Class of 2009 Celebrates Record Gift Drive

July 1, 2009

The class of 2009 senior gift drive shattered the college’s senior-gift participation record, with 90 percent of the class contributing before the end of the fiscal year. Besting the previous mark held by the class of 2007 by 18 percentage points, the class of ’09 raised $16,231 for the Annual Fund.

“We were a very cohesive class that brought a lot to the table,” said gift-drive committee member Ian Liskay ’09. “By breaking the record and subsequently setting the bar so high, we were able to leave an extremely positive mark on Dickinson.”

The record-breaking support for the college was inspired in part by Thomas Kalaris ’76’s $10,000 challenge, which tasked the class with topping the 80 percent participation mark. Knowing that those who make a gift to the college within their first five years as alumni are more likely to support the college throughout their lives, he viewed the challenge as a way to help motivate lifelong support for the college.

“I considered this a down payment on Dickinson’s future,” said Kalaris, a trustee of the college and chief executive at Barclays Wealth Management.

A longstanding Dickinson tradition, the senior class gift drive has averaged roughly 63 percent participation for the last five years. According to members of the gift-drive committee, members of the class of 2009 outperformed previous years because they connected the idea of “giving back” with the college’s emphasis on “engaging the world.”

“It really speaks to the type of institution that Dickinson is and will continue to be,” said gift-drive committee member Becky Fassio ’09. “For four years Dickinson has been instilling values in us as students, and one of these is ‘Engage the World.’ For four years, Dickinson has been a big part of our world, and I believe that my classmates really took this to heart when considering whether to support the gift drive. ”

The theme for this year’s gift drive was “Leave Something Behind,” and for many seniors that idea also helped motivate them to participate. As Liskay noted, much of the motivation for giving came from the awareness that each Dickinsonian depends on previous generations to make their education possible.

“Dickinson gave me a great education, great opportunities, great friends, and amazing experiences,” said Liskay. “Regardless of the cost, the school cannot run without the Annual Fund.  How could I not do my part to ensure that future Dickinsonians were given the same opportunities that I was?   Failing to donate would be akin to snubbing your nose at those prior donors who gave you such a great opportunity.”