Giving to Alma Mater

[Anonymous]

Just wondering - do you give to your alma mater? How much and how regularly? Did your kid apply and were they accepted? Do you think it made any difference?

[Anonymous]

Lol, nope. Never.

[Anonymous]

No, not really. But I was a doughnut hole family before that term existed and went in where I got Honors College and significant merit aid because it made sense. Spent 1.5 years on campus and then was abroad 2 years and basically checked in Senior year with classes all day 2 days a week but locomg elsewhere in the city. Not rah nah then and not now. Blip on the radar of life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering - do you give to your alma mater? How much and how regularly? Did your kid apply and were they accepted? Do you think it made any difference?

Yes
~$1,500 annually
Neither applied.

[Anonymous]

Yes. Recently $5k/year. Neither of my kids applied, although it was on DS's short list for ED2 before he got in ED at his first choice.

[Anonymous]

I don’t, but I work in higher ed philanthropy and know enough to know that there are places that can put my money to better use than the wealthy school I attended. I have given to an underfunded school in my hometown where smaller gifts have more of an impact.

And FYI that at highly selective/wealthy schools the only gifts that make any difference in admissions are seven figures plus. The fact that you give $1000 every year will not be be known or factored into admissions.

[Anonymous]

Yes.
Began annual (larger) gifts 5 yrs before applying (50-100k/yr). Turned into a 10-yr 7figure pledge (total) and “named” gift after outreach from development.
Double parental legacy at T10.

Accepted.

[Anonymous]

I paid enough to go to college. Didn’t really want to look back at my experience. Didn’t hate it but did it inspire me to help the schmoozer in chief claim he met his
Quarterly fundraising goals? NO.

Also I never quite got over “settling” for the college I went to. I think as a kid who had no idea what college even was I probably put too high of expectations on the experience and then it didn’t turn out that way. But whatever the reason, none of it made me say “let’s drop a check in the mail.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Began annual (larger) gifts 5 yrs before applying (50-100k/yr). Turned into a 10-yr 7figure pledge (total) and “named” gift after outreach from development.
Double parental legacy at T10.

Accepted.

Were you assigned a development officer?

This is a lot more that what we've given. But after a couple years of consistent giving, we were assigned a development officer, and it happened to be right in the middle of application season. Accepted. Also T10. And still receiving personal communication from development officer whenever they're in town. (OP here)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering - do you give to your alma mater? How much and how regularly? Did your kid apply and were they accepted? Do you think it made any difference?

Yes, I have given to my alma mater, beginning the year after I graduated (in the 90s). Started around $200 to academic funds only, but it is now more like $1500 to academic and $500 to athletic funds annually. I also submit for matching gifts to my employer (which matches for the academic scholarships).

Kids did not apply to the school.

[Anonymous]

The schools in T10 that openly do this outreach and bump in admissions :
Penn, Duke, NU, UChicago and JHU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Began annual (larger) gifts 5 yrs before applying (50-100k/yr). Turned into a 10-yr 7figure pledge (total) and “named” gift after outreach from development.
Double parental legacy at T10.

Accepted.

Were you assigned a development officer?

This is a lot more that what we've given. But after a couple years of consistent giving, we were assigned a development officer, and it happened to be right in the middle of application season. Accepted. Also T10. And still receiving personal communication from development officer whenever they're in town. (OP here)

I've had a similar experience. I've managed not to meet with her for three years now. They're in the middle of a billion dollar fundraising campaign, and I have no desire to up my donations at this point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just wondering - do you give to your alma mater? How much and how regularly? Did your kid apply and were they accepted? Do you think it made any difference?

yes
$1000 not in a regular cadence, maybe $3000 in total over the past five years
yes
yes
yes (private T25 who considers legacy)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes.
Began annual (larger) gifts 5 yrs before applying (50-100k/yr). Turned into a 10-yr 7figure pledge (total) and “named” gift after outreach from development.
Double parental legacy at T10.

Accepted.

Were you assigned a development officer?

This is a lot more that what we've given. But after a couple years of consistent giving, we were assigned a development officer, and it happened to be right in the middle of application season. Accepted. Also T10. And still receiving personal communication from development officer whenever they're in town. (OP here)

PP who works in higher ed philanthropy—highly unlikely this had any impact on your kid’s admission. DOs are generally assigned to anyone with a certain capacity who has given at a relatively minimal level. If your capacity is very very significant and you’ve been identified as very likely to give a 7-figure-plus gift, maybe? But I’d be surprised given the timing you describe. And although there are a couple of schools in the top 10 known to more readily put their finger on the scale in admissions for kids whose families have big money, it’s not as common as people assume.

[Anonymous]

Yes, $1500 annually. School gave me significant financial aid to be able to attend. I have a great career now, which started there. I met my husband there. I give what I can. Kids have no interest in applying there, which is fine with me.