Annual Giving Campaign raises record amount

The University’s latest Annual Giving campaign raised a record-breaking total of$58,748,900, with an also record-breaking participation rate of 61.4 percent for undergraduate alumni.

The previous record was $57,246,302 from two years ago, and the previous record for participation was 61.3 percent from 2010-11.

Graduate alumniparticipation was 13.7 percent.

University President Christopher Eisgruber ’83 said the combination of three factors —quality of the education provided by the University, character of and intense loyalty to the community, andlasting reminder of how much alumni owed to the people that came before them —makes the campaign successful year after year.

“Annual Giving is something that affects the lives of every faculty member and everystudent on this campus,” Eisgruber explained. “When you walk around campus and lookat the things that are here, all of that depends on Annual Giving.”

The secret to achieving new records and high participation rates, he said, isthe University’s constant search for new, creative opportunities andimprovements to the campaign. He thanked the donors and volunteers for theircommitment.

The Annual Giving alumni participation rate has surpassed 60 percent for five years in a row, since the 2009-10 campaign.Assistant Vice President of Development for Annual Giving William Hardt ’63said that the collective effort and leadership between the University and bothundergraduate and graduate alumni and parents was important.

“The donations are important in terms of financial support, but also in terms of statementof interest and commitment,” Hardt said.According to Hardt, appeals for gifts are sent out throughout the year viamail, emails and personal calls.

Class president Edward Murphy ’64 attributed the class’ssuccess to its members’ efforts in personally reaching out.The Class of 1964 had over 12 percent of its classvolunteer in soliciting donations, according to Murphy.

“The process is not one that is divorced from contact,” Murphy said. “It’s personalcontact, telephone contact, not merely emails. Therefore the person that is being solicitedhas the feeling that he is part of the process. He’s not looking at some impersonaldocument.”

However, Murphy noted that the Class of 1964 could not find about 10 percent of itsclassmates due to inaccurate or unavailable contact information. Therefore, its 80.5percent participation rate was even more remarkable and demonstrated how responsivethe alumni were.

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Class agent Edward Glassmeyer ’89 also attributed the class’s successto the tremendous volunteer spirit, as well as teamwork and years of preparation. He saidhe believed that the University’s culture instills a sense of responsibility in continuing thetradition of giving back and in securing the University’s excellence with each alumnus.

“The school’s doing a good job without making you feel pressured,” Glassmeyersaid regarding donating. “Someone did it for you, and you’re going to do that for someoneelse. It’s hard to replicate that in other schools. It’s got to start from within the school.”

There are genuine efforts to beat previous highs, he added, as competitiveness andteamwork come together.

The Class of 2012 achieved the highest participation rate of all classes this year with a rate of84.9percent. Class president Lindy Li ’12 said that she could not have done this without her team, and thankedthe University leadership.

“Every one of us had an extraordinary time there,” Li said. “You increasinglyrealize how valuable and extraordinary your education at Princeton is as the years go on.I’ve climbed up the ladder. I’m not going to pull the ladder after I’m done climbing. I’mgoing to let it down again so the next generation has a chance.”

Over the course of the campaign, Li explained that her team encouraged participationthrough social media.

The Class of 1964, the 50th reunion class, accumulated $5,246,410, the second highest amount raised by a class thisyear. The Class of 1989, the 25th reunion class,accumulated $9,013,889, the secondhighest total for any class ever.

The Annual Giving campaign operates under the University’s fiscal schedule, runningfrom July 1 of one year to June 30 of the next year.

The donations are unrestricted funds and not designated forspecific use.