For the 2009 fiscal year, Amherst alumni raised $9.8 million with a participation rate of 60.1 percent; last year, donations totaled $10.7 million with 62.1 percent of alumni participating. Despite the decreases in both dollar amount and participation, Elizabeth Anema, Director of the Annual Fund, remarked that “Amherst had an outstanding year given the challenges the country was facing and in relation to what other peer institutions achieved.”
In fact, Amherst’s participation rate was among the highest in the country — no other similar college or university broke the 60-percent participation mark this year. “We attribute this to the traditional dedication of Amherst alumni, who have always come through for the College in times of economic uncertainty,” said Anema.
Because of the unwavering support of Amherst alumni, the Annual Fund is factored into the yearly budget as expected revenue. It therefore did not affect this year’s budget cuts. “Alumni volunteers and college staff work very hard each year to ensure strong participation and dollar totals,” Anema explained, “[but] we are in a fortunate position to have a stalwart foundation and tradition of alumni support.”
Though the number of donations this year decreased slightly, Anema said, many classes actually increased their participation rates and some reunion classes even set new dollar records. For example, the Class of 1984 broke the 25-year Reunion class dollar record, raising $578,381. For its 50-year reunion, the Class of 1959 hit 100 percent participation. The Classes of 1933 and 1940 also had 100 percent participation this year.
According to Anema, the money raised from the Annual Fund contributes to “every aspect of the Amherst education,” including “teaching and housing students, offering financial aid, taking care of the campus and administering the College.”
Most notably, younger classes are stepping up and already making an impact on the Annual Fund, which “bodes well for the Annual Fund’s future,” said Anema. The Class of 2007 almost broke the Class of 1951’s participation record for a class only two years out of college. Two hundred forty-nine out of 406 class members donated, for a participation rate of 61.3 percent. Anema described this as “incredibly impressive for a class just a couple of years out of college.” Additionally, 90 percent of the 2009 graduating class contributed to this year’s senior gift.
The generosity of young alumni is a good sign for the future. As Anema said, “When we get young alumni in the habit of supporting Amherst every year, that ensures the future of the Fund and the well-being of the College.”