2003
The Voice: Summer 2003
Alumni house and scholarships benefit from spring phonathon
By: Wes Fopma, Director of Annual Giving
The spring part of this year’s annual giving program changed focus this year.
During the previous five years students called alumni and asked them to consider
making a gift for computer and technology needs. This spring they asked them
to contribute to the new alumni guest house and to alumni association scholarships.
The college had purchased a house adjacent to campus and earmarked it as
an alumni guest house. But the house needed significant updating and some remodeling
to make it comfortable for housing alumni and other guests who visit campus.
The alumni council asked for help in raising the funds needed. At the
same time they wanted to be able to increase the number and amount
of alumni scholarships awarded to juniors each year. Since 1984, the alumni association
board has awarded scholarships to upper class students based on their academic and
leadership skills.
With these two needs in hand, thirty callers manned the phones and received
approximately $87,000 in pledges. Of that $87,000, $60,000 was earmarked for the guest
house and $27,000 for the alumni scholarship fund.
After the callers completed the alumni drive, they called parents and friends for
the annual Spring Debt Reduction Drive. Students received $120,000 in pledges—$20,000 more than
had ever been received in a spring drive phonathon.
The combined amount students raised through the calling program this year, including last
fall’s drive, was $575,000.
