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Brown Celebrates "1764 Society Month" Brown Celebrates "1764 Society Month"
2007-2008 Brown Annual Fund Raises Record $35.1 Million From 33,496 Donors
The Brown Annual Fund reached new heights in 2007-2008, thanks to the support of 33,496 alumni and alumnae, parents and grandparents, friends, faculty, staff, and students. This generous community of supporters contributed $35.1 million – a new record that allowed the Annual Fund to continue its mission of providing critical support to enhance the Brown educational experience.
These outstanding results were made possible by a number of exciting challenges that united all donors on behalf of Brown. The $500,000 Burke GOLD Participation Challenge, a $25,000 participation challenge for the Class of 2008, and the inaugural “Million Dollar Month” participation challenge were all phenomenal successes. Together these challenges offered a combined $1.525 million to help the Annual Fund reach its ambitious goals, while encouraging strong donor support throughout the University community.
The Parents Annual Fund continued to be the leader in the Ivy League in 2007-2008, raising $4.2 million from 6,761 donors. The University derives strength from the enthusiastic support of parents whose gifts underscore their belief in the power of a Brown education.
The GOLD classes (1998-2007) represent more than one-fifth of the University’s total alumni and contribute greatly to its success. In 2007-2008, the University’s most recent graduates responded enthusiastically to the Burke GOLD Participation Challenge, sponsored by Brown alumnus and parent, Jim Burke ’73 P’05 P’06 P’10. The challenge was met in its entirety by May 1—two months before the end of the fundraising year.
The Class of 2008 came forward in greater number than any graduating class before them and set a new Senior Class Gift participation record. Spurred by a $25,000 challenge gift from an anonymous donor, the class attained an incredible 72% participation, shattering the Class of 2005’s previous record of 68% participation. The challenge funds, combined with contributions from members of the Senior class and a generous gift of $20,008 from President Simmons, provided more than $67,000 for the Brown Annual Fund.
Reunion alumni contribute nearly one-third of the Annual Fund’s dollars each year. The Classes of the 3’s and 8’s proved no exception, as they collectively raised $11.3 million for the Annual Fund, which is an all-time record. For the first time ever, six classes raised more than $1 million for the Brown Annual Fund, with two classes raising more than $2 million. The Class of 1983 had 69 members step forward as Brown Annual Fund Leaders, more than any other class has ever had.
The ranks of the 1764 Society – the Brown Annual Fund’s most loyal supporters – grew 13% to a record 11,137 members. This recognition society honors donors who make gifts to the Annual Fund each and every fiscal year at three membership levels: 5-9 consecutive years of giving; 10-24 consecutive years of giving; and 25 or more consecutive years of giving.
Brown is made stronger each year by individuals whose generosity sustains and enhances the living and learning environment on College Hill. The University is counting on our continued support to meet even loftier goals in the year ahead. In 2008-2009, the Brown Annual Fund’s goals are to raise $36 million from 34,000 donors.
Tremendous Response to Challenge Secures $1 Million Gift
The sponsors of the Million Dollar Month Challenge set out to encourage 4,000 donors to make gifts to the Brown Annual Fund from April 25 through May 25, 2008. The response was tremendous: 5,012 donors stepped forward, earning the entire $1 million in challenge funds for Brown. The results represent a nearly 50% increase in donors over the same period last year. “We are very grateful to the anonymous reunion alumnus and members of the Brown Annual Fund Leadership Council who offered the Challenge,” said Tammie L. Ruda, Executive Director of the Brown Annual Fund, “and to all who responded so generously.”
To date, over 29,500 alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends have made gifts to the 2007-2008 Brown Annual Fund totaling $25.5 million. These preliminary results put the Annual Fund on pace to reach its goals of $35 million from 35,000 donors by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. With less than a month to go, Brown needs approximately 5,500 more donors to contribute an additional $9.5 million to the Annual Fund and provide much-needed resources to support Brown’s academic mission.
Brown Celebrates "1764 Society Month"
Million Dollar Month Challenge to Culminate at CommencementMillion Dollar Month Challenge to Culminate at CommencementMillion Dollar Month Challenge to Culminate at Commencemen
President Ruth J. Simmons has declared May 2008 “1764 Society Month” on College Hill. The 1764 Society recognizes donors who support Brown with gifts to the Annual Fund each and every fiscal year (July 1 to June 30) in three categories: 5-9 years, 10-24 years, and 25 or more consecutive years of giving. These donors provide resources for the outstanding faculty and students who make a difference in our communities and throughout our world.
Million Dollar Month Challenge to Culminate at Commencement
There are currently 9,856 alumni, parents, and friends who are members of the 1764 Society. Brown Annual Fund Co-chairs Joan Wernig Sorensen ’72 P’06 P’06 and Ralph F. Rosenberg ’86 sent their good wishes to the 931 people who have given to the Annual Fund every year without fail for more than a quarter of a century and forwarded a proclamation to each of them signed by President Ruth J. Simmons. Student volunteers participated in 1764 Society Month by holding a thank-a-thon, calling members of the recognition society to express their gratitude for all that they do for Brown. For more information on the 1764 Society, click here.
Million Dollar Month Challenge to Culminate at Commencement
Student Calling Program Rolls Up Its Sleeves, Announces Sweatshirt GiveawayStudent Calling Program Rolls Up Its Sleeves, Announces Sweatshirt Giveawa
Million Dollar Month Challenge Calls for 4,000 Donors by May 25.
The Brown Annual Fund is asking donors to step forward and be counted in the Million Dollar Month participation challenge. The four-week challenge will bring an additional $1 million to the University if 4,000 individuals make Annual Fund gifts between Friday, April 25, and Commencement 2008 (Sunday, May 25). The challenge money will be awarded incrementally throughout the month: with every 1,000 donors that step forward, $250,000 will be earned, up to a total of $1 million.
