BC Falls Behind in Alumni Donations

Fewer than 25 percent of Boston College alumni, including 28 percent of undergraduate alumni, give money to the University, compared to 51 percent of all alumni at Holy Cross, 49 percent at Notre Dame, and 31 percent at Georgetown.

Now, the University is trying to increase the proportion of seniors who chip in before they graduate as a means of getting them into the habit.

But administrators said they have found the effort is easier said than done.

University officials said pushing hard for contributions to the senior class gift will help boost future alumni giving and improve the University's donation percentage, which is one of the measures used in all-important rankings.

"We're trying to get seniors to make a gift," Vice President and Special Assistant to the President Rev. William Neenan, S.J. said. "At Holy Cross, 90 percent [of seniors] make a gift. Here, we're trying to get 50 percent. They're trying to create a climate that you're expected to pay – that you're expected to pay back."

Seniors, still paying tuition and in many cases facing debt and a weak job market, are less than enthusiastic. After Senior Class Gift Day, 520 had made donations, or 23 percent of the class – an even lower proportion than alumni who give.

"Why do they want me to donate so much when I just paid all this money to go here?" said Michelle Crowther, A&S '10.

But many students received financial aid, and even those who didn't paid less than their educations actually cost, said John Feudo, associate vice president for alumni relations. That's because a large portion of the University's budget is funded by the endowment and alumni contributions.

"Of course we'd like that culture to start while our students are still here, because it's much easier for current students to feel the importance of giving back," Feudo said.
BC students also receive support from the school even after they graduate, said Feudo, and reap the benefits of a strong alumni network. He said he wants seniors to know "that BC continues to give back to them." He also said, "BC alumni love to hire BC alumni, and alumni also prefer to do business with other BC grads."

Those alumni, meanwhile, said they are concerned about BC's ranking, brand, and reputation.

"Alumni want to know what's the branding for BC because, as that grows, the value of education to alumni, that improves as well," said Jason Moore, CGSOM '10, who was head of the New York City alumni chapter. "It has a residual value for alumni, having that name on their resume."

Neenan said the rankings about which alumni are concerned depend largely on them.
"If you want to advance into the upper echelons, it's going to cost money," he said. "We need contributions."

Last year, University officials said 45,000 of the University's 154,000 alumni attended 440 alumni events. But only about 37,000 made a donation, or fewer than 25 percent.
"There's an anomaly here, which I can't explain," Neenan said. "These alumni – it's very noticeable – they love Boston College, and yet the percent that contribute on an annual basis is modest compared to other schools."

"There's a disconnect," he said. "We're not in the dregs, but we're in the middle of the pack."

Denise Johnston, BC '77, said she doesn't give regularly because she cannot always afford to make a big donation. "But in retrospect, I wish I had given consistently. I would only give when I felt like I had a chunk of change to give. I wish I was a consistent giver, whether it was small or large."

Neenan said the University is trying to get alumni in the habit of philanthropy by asking them to make small gifts as seniors and pushing that idea with such events as the first-ever Senior Class Gift Day.

Even small donations are fine with him. "How much does a pint of beer cost?" he asked. "I think that would be a good amount."

Johnston doesn't remember there being a senior gift campaign when she was a student.

"I wish someone had talked to me more one-on-one about it" when she was still in school, she said. "I don't ever remember anyone talking to us as students about giving back."

Today's seniors say they are being bombarded with requests to contribute to the senior class gift.

"I'll probably give, like, 10 bucks," Crowther said. "It seems stupid though. What are they going to do with my $10?"

She said, "I don't know why they're pushing for it so hard. It seems like they really need this money, and I don't know why. I feel like they already have plenty."

This article was reported by students in CO3301, Advanced Journalism.