When 500 members of UBC’s class of 1946 got together in June, they decided they
wanted to do something more for the university, and for future generations of
students.
The Class of ’46 decided to create a student endowment, and in so doing have
set a trend that is drawing the attention of other alumni classes as well as
university departments and faculties that are reaching landmark dates.
“We are hoping that the idea of providing scholarship funds will be adopted by
future classes when they hold their reunions,” said Dick Caldecott, a member of
the Class of ’46 and a former dean of the College of Biological Sciences at the
University of Minnesota.
UBC Annual Fund Manager Geraldine Dunnigan said the interest graduates and
departments have shown in creating endowments to mark occasions such as
reunions and anniversaries prompted the addition of an Anniversary Giving
category to the Annual Fund campaign. Other Annual Fund appeals include the
Alumni Appeal, the Parents Appeal, the Class Act Appeal, the Faculty and Staff
Appeal and the Wesbrook Appeal.
“Anniversary Giving not only helps to immortalize classes, it can also serve to
commemorate milestones of different faculties and departments on campus,”
Dunnigan said.
The Engineering Physics Program celebrates its 50th anniversary next year and
is planning a gift to mark the occasion.
Last year’s Annual Fund campaign raised $1.5 million and student callers have
already started making a dent in this year’s campaign goal of $1.6 million. The
deans of four faculties have joined forces with their students in contacting
faculty alumni as part of the Alumni Appeal. Last year 17,600 alumni
contributed $6.8 million to UBC, with 16,000 of those alumni giving more than
$1 million through the Annual Fund.
To encourage more donors at leadership levels, the Annual Fund has introduced
two new annual levels of recognition: the Trekkers level, for donors who give
between $250 and $499, and the Clock Tower Circle for gifts of $500 to $999. So
far more than a dozen new faculty and staff donors have joined the Annual Fund
at the Trekkers level.