The Million Dollar Month challenge began when an anonymous reunion alumnus stepped forward to offer $375,000 to be used to encourage broad participation in the Brown Annual Fund. Because of this generous show of support, Brown’s Annual Fund Co-Chairs and the members of the Brown Annual Fund Leadership Council were inspired to rally around this initiative and add to the challenge pool, bringing the total available challenge funds to $1 million.
Brown Annual Fund Co-Chair Joan Wernig Sorensen ’72 P’06 P’06 hopes that the Million Dollar Month will help drive the Annual Fund toward its goals of $35 million from 35,000 individual donors by June 30. “Commencement and Reunion celebrations will be even more momentous this year if we can announce that we’ve earned the challenge in its entirety,” she said.
“Academic life at Brown is enhanced each and every year because of our Annual Fund gifts,” added Brown Annual Fund Co-Chair Ralph F. Rosenberg ’86. “If we come together as a donor community, we will reach our fundraising goals and also make a huge impact on the lives of Brown’s students and faculty.”
Brown Annual Fund Gifts Support Need-Blind Financial Aid
When Sofia Bengoa ’08.5 began applying to colleges, the Miami native thought she would be limited to going to a school near her home. “I was a good student and my parents wanted me to have the same opportunities as other good students,” Sofia says. “But because of our financial situation, I had no real intention of leaving my hometown.” Nevertheless, Sofia’s high school gave her financial vouchers that allowed her to apply to Brown University. Sofia’s academic horizons were quickly broadened when she was accepted to Brown and received a generous financial aid package from the University. “On the day that I received my financial aid package, my mother cried,” she remembers. “If it weren't for Brown's need-blind admissions policy, I would not be studying here.”
Offering deserving students of all economic backgrounds the opportunity to attend Brown is a leading priority for the University—a commitment underscored by the fact that nearly half of Brown’s undergraduates receive need-based financial aid. Last year, $13.8 million of the almost $35 million that Brown Annual Fund donors contributed was used for financial aid support that allowed the University to continue admitting the students who are most likely to excel here, regardless of financial need.
In February 2008, financial aid at Brown received a tremendous boost when the Brown Corporation met to lay out a blueprint for Phase II of the Plan for Academic Enrichment. To ensure the Plan’s continued success, Brown will increase its undergraduate financial aid budget by more than 20 percent in 2008-2009, reaching $68.5 million. The following provisions will go into effect in the fall:
- Students from families with incomes of less than $100,000 will no longer have loans as part of their financial aid packages.
- The loan burden will be decreased for families with incomes of $100,000-$150,000.
- Most parents who earn less than $60,000 will not be required to make a financial contribution to their child’s Brown education.
These new policies will apply to current students in the classes of 2009-2011 who receive financial aid as well as next year’s entering class. This extraordinary expansion of financial aid supports the University’s dedication to attracting and retaining the most highly qualified and diverse student body—students who are just as passionate and enthusiastic about learning as Sofia.
Now a Brown senior, Sofia credits her undergraduate career to awakening a love of community health advocacy. She plans to pursue it as a career after graduation. The University’s impact on the Bengoa family has also extended beyond Sofia. “The generosity of donors has not only made it possible for me to attend Brown, it also encouraged my little sister Melissa to apply,” Sofia says. Last fall, Melissa joined her older sister on College Hill, as a member of the Class of 2011. “Financial aid has made it possible for my parents to achieve their dream of providing my sister and me with the chance to pursue a higher education at one of the finest institutions in the country,” she says.
At Brown, Sofia has taken advantage of numerous opportunities to exercise her creative skills both in and out of the classroom. A former competitive dancer, she has been a part of MEZCLA, Brown’s Latino performing arts troupe, and Brown Badmaash, a South Asian dance company. During her first year at the University, she taught dance to children at Providence public housing sites as part of the Community Outreach through the Performing Arts (COPA) program. Last year, she volunteered for a cause that is very near to her heart: teaching English to recent immigrants through the Olneyville ESOL Program. Thinking back to the early days of her college search and the many experiences she has had since, Sofia is certain that she made the right choice in coming to Brown. “Had I stayed at college closer to home, I would not have met so many students from a variety of different backgrounds that have opened my eyes to the world,” she says. “Most importantly, I would have not learned to embrace my culture in the way I have and grown into the confident Latina woman I have become today.”
“Best Class Ever” Kicks Off the “Best Gift Ever” Alumnus Challenges GOLD Classes: Set Participation Records in 2008
The spring semester is well underway at Brown, and while students face the challenges of exams, papers, and presentations, young alumni have been given a challenge of their own. Members of the GOLD classes (graduates of the last decade) have until May 1 to make a Brown Annual Fund gift that will have triple the impact for their alma mater, thanks to the newly-announced Burke GOLD Participation Challenge.
In January, Brown alumnus, parent, and Annual Fund Leadership Council member James J. Burke, Jr. ’73 P’05 P’06 P’10 committed $500,000 in challenge money in the hopes of increasing Annual Fund participation among Brown’s newest graduates (members of the Classes of 1998-2007) and setting the stage for their continued annual giving. Under the terms of the challenge, a 2:1 match will be provided for gifts of any size through May 1 or until the funds have been exhausted, whichever comes first.
“It is my hope that this challenge will help young alumni see the importance of giving to Brown’s Annual Fund and the impact they can have on the University’s success,” says Jim. “By continuing the tradition of GOLD challenges, I’m encouraging these recent graduates to continue their support. I’d like to see the GOLD classes achieve new participation records this year.”
The number of young alumni donors to the Brown Annual Fund has increased 85% since 2001-2002, thanks in large part to annual challenges that continue to raise the bar for GOLD participation.
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