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The Syracuse University Senior Class Giving Campaign has received a higher number of large donations this year than ever before.

Each year, students are encouraged to donate an amount equivalent to their class year, and the bulk of the donations this year have been coming in around that $20.14 mark, said Kristen Duggleby, assistant director of development of annual giving. However, Duggleby noted that more and more students were going beyond that suggested amount.

“There have not been many really small gifts, and this year, with those $100 gifts, this year is the most we’ve had of those,” Duggleby said.

A 15-student committee worked throughout the school year on the Class Act campaign, encouraging graduating seniors to donate back to the university. Last year the campaign had a 6 percent participation rate, with 195 donors. This year’s goal is a 7 percent participation rate, which equals about 230 donors by commencement. As of May 1, the campaign had about 140 donors.

Students are able to donate on the Senior Class Giving Campaign website, where they can select the amount they wish to give, as well as the school or program where they would like the donation to go.

“The reason we do the whole campaign is to educate them about why it’s important to give back to the university and make the programs that we have here be here for years to come,” Duggleby said.

Things like emerging programs, study abroad and internship programs all receive funding from gifts, Duggleby said. Even the current price of the SU experience hinges partly on donations. Tuition and fees only cover about 85 percent of the real cost of education, but gifts help close that gap, Duggleby said.

“If we didn’t have gifts that come from the current student body and alumni, tuition would be even higher, 15 percent higher,” Duggleby said.

She added that this year the Senior Class Giving Committee had a representative from every college.

Janine Savage, a committee member from the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, said giving a gift can be an extremely personal thing, since students can give back to the specific programs or specific organizations that they were in.

“We also like to promote that giving stretches beyond $20.14,” Savage said. “It’s any gift you can make. It’s time that you can give.”

Committee members used different methods, such as emails and tabling, to encourage donations, but personal connections were key, said Alexis Madison, a committee member from the School of Information Studies.

“A story is more influential,” Madison said, “and the fact that you are donating is what is important, not how much or how little.”

The iSchool held an event for its donors on April 30, which involved an ascent up to the Crouse Bell Tower, as well as an opportunity to ring the chimes, Madison said. She added that the idea of the campaign is to continue the legacy students have been a part of at SU.

“I think the whole idea of being a Class Act, and leaving a legacy behind, we got to see it,” Madison said. “When you actually go into the (chime) room, people have signed all along the walls. It was really getting a chance to see what we’re a part of and that awesome impact that we have.”

Any student that donated by April 23 was also invited to attend a reception at Club 44 in the Carrier Dome, Duggleby said. Although the committee hopes to make their goal by commencement, she said the donation campaign does not officially end until June 30, which marks the end of the fiscal year.

She also stressed that no donation is too small. In fact, in the 2012–13 fiscal year, gifts of $100 or less totaled about $1.1 million, she said.

“Whether it’s $5, the $20.14, or $100, students can consciously go online, click what they want to give back to and leave their legacy in that way,” Duggleby said.

Published on May 8, 2014 at 2:30 am