Helping in times of crisis

Even before the term began, a group of student leaders met to discuss plans for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. In the past month, students have responded with gusto: sponsoring concerts, dance performances and fundraising drives. The University's website even has a special section for "Hurricane Katrina Relief Initiatives."

The response has indeed been encouraging, and the broad student participation in these efforts has been particularly impressive. Yet we should not be quick to say that we have done enough. Yale and Harvard have both implemented programs that match contributions up to a certain amount. Yale has raised over $250,000 with the aid of donation matching; it has been so successful that it now matches contributions up to $1,000, up from the original $100.

The money used to match contributions does not come from Yale's own funds. Instead, Yale's administration has raised the money privately. This is an important use of administrative action to support and complement efforts made by the wider university community in responding to disasters. Both Yale and Harvard have used donation matching successfully in the wake of Katrina, and there is no reason why Princeton could not do the same in response to future disasters.

Doing so is attractive for several reasons. First, it brings to bear the resources of the broader community, not merely those on campus but also those of friends and contacts of the administration and trustees. Second, it demonstrates a substantive and effective way for the administration to support worthy student efforts to respond to disasters, fostering a sense of a united community effort. Finally, it provides a huge boost to fundraising: Matching contributions not only increases revenue, but also encourages greater overall giving.

It is important to note, however, that we are not calling for the University to launch a full-scale fundraising campaign to accomplish this. Princeton, like most of its peer institutions, uses University fundraising resources solely for the benefit of the University community, and for good reason. We do not suggest TigerCall phone-a-thons or opening the alumni Rolodex. Instead, we call for the administration — and the President and trustees in particular — to use their considerable influence to raise funds from interested donors.

Princeton's response to the hurricane disaster has been impressively spirited. Yet if we, as a University community, are to act "In the Nation's Service," it is only reasonable that the administration support these efforts — and donation-matching has been shown to be an effective way of doing just that. It is probably too late for the University to institute a matching program for Katrina relief efforts, but this should not stop them from doing so in the future when students show a strong commitment to another relief cause. Disasters like Katrina are unrelenting, and so too should be the University's commitment, at even the highest levels, to respond with great generosity.