UCSC Review Winter 1996

Alumni respond generously to UCSC's need for support

When alumni receive a call from UCSC's Annual Giving Program, how do they respond?

"More and more, alumni are making financial contributions to UCSC," says Mitch Spann, acting director of the Annual Fund. Donations are targeted toward a variety of campus needs, from keeping needy students in school to supporting college-based intellectual and residential activities. Almost 70 percent of alumni who have made a donation to UCSC in the past made a pledge again in 1994-95. This year, one third of those contacted by the Annual Giving Program are upgrading the size of their pledge. "We are very grateful to our alumni donors," says Spann. "They set an excellent example for current students by creating a 'culture of giving' at UCSC."

Spann is particularly impressed with the response of Alumni Association members to the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund drive last year. Almost one out of four members pledged a donation to the fund. The average gift was $107, the highest average of any similar campus appeal. "Our alumni know they got a good deal at UCSC," he says. "In ever greater numbers, they're ready to give back to the institution that gave them such an excellent educational experience."

Since the founding of the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund in 1991, $164,000 has been raised, primarily for an endowment that will generate scholarships in perpetuity. The association awarded eight $2,000 scholarships to financially needy students in 1995-96.

This spring, Spann's student telephone-outreach callers will contact members of the Alumni Association. In addition to asking for support for the scholarship fund, the phone calls allow current students to talk with alumni about the UCSC experience.

Contributions to the Alumni Association Scholarship Fund or the UCSC Annual Giving Program will be gratefully accepted by University Advancement at the Carriage House, UCSC, Santa Cruz, CA 95064. For more information, call (408) 459-2501 (locally) or (800) 933-SLUG.