Why Alumni Giving Matters

Advancement

I am thankful for each of you who are alumni. Those who invest financially in the mission and work of JBU have my special gratitude. Alumni support is a key factor in the success and growth of a university.

Each year we track the annual alumni giving percentage as part of the requirements of some of the funding proposals we write and to provide to various entities who rank universities. In order to be included, alumni need to give to JBU each fiscal year (between July 1 and June 30). There are three key reasons why alumni giving percentage matters to JBU and why you, as an alumnus, may want to consider an annual gift to the university.

The first is that the alumni giving percentage is a “vote of support” in one’s alma mater.  U.S.News & World Report tracks the percentage and uses it as part of the calculation for ranking its list of Best Colleges and Universities. JBU currently ranks second out of 96 colleges and universities in our region, in part, because of our alumni giving percentage.

Second, alumni participation matters to many foundations and major donors. Both understand that all alumni can’t give major gifts, but they can give a participation gift (a gift of any size to be counted). If the alumni support the school, then it sends a message that it is a place worthy of further investment with their major gifts.

Third, JBU has always been a place that seeks to give students a quality Christian education at a great value. Through the years, generous scholarships, buildings provided by alumni and friends as well as the sacrifice of the Brown family and JBU faculty/staff provides a high-quality Christian education at a reasonable price. Giving back, as one is able, shows a spirit of gratitude and thankfulness to the university and the people of JBU, and helps keep it strong for the next generation.

So the next time a student calls you on the telephone or you get a request in the mail, please seriously consider giving a gift to JBU this fiscal year and support your alma mater.

I want to acknowledge the class of 1959 and congratulate them on having the highest alumni giving percentage of all JBU classes this past year at 68 percent. Second place goes to the class of 1952 with 64 percent. Third goes to the class of 1954 with 62.5 percent. It is easier for smaller classes to have higher alumni giving percentages, so kudos to the class of 1975 with the highest alumni giving percentage on record for a class of 100 or more alumni.

These statistics are from the 2009-2010 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2010. We will publish this data in next year’s winter issue of the Brown Bulletin to give your class a chance to raise your numbers and show your other JBU alumni your class support for JBU. You can give online at:

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