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Post by sader1970 on Jul 2, 2017 12:21:47 GMT -5
While the final numbers are not in yet and things might change a bit, through 6/29 when there was one day left in the '16-'17 Holy Cross Fund campaign, the Class of '17 had a 68% participation rate. While this is outstanding for the most recent class of alums, I believe the numbers for the Class of '16 last year when they were graduating seniors was even higher.
So, that's the good news.
Here's the bad news. Despite great efforts among the Development staff to emphasize that the amount of the gift is less important than that alums donate something to the HC Fund, there is a precipitous drop in alumni participation after the young alums leave the hill. As everyone here already knows, the goal was to get 50% overall participation among alums to continue the long streak of hitting that number. It appears that might have just been accomplished.
However, after the Class of '17's 68% participation, the next youngest Class to hit 50% or higher was the Class of '84. It was left to the old guard to lift the overall participation to the 50% goal.
I repeat that the final numbers are not in yet and perhaps a class or two that were close might have achieved 50% with a last day push.
But it would appear that the "love" for Holy Cross does not run as deep for the younger alums as it does for the older ones. Of concern for the short term but potentially devastating in the long term.
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 2, 2017 12:26:40 GMT -5
Love of Holy Cross may run deep,but financial ability may not be there quite yet.
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Post by hchoops on Jul 2, 2017 13:01:30 GMT -5
I would guess that financial ability would be there for many in the classes of the 90s, late 80s and even in the early 2000s
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Post by breezy on Jul 2, 2017 13:06:11 GMT -5
The younger alumni are paying for graduate school, paying off loans, starting a family, buying homes, educating young children -- long before they are able to maximize their earning potential. One would hope that notwithstanding those challenges they might still find the willingness to make some limited donation to HC so that the donation percentage would be boosted, but I suspect that at least in some cases the desire is there but the financial flexibility is not.
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Post by hchoops on Jul 2, 2017 13:07:19 GMT -5
Class of 91 up to 51%
Other than that class, 1970's stats are true, sadly so
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Post by hchoops on Jul 2, 2017 13:08:47 GMT -5
The younger alumni are paying for graduate school, paying off loans, starting a family, buying homes, educating young children -- long before they are able to maximize their earning potential. One would hope that notwithstanding those challenges they might still find the willingness to make some limited donation to HC so that the donation percentage would be boosted, but I suspect that at least in some cases the desire is there but the financial flexibility is not. Not much flexibility is needed for most to give $10. those who graduated in the late 80s are in their 40s, hardly younger alums |
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 2, 2017 13:10:57 GMT -5
...or even $5.00.
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Post by CHC8485 on Jul 2, 2017 13:20:30 GMT -5
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Post by bringbackcaro on Jul 2, 2017 14:31:19 GMT -5
Those numbers from 2010-2016 are shockingly low.
I don't think it's really a matter of not "loving HC" as much as classes who graduated x-number of years ago (there was an incredible turnout of young alums at the Fordham Yankee Stadium game, for example), but rather that the school has not really done a good job of creating events that keep young alums involved in HC. Outside of the 5-year reunion and the occasional huge sporting events (Yankee Stadium, basketball NCAA tournament watch party) there does not seem to be a serious effort in creating events for young alums in this window of classes.
One simple way to increase participation in young alums would be to create a Venmo account (a simple payment/money transferring platform that the vast majority of people in their 20's appear to be using) so people can make a donation on their phone in a matter of seconds.
