Annual Giving raises third highest total ever

$44.6 million raised during last year’s campaign

“I am delighted with this year's splendid Annual Giving results, which are especially important midway through the Aspire campaign and so meaningful in this difficult economic climate,” President Shirley Tilghman said in a statement. Annual Giving seeks to contribute at least $250 million to the University’s larger five-year Aspire fundraising campaign, which will attempt to raise $1.75 billion by 2012.

Much of this year’s success can be attributed to significant donations received toward the end of the campaign, during which more than $15 million was raised. In late May, Annual Giving had amassed just under $32 million with an alumni participation rate of 44 percent.

The University typically receives the largest donations from alumni classes celebrating landmark reunions, and this year was no exception.

The Class of 1970, celebrating its 40th reunion, was the top contributing class this year, having raised $5,271,970. With the completion of this fundraising campaign, the class is now the only one on record to have raised more than $4 million in four separate Annual Giving campaigns.

“The Class of [1970] is an unusual group ... We’re the youngest of the big producing classes by far and have been for quite some time,” said John Loose ’70, who as a class agent is in charge of Annual Giving fundraising for his class. “I think it’s a function of having a class with good class relationships, which reflects itself in a number of ways — one of which is Annual Giving.”

The Class of 1985, which celebrated its 25th reunion this year, finished a close second, raising $5,101,985 with a 70.6 percent participation rate.

“While the economic environment continues to be challenging, our effort was broad and deep enough to reach throughout the class,” class agent John Lavelle ’85 said, noting that the class was “equally proud” of its participation rate, which exceeded its goal of 65 percent.

The competition for the Class of 1960 Award, given for the highest participation rate among the youngest 10 classes, was close this year. The Class of 2009 raised $321,832 with 74.5 percent participation, beating the Class of 2008 by just over one 1 percentage point.

“We are very excited about the results of the campaign, and I'm proud that so many members of the class stepped up in such a difficult year,” class agent Andrew Malcolm ’09 said.

Annual Giving received support from graduate alumni and parents as well. Graduate school alumni raised $1,467,036, with a participation rate of only 12.7 percent. Meanwhile, 41.6 percent of Princeton parents contributed to Annual Giving, for a record $2,707,991.

Class agents stressed the importance of the campaign to the University’s financial aid program as a strong reason for their classes’ commitment to fundraising.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

“The supply of aid at Princeton has gone down while demand has gone up,” Malcolm explained. “Princeton drew a line in the sand: no student should have to leave the University because of financial difficulty. So, AG dollars helped fill the gap in aid demand this year. I think this really resonates with young alumni.”

Loose noted that his class spent a lot of time together at various class events around the country that were unrelated to the fundraising campaign, which helped when soliciting donations.

“In the fundraising business it’s referred to as friend-raising,” he explained, adding that the strength of the friendships made through the college years facilitates fundraising efforts.

Malcolm echoed this sentiment. “I wish I could take more credit, but the success was due to our volunteers, our classmates and our love of Princeton,” he said.

William Hardt ’63, assistant vice president of development for Annual Giving, could not be reached for comment.