Top Alumni Giving Best Indicator Alumni Satisfactio

Colleges and Universities A-Z College of the Holy Cross
1

<p>% Alumni Giving , LAC</p>

<p>63.3% , Carleton
60.1% , Amherst
59.7% , Williams
59.3% , Middlebury
54.3% , Davidson
54.0% , Bowdoin
52.5% , Holy Cross
52.3% , Trinity
50.7% , Pomona
50.5% , Wesleyan
48.5% , Wellesley
48.2% , Hamilton
47.8% , Swarthmore
47.8% , W&L
47.3% , Scripps
47.2% , Haverford
46.8% , Colby
43.2% , Bard
43.0% , Bates
42.9% , Grinnell
42.9% , Whitman
41.8% , Claremont McK
40.9% , Sewanee
40.8% , Oberlin
40.7% , Macalester
40.6% , Bryn Mawr
40.4% , Colgate
40.3% , Occidental
40.0% , Mt. Holyoke
39.5% , Smith
39.0% , Furman
38.3% , Kenyon
36.3% , Bucknell
36.0% , Harvey Mudd
35.0% , Lafayette
32.3% , Vassar
31.8% , US Military Acad
29.7% , Barnard
29.0% , Colorado College
24.1% , U Richmond
22.1% , US Naval Acad</p>

2

<p>alumni satisfaction is certainly a major factor, but IMO there are other factors tht also impact alumni giving rates .</p>

<p>These include alumni wealth; the aggressiveness with which alumni contributions are solicited; the type of people who went there- eg the extent to which alumni value rankings and prestige; and the perceived "value’ to the alumni of contributing: what’s in it for them, currently. By the latter I mean they might see some value to themselves in boosting the US News rankings of their school to the extent it continues to give reflected glory on them. Or helps beat other schools in the rankings,as a competitive issue, sort of like a football rivalry. Or, they might want to be counted as a contributor to help them garner meaningful legacy status to help their own kids get in.</p>

<p>If you’re making a pile of money on Wall Street, you’d like to keep 'ole Harvard on top of Yale in the rankings, because you went to Harvard and are conditioned to always want to beat Yale in everything, the class rep keeps calling you about it and guilting you, and you’re fearing maybe not giving would hurt if your kids try to get in- sure you’ll throw them some cash. Even if you hated your experience at Harvard. Because there is something in it for you now.</p>

<p>Maybe the alums of the seven sisters schools liked their schools more, but they are making less money, and/or their kids want coed schools that have become more selective, so they contribute less frequently.</p>

<p>Wealth, and continued self-interest, are at play here, not just “satisfaction”.</p>

3

<p>What year are these alumni giving rates for?</p>

4

<p>2009 data from USN&WR on alumni giving</p>

5

<p>My daughter was fascinated by the number of HC grads that come back to volunteer, in person, by phone, meeting students, networking, etc. Even on move-in day, they had alumini helping. The money part hasn’t touched her yet, but the connections have.</p>