| AnewAU surges forward with renewed energy BY MATT GETTY The AnewAU fund-raising campaign cracked the $115 million mark last month, reaching $116.4 million in cash and pledges as of Jan. 31. Overall participation is up 11 percent compared to last year at this time, with nearly 36,000 alumni, donors, and friends having made gifts throughout the university. Additionally, cash in hand for the fiscal year is up, with more than $17.5 million collected on previous pledges and new gifts since May 2005. With all the good news, however, the tone of the campaign continues to be one of reinvigoration, a key for AnewAU throughout its third year. “These wonderful achievements aside, there are big goals to accomplish for year-end, and they will be a challenge,” said acting director of development Abbey Silberman. “It’s typical for any campaign at this point to face a midpoint reassessment. Donors have heard a lot of the same messages by now, so it’s vital that we reaffirm our commitment to our goals with new language and new energy.” To help make that happen, Interim President Neil Kerwin has been traveling the country to speak with alumni about AU’s stability and strength as well as its vision for the future. In one-on-one meetings and larger receptions in New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, Kerwin has shared details about AU’s ongoing governance work, news of student achievements, and plans for the SIS and SOC building projects as well as other remaining campaign priorities. “Dr. Kerwin has really connected with our alumni,” said SOC director of development Anne Menotti. “They’re excited about the future. They see the McKinley renovations as the final step that will position us firmly as a leading school of communication . . . and having Dr. Kerwin take the time to meet with them sends a powerful message about the university’s commitment to this project.” According to SPA director of development Jenine Rabin, who traveled with Kerwin to Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York, part of the strength of that connection rises from Kerwin’s long-standing ties to AU. “Here’s someone who has a 30-plus year relationship with this place,” she said. “He knows its lows, and he knows its highs. Hearing about where we are and where we’re headed directly from him really helps to renew their confidence in the university and this campaign.” With more trips to New York, South Florida, Boston, and Chicago planned before the end of the fiscal year, engagement remains a hallmark for the campaign. “Our commitment to reaching out to alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends remains strong, and we are grateful that so many generous donors have continued to support us to this point,” said Silberman. “We will rely on them as donors and advocates going forward.” Though much of this task of advancing AnewAU centers on alumni and friends of AU, staff and faculty have big roles to play as well. At the close of January, faculty and staff giving exceeded $626,000 for the fiscal year, putting it more than $240,000 ahead of where it stood last year at this time. Yet the number of donors, which many see as the most important aspect of the faculty-staff campaign, lags behind its level at this time last year by 36 donors. Faculty-staff campaign committee members continue to stress that even small gifts carry large value. “When development goes out on the road to speak with donors . . . one of the things they like to be able to say is that even the people who work here support their institution,” said faculty-staff campaign cochair Julie Weber. “If you can say 75 percent of the faculty and staff at AU donate to the campaign, that says a lot about the people who work here—about our level of commitment. And our feeling about the institution is meaningful to donors.” The campaign’s other cochair, SOC professor Wendell Cochran, agreed. “The university buys my hands and at least part of my brain; what I give—and I guess this might sound trite—but what I give is my heart,” he said, noting that gifts of any size play a vital funding role. As an example he explained that small gifts from faculty and staff recently allowed SOC to offer the Ed Bliss scholarship a year earlier than expected. “Those small amounts add up,” he said. “You could ask any dean or department chair, and they’d say, ‘Well if I had $50, here’s how I’d use it.’” Campaign representatives will contact faculty and staff in the coming weeks, but, as Cochran pointed out, “You don’t have to wait to be asked.” Anyone interested in showing their commitment to AnewAU can make their gift at any time by visiting www.giving. american.edu/gift or by logging on to the my.american.edu portal and clicking on “Donate to AU” in the “Finances” section. |
