25th Reunion Gift Committee
Harvard College Fund
December Gift Committee Report
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SOLICITATION ASSIGNMENTS
To date, 135 individual Special Gift solicitations have been assigned to members of the class of 1982. If you have not yet taken on names and are interested in becoming a solicitor, please let us know!
We have learned from past reunions that it is especially advantageous to get right into solicitations. These next 6 months are critical to our success as a class. Please make every effort to make contact with your assignments as soon as possible and please call or email us with updates.
THANK YOU to the following class solicitors:
John Dotson, Eileen Smith Ewing, Ed Forst, Allison Baird Fox, Cathy Friedman, Larry Grafstein, Al Halliday, Mark Hughes, Pat Jakobson, Michael Kagan, Kenneth Kaye, Atoosa PezeshgpourMamdani, Lisa Gelfman Matthews, Tony Meyer, Cynthia Crowley McClintock, Sanjeev Mehra, Dryden Pence, Steve Quazzo, Elias Reichel, Roy Roberts, Alex Seaver and Dan Skaff.
PARTICIPATION UPDATE!
The participation team has been hard at work taking on assignments by house and making calls before the calendar year end. To date, 271 classmates have been assigned to a participation solicitor! We also sent a recent email appeal from Participation Chairs Ellen Foley Rice and Rick Yu.
THANK YOU to our dedicated Team!
HARVARD COLLEGE FUND LEADERSHIP WORKSHOP
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 8:30 A.M.-1:30 P.M.
HARVARD CLUB, NEW YORK CITY
The Harvard College Fund Leadership Workshop provides a unique opportunity for volunteers across classes to connect with other leaders, discuss Harvard’s priorities, and learn fundraising best practices.
Hear directly from Mohamed El-Erian, President and CEO, Harvard Management Company; Randy Buckner , neuroscientist and Harvard College Professor of Psychology; and Bill Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, and Sally Donahue, Director of Financial Aid for Harvard College.
RSVP at: post.harvard.edu/hcf, under "What's Happening in the Harvard College Fund"
Solicitation Check List
A few tips to keep in mind when have a gift conversation with classmates.
Make your own gift/pledge first. You will be a far more compelling solicitor if you have made your own commitment.
People give to people. Personal solicitations are the most effective. Try to meet with your prospects in person, or if that is not possible, contact them via telephone.
People give to specific needs. Be familiar with the priorities of the College in order to make a compelling case for support.
Always ask for a specific amount. Results prove conclusively that asking for a SPECIFIC amount, rather than a gift "in the range of," is more likely to produce a larger gift from the donor.
Always follow up the visit or call. Regardless of the outcome, follow up the contact. If your classmate does not make a specific commitment, set a date to speak again and obtain a conclusive answer.