Although Boston University raised a record $85 million in 2010, BU’s alumni donations are still behind those of neighboring and national universities, according to a Council for Aid to Education survey released in early February.
In spite of the tough economic climate, in 2010 BU received cash gifts of $85.1 million, up 15 percent from the year before, and formal pledges of $80.4 million, up 24 percent, according to President Robert Brown’s State of the University letter. These numbers mark the best fundraising year in BU’s history.
However, the numbers are still significantly lower than other top universities including Boston College, which raised $120 million in 2010, and New York University, which raised $349 million, according to the survey.
“We’re doing very well,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley in a phone interview. “Another school’s success is based on what they are doing. Based on our recent numbers we’re making strong headway in recent years.”
The university is continuing to work for better communication with the 290,000-person alumni network to increase alumni donations, according to Brown’s letter.
Last year, BU hosted 700 events worldwide, which were attended by more than 38,000 people, marking 2010 the most active alumni year on record.
“The university has never been so committed to alumni relations and development as it is now under President Bob Brown,” said C.J. Menard, the Associate Vice President of Developmental and Alumni Relations, in an email. “BU has never seen such improvement in both areas as it has in these recent years under President Brown.”
In 2010 the university received a $10 million contribution from trustee and School of Management ‘70 alumnus Kenneth Feld and his family to be put toward enhancing faculty development and other BU projects.
Before Brown’s induction in 2005, BU had only received one gift from an alumnus for more than $10 million, Menard said.
“Since his arrival, we have announced four gifts of $10 million or more, and there will be more coming,” he said.
The university is also in the process of launching its first fundraising campaign for 2011, with the goal of raising more than $165 million in formal pledges, according to Brown’s letter.
“This is most definitely a long term process, frequently measured more in decades or even centuries,” Menard said.
“At present, BU is planning some major initiatives for the relatively near future which should have a significant effect upon its fundraising success.”
The university’s development program is not something that is viewed on a year to year basis, Menard said, but it is something that officials take notice of the much longer term.
“The President has done extraordinary work reaching out and identifying with the alumni networks to raise more money,” Riley said.
However, while the majority of the contributions go toward student scholarships and grants, BU students said they have not seen a significant difference in financial aid packages in recent years.
“I’m on financial aid now and they used to pay for housing and now they don’t,” said SMG junior Cristina Ramirez.
“I have a friend whose mom only makes 10 grand a year and she’s not getting any financial aid just because she made a mistake filling out a form freshman year.”
Overall, students said they continue to be dissatisfied with BU’s financial decisions.
Despite students’ discontent, the university is continuing to “celebrate successes of our own.”
“You have to know where you begin,” Riley said.
“I’m not going to compare other schools with BU. Some schools, like Harvard, have a head start where they are in culture and were trying to get there.”
Alex Nawar contributed to the reporting of this article
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This just proves what I have felt since graduating. As someone who was treated horribly by administration, and shunned by the Feld Career Center for having graduated SMG and serving in the military, I received ZERO assistance in my employment search upon my honorable discharge from military service. I donate 10% of my post-tax income to not-for-profits, and BU will have to work VERY hard if it ever expects to see a donation from myself or my family (5 BU graduates).
Why the hell would any BU graduate give up more of their money to an institution that doesn’t have their back?
After graduation, we’re pitted up against stiff competition from schools like Brown, which are known to give out easy grades. When BU asserts that they’re in the same league as these schools in terms of grading policy, but is behind-the-scenes mandating “C” averages in much of their classes, they’re leaving their graduates out to dry.
My 2.8 GPA wasn’t the absolute best I could do at BU, sure. But had I spent time at a different school, say, Harvard, that same effort would have earned me above a 3.0, probably much higher.
Which version would you admit to your grad school? Thanks for nothing, BU.
well, if you cant get above a 3.0 at BU i dont think you deserve anything more than you’ve currently got.
I am happy to see BU placing more of an effort in reaching out to alumni. This is a very small start. Hopefully the administration understands that simply reaching out for donations is not going to get them the $120 million a year that BC’s alumnus contribute unless they give a little in return.
I’ve long said that BU needs to ramp up its career services for alumni and graduating seniors. No senior should be left out to dry when it comes to finding employment. This is not the sole responsibility of the student to find a job, it should absolutely be a collaborative effort with career services. The new career services building will be a start. BU reaching out to its 290,000 alumni must be the future of the university, if it is ever to compete with the universities that are not inching ahead in the rankings.
BU has consistently looked to the wrong propsects for donors. For tooooooo many years, BU had one of the largest non-domestic enrollments of any American university; thewse graduates have no loyalty and are not generous to their alma mater. The University today is paying the price for a faulty vision of student recruitment, especially in the 1970-s and 1980’s.