Annual Fund participation climbs to record high

Lewis & Clark College alumni contributed to the College’s Annual Fund in record numbers during 2001-02. Thirty-five percent of alumni gave to the fund, an increase of nearly 4 percent over participation in 2000-01 and an increase of almost 60 percent in participation since 1998-99. And graduating students continued their support of the Annual Fund through the senior gift initiative, equaling last year’s participation rate of 42 percent.

“Each of these gifts is a vote of confidence in the work of Lewis & Clark,” said President Michael Mooney. “I find it especially gratifying that graduating students have demonstrated such dedication to the Annual Fund for two years in a row. This augurs well for the future of our institution.”

During 2001-02, Lewis & Clark raised $1.47 million from alumni, parents, and friends for the Annual Fund, which each year accounts for approximately 12 percent of the College’s operating budget. Gifts to the Annual Fund support the day-to-day excellence of vital College programs, including the arts and sciences, student financial aid, and innovative student-faculty research.

Paul Moredock, associate vice president for alumni and development, said gifts to the Annual Fund also contribute to the College’s future. “We are an aspirant institution competing with the best liberal arts colleges in the country,” he said. “Because ratings by organizations like U.S. News & World Report look at alumni giving as an indicator of college excellence, alumni gifts to the Annual Fund affect the future reputation of Lewis & Clark. And they help the degrees our students earn appreciate in value.”

—by Jennifer Carter