What is the minimum $$ I can donate to alma mater and still have my kids eligible for legacy bump?

[Anonymous]

Assume my optimal level of donation is $0 from now to perpetuity. Will that *hurt* my kids relative to if I just didn't go there? Does giving them $100 or so actually do anything? How much actually matters, even just to get a slight bump. Assume lower Ivy.

Corollary. If I went to a fancypants law school school, I assume that won't matter for any legacy stuff at that undergrad, and that also then that any donations there are pointless? (Optimal amount of donation is also $0).

(I do donate but I prefer to give my money to real nonprofits and not tax exempt hedge funds with universities attached to them.)

[Anonymous]

Every school is different so you need to research and/or call admissions or development at your school (at least in terms of what counts for legacy). On donations, you will hear very little.

I was once told at my school that they do not look at donations for legacy. You are or you are not. However, if you have been a steady donor in a decent amount, and the development office knows your DC is applying -- they will send a note to admissions. That could have some impact.

[Anonymous]

Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

[Anonymous]

A guess here: 500K to a million.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

+1. The Varsity Blues scandal wouldn’t have happened if all it took was some donations of a few hundred thousand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

I used to work in university development. Donations of less than 25K are generally handled in a more automatic process. After that point you will get a human contact but again keep in mind this is a minimum threshold.

[Anonymous]

I believe universities care about the percent of alums who contribute so that smaller but annual contributions are still appreciated. As for admissions, they are trying to determine yield and think having an alum parent makes you more likely to attend so probably a slight bump whether or not you contribute. The people above suggesting large donations are expecting a larger admissions advantage. Some schools consider graduate school alums for legacy. Admissions now is very different then when we applied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

I used to work in university development. Donations of less than 25K are generally handled in a more automatic process. After that point you will get a human contact but again keep in mind this is a minimum threshold.

Thanks. What I was an envisioning was some admissions officer looking at a big spreadsheet and seeing $0 by my name and that causing a black mark.

No way on earth I'd give $500k - 1 million. I don't have that type of cash sitting around, and if I could find more compelling charitable uses for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

I used to work in university development. Donations of less than 25K are generally handled in a more automatic process. After that point you will get a human contact but again keep in mind this is a minimum threshold.

Thanks. What I was an envisioning was some admissions officer looking at a big spreadsheet and seeing $0 by my name and that causing a black mark.

No way on earth I'd give $500k - 1 million. I don't have that type of cash sitting around, and if I could find more compelling charitable uses for it.

No, this will not happen. They only care if you’re a big donor. Legacy bump (if a school provides it at all) is separate.

[Anonymous]

My college had an event when we graduated where they told us what mattered was giving every year. So even if it’s a 100 a year that matters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

I used to work in university development. Donations of less than 25K are generally handled in a more automatic process. After that point you will get a human contact but again keep in mind this is a minimum threshold.

Thanks. What I was an envisioning was some admissions officer looking at a big spreadsheet and seeing $0 by my name and that causing a black mark.

No way on earth I'd give $500k - 1 million. I don't have that type of cash sitting around, and if I could find more compelling charitable uses for it.

No, this will not happen. They only care if you’re a big donor. Legacy bump (if a school provides it at all) is separate.

You can find out if you school even gives a legacy bump by looking at the Common Data Set for the school and seeing if legacy is considered in admissions. Most schools do not and the ones that do it's usually in the lowest "considers" rank--with gpa, test scores, extracurriculars etc. all far above. Donation history wouldn't have any impact on it regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My college had an event when we graduated where they told us what mattered was giving every year. So even if it’s a 100 a year that matters.

This has been my experience. I’m on a regional alumni board for my university and we discuss fundraising. It was surprising to me how few alumni give at all, much less consistently. It varies from school to school, but IME, even my relatively highly-endowed university keeps track of and recognizes consistent donors, even at lower levels.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My college had an event when we graduated where they told us what mattered was giving every year. So even if it’s a 100 a year that matters.

This has been my experience. I’m on a regional alumni board for my university and we discuss fundraising. It was surprising to me how few alumni give at all, much less consistently. It varies from school to school, but IME, even my relatively highly-endowed university keeps track of and recognizes consistent donors, even at lower levels.

"%alumni who give" factors into the USNWR and other rankings systems, also some private donors want to see high alumni giving before contributing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks. I'm more worried about it from the bad slacker end. I'm less concerned about trying to "buy my kid in" or something. It's more like, if I give zippo ever, are they going to think my kid is a bad prospect or something and then my kids' application will be harmed by my lack of participation? Do I need to give a little protectively to avoid that?

No. If you gave nothing, it will not impact your kid’s admission in any way, shape or form. Unless you’re donating enough to have a wing added on somewhere on campus, the amount you give (whether it’s $0 or $100 or $1000 a year) doesn’t matter.

I used to work in university development. Donations of less than 25K are generally handled in a more automatic process. After that point you will get a human contact but again keep in mind this is a minimum threshold.

I am 2500 a year and I have a person. Now that is every year for a number of years and am biglaw partner but she meets with me at my office once or twice a year. School has multi-billion endowment.