However, one thing is for sure, a last minute "push" of a couple emails that get swallowed up in inboxes and social media posts that do not stand out right before June 30 (a date that has absolutely no significance other than it being the end of the school's fiscal calendar) while most people are just thinking about getting to the 4th of July festivities is not going to be enough to drive up participation rates from young alums.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jul 2, 2017 14:48:33 GMT -5
Excellent insights
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Post by lou on Jul 2, 2017 15:18:36 GMT -5
The NY Metro club has alumni events all year long, very active I would say
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Post by sader1970 on Jul 2, 2017 15:21:54 GMT -5
Sorry, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone not being able to make a $5 donation. If you can make a donation in your senior year as a student, you can darn well make one the year after. If you are unemployed or a grad student, do what you did when you were a Holy Cross student, borrow five bucks from your parents or older siblings. Most probably, they don't "get" that a $5 or $10 donation is important despite it being harped on by HC staff and class agents. Perhaps a matter of pride. I can tell you that the year I graduated I did not give because no one asked me and I didn't even know there was an HC Fund and I was basically unable because of serious medical situation that confined me for the entire year after graduation. The following year, I was employed and contributed $100 (in 1971). My Class Chairs sent me a letter telling me that they were embarrassed to inform me that my donation accounted for something like 40% of the Class contributions up to that point. Not sure how much the Class ended up contributing that year. As a former Class Chair and now Class Correspondent, the issue is not a lack of communication. If anything now, the complaint I hear is that the communications are excessive and borders on hectoring. Not sure if the younger alums get inundated and they negatively react. Point is, the younger classes, for whatever reason, simply do not support Holy Cross financially as the older classes do. I am not talking dollars, I am speaking of participation rates. I would never expect a 20 or 30 something to contribute the same dollars as one in his/her 40's and 50's in their peak earning years,. Do they understand the concept of "pay it forward?" Sure, a Holy Cross education costs a lot more than it did for guys in the Class of '67 but the kids in the Class of '90, '95, '00, '10, '15 would have paid even more without those alumni donations. End of rant.   |
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Post by bringbackcaro on Jul 2, 2017 17:16:14 GMT -5
Sorry, there is absolutely no excuse for anyone not being able to make a $5 donation. If you can make a donation in your senior year as a student, you can darn well make one the year after. If you are unemployed or a grad student, do what you did when you were a Holy Cross student, borrow five bucks from your parents or older siblings. Most probably, they don't "get" that a $5 or $10 donation is important despite it being harped on by HC staff and class agents. Perhaps a matter of pride. I highly, highly doubt that anywhere even remotely close to ~60% of the classes of 2010-2016 didn't give because they couldn't afford to spare $5, $10, or $20. As you said, that number should really be right around 0%. But I would bet if you started calling down that list of individuals who didn't give and ask them when the deadline is to give for this fiscal year, most of them wouldn't be able to tell you. If you asked them if there was a participation target for their graduating class and for all alumni, that would be news to them. I don't know what the solution is and I'm certainly not an expert in college development office techniques, best practices, etc. but I do know that marketing to young alumni can be significantly improved. |
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Post by hcgrad94 on Jul 2, 2017 17:18:36 GMT -5
Most schools aspire to 30% giving and are thrilled if 20% of young alumni give. We are lucky indeed to have gone to a school that inspires such loyalty.
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Post by Pakachoag Phreek on Jul 2, 2017 17:19:08 GMT -5
Class of 1992 is a 25th Reunion Class. EVERY 25th Reunion class should be able to hit 50 percent.
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Post by hchoops on Jul 2, 2017 21:29:19 GMT -5
Class of 1992 is a 25th Reunion Class. EVERY 25th Reunion class should be able to hit 50 percent. Last year the class of '91 had a 65% participation in its 25th reunion |
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Post by hchoops on Jul 6, 2017 7:50:02 GMT -5
With some late donors the class of '67 raises its participation to 76%
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 6, 2017 8:39:05 GMT -5
Better late than never!  |
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Post by lou on Jul 6, 2017 8:47:03 GMT -5
With some late donors the class of '67 raises its participation to 76% Sounds like we need about 5 more donations to get to 80% |
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 6, 2017 8:55:56 GMT -5
Well, if someone knows those who have not contributed, a donation could be made in the name of one or more of them... |
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Post by Ray on Jul 6, 2017 10:21:26 GMT -5
However, after the Class of '17's 68% participation, the next youngest Class to hit 50% or higher was the Class of '84. It was left to the old guard to lift the overall participation to the 50% goal. I repeat that the final numbers are not in yet and perhaps a class or two that were close might have achieved 50% with a last day push. Classes more recent than 84 that have since cleared the 50% threshold: 2006 1994 1992 1991 1988 1986 1985 Goes to show how much of the giving occurs in the last days/hours before the deadline (or even after the deadline). |
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Post by ncaam on Jul 6, 2017 10:43:10 GMT -5
I'm sending my check for 2018 tonight.
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Post by sader1970 on Jul 6, 2017 10:45:58 GMT -5
Always good to beat the rush. Thanks for your support . . . . next year our Class goal will likely be 60%!  |
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Post by sader1970 on Jul 6, 2017 10:58:48 GMT -5
I've been cautioned by HC staff that the final, final numbers are still not in yet. But to Ray's point, there are many, many last minute donors. Unofficial participation results as of yesterday (yes, the checks in the mail might still be rolling in):
2017 - 70% (KUDOS!!!)
2006 - 54%
1994 - 51%
1992 - 52%
1991 - 54%
Then from 1990 to 1953, of those 38 classes, 33 had 50% or greater participation ratios. 15 of those classes hit or exceeded 60%! Only '90, '89, '87, '75 and '73 did not meet or exceed the magic 50% mark with likely only '87 at 49% going to possibly make it.
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Post by hchoops on Jul 6, 2017 19:41:43 GMT -5
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