Nicaragua), MAlt (four trips – San Francisco, El Salvador, Mexico, and Dominican Republic), and Intervarstiy Christian Fellowship (New Orleans) all are doing trips. Their fundraisers have included: I heart Proctor shirts, Grille delivery, Texas Hold ‘em Tournament, Dances, Variety Shows, Finals Food, etc. But it doesn’t stop there. Some raise money for direct-giving to specific causes. Last weekend’s IHC Ball was to benefit WARMTH. Annual Relay for Life is kicking off this week with a registration party at 51 Main.

While student organizations are certainly becoming more cleaver and original with fundraisers, the general student populous is getting a bit burnt out — a few dollars here, a few dollars there, maybe a few extra if you’re friend politely asks. You can’t exactly speak out against overdoing the fundraising because each cause or trip has its audience and a cause. But there is a wish for more coordinated and organized fund-gathering.  I wish there wasn’t posters for Grille Delivery on each individual weekday advertised separately or three sponsored dance parties that all sound pretty much the same. Can we avoid the overwhelming feeling that student organizations, too, must compete for our dollars and cents?

Or should we just resign ourselves to the fact that we’re no different than outside-Midd in terms of the flood of fundraising for everything from the Opera to the SPCA. Or maybe United Way, if we’re in Vermont.