After completing their college careers, graduates expect to look toward the future, enrolling in graduate school or finding a job and a house. On the brink of a new life, few expect to get calls from their alma mater already asking them for money.
While the average student debt is increasing annually, fundraisers at universities nationwide are looking to build stronger alumni networks by seeking finances from the most recent graduates.
Tufts is no exception to the fundraising trend. The Tufts Senior Fund - a part of the Tufts Fund for Arts, Sciences & Engineering - begins asking for contributions from seniors during their final spring semester with e-mails and pledge cards.
This year, the Senior Fund has changed its approach to begin attracting even younger students by educating them on the impact of alumni contributions. According to Senior Fund spokesperson Tracey White, the organization hopes to target students early in order to increase future donations.
"Our aim is to have a bigger presence on campus," White said. "We want to make an impact on the underclassmen so they can help when their time comes."
Part of their new plan involves updating the Tufts Fund Web site and creating a new marketing strategy, White said.
Since the updated fundraising plan is new, it is difficult to make conclusions regarding its success rate, White said. Last year, 24 percent of the Class of 2007 donated a total of $10,957, and this year's predictions are higher.
"Participation is up overall," White said. "We are hoping to get to over 50 percent of seniors to donate this year, since it didn't happen last year."
While the Senior Fund makes goals in terms of participation percentages, it does not have any dollar amount in mind.
Carly Okyle (LA '07) said that, when a representative from the fund called her, the caller asked for a donation in any amount she could afford.
"The girl that called was a student," Okyle said. "[The caller] said, 'Even if you have five or ten dollars it would make a big difference.' She didn't pressure me to donate."
The absence of a minimum donation is perhaps designed to increase participation and consequently increase donations made in the future by the now-recent graduates. According to a 2007 Boston Globe article, research has shown that alumni who start giving money early are the ones most likely to make larger contributions later in life.
The Senior Fund isn't looking for new alums to burn holes in their pockets, but as White said, "Seniors are a big base for the young alumni. We want to educate them on philanthropy and the impact their gifts can have while they are still here."
The Tufts Fund uses the money received to help with everything from financial aid and scholarships to the faculty and the upkeep of buildings in all of its different schools.
Fundraising at Tufts is a key factor in the university's steadily growing endowment.
The Tufts Fund, which oversees the Senior Fund, contributed $312 million of Tufts' now $1.5 billion endowment. While Tufts' endowment is on par with that of most NESCAC schools, it rests in the shadow of the highly publicized financial resources of nearby Harvard.
Okyle said she realizes the effects that the endowment can have on the public view of Tufts.
"I've heard that Tufts' endowment is less than stellar," she said. "I think it's very important for Tufts to have alumni to give back because they need it to help with what they don't have."
Regardless of the fund's goals of pursuing donations to help the university, debt-plagued graduates are often bothered by the fact that they are being targeted for monetary contributions.
"It can be a bit annoying [getting calls from the Tufts Fund] when you're still a student, when you're still paying tuition.
"I think that's a little tactless," Okyle said. "But I think that it makes sense, they want to try to get as many people as they can."
Senior Lyndsey Gibbons-Neff agreed. "It is frustrating as a student because you don't know where you are going to be after graduation or a few years down the road," she said. "So you really aren't sure if you can help."
While budgets are tight for students, young alums are confident that they will be willing to donate in the future when they solidify their own financial resources.
"When I can help, the times I had here will still be in my mind and I'm sure I'll still want to donate," Gibbons-Neff said.
Okyle had similar feelings. "I love Tufts," she said. "I had a great time [and] I want other students in the future to have good facilities, classes and professors, I hope I'll be in a situation to help."
Robin Carol contributed reporting to this article.
