Ringing in 2011 with alumni support

Donors help Annual Fund top December goals

After a calendar year-end push that yielded more than 6,000 calls to Macalester alumni and friends, the Annual Fund ended the year strong, with 2,187 gifts in December alone. Since June 1, the start of our fiscal year, Annual Fund has raised nearly $2 million, which is $53,000 more than the same period last year. To date, the Annual Fund is more than halfway toward its goal of fundraising $3.6 million by the end of the fiscal year on May 31.

“A big thank you goes out to everyone who supported the Annual Fund in 2010,” Annual Fund Director Danielle Nelson ’05 said. “The Macalester community really stepped up this year, and we’re so grateful to be more than halfway toward our goal. There’s a long way to go, but it’s a good feeling to know that the support is strong.”

For the remainder of the fiscal year, the Annual Fund will also continue its push to boost the college’s alumni participation rate to 42 percent. Annual Fund donors help sustain fundamental elements of the education and experience at the college, ranging from financial aid to faculty support to student programming.