Should Alumni Make a Dedicated Effort to Donate to Their Alma Mater?

I do not contribute to my alma mater despite going on full ride and do not feel any obligation. It is a quid pro quo relationship; I receive an education and they receive a boost to their stats; large private universities are a business and scholarships should be viewed as a marketing expense not a donation.

I don't think anyone should feel obligated to donate to their alma mater; after all, you either contributed tuition (or athletic performance, etc.) in return for a degree. However, if one desires to see these academic or athletic programs improve/maintain their success in the future, donating money is a good way to facilitate that.

I personally do contribute to my school's XC/T&F program.

I have never given one red cent to the University from which I graduated. I did, however, give them many, many red cents in tuition when I attended. They gave me an education in return. Good deal for both of us. I moved on but they haven't - some 30 years later they still ask me for money.

The tally thus far:

2 people who do the right thing.

2 incredibly cheap and selfish b--tards.

I don't annually give to either of my institutions (undergrad or law). No scholly for undergrad, 50% for law.

I prioritize giving to programs that I think are more important (food banks, etc.). Once my kids go from daycare to regular school, I'll have a lot more discretionary income. At that point, I'll start giving more to my academic institutions, but only for scholarship funds. College is a straight up rip off now, and too many kids are taking out way too much in loans.

I give gifts to the following:

My old pre-school

My old grade school

My old junior high

My old high school

My old college

Where I did post-grad work

All old churches I've attended

I also check back with former employers and give Christmas gifts and bonuses to secretaries and old bosses.

Just kidding, I don't give anything to any of those groups. Hopefully their current members do. If I was truly rich, I'd consider it though.

My undergrad was a bit money grubbing and loved to nickel and dime students. They already had super high tuition for a state school, and then there were fees and charges associated with everything. Since they shook me down for every penny they could get out of me while I was a poor student, I don't really feel any need to give money now that I have it.

The school I attended for my master's was much better in terms of money, and I donate quite a bit to them.

No it was a business transaction. I bought an education, they were selling one.

Man, I'd love to sell you a car because I could send you a letter every year asking for a little more money because I sold you the car you are getting the experience of driving! Just think how different your life would be without this car! So, go on send me a crisp $50 bill for the appreciation of that wonderful experience.

sucker

I once knew the head of gifts for a major state university in the U.S.

I asked him: what size gift from an alum makes an impression --- actually gets mentioned in meetings and ripples through the office.

His response: $5 million.

Freaking imagine that. Someone saves their whole life and is proud of their $million gift, and it probably doesn't even get considered major. Crazy world.

Yes, I give back to my undergrad alma mater track and field team. I have it set up as an automatic monthly contribution. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to run cross country and track at the D-1 level, and hope my contribution can help other women have that same experience. I also truly enjoy following my alma mater's success and am proud to be part of it.

Nope.

People pay for an education. Once you have paid for a service and received it, I don't see why anybody considers that a continuing relationship.

I donate every year to directly benefit the Track program at my college. I've been fortunate enough to make some decent contributions and I realize that not everyone is in the same position. What I don't get are my teammates who give zero. Some were on full tuition while some got no financial assistance. What all of us got was an opportunity and that opportunity was provided by the University and by the alums before us who donated money so that we could go to better meets, have better warm ups, etc. The concept of stewardship is important to me and I want to help contribute to a better opportunity for the current student-athletes which is why I give annually

Looking from another perspective, one of the ways universities are evaluated by US World News Report, etc. is % of alums who donate. It is a data point about participation. So to my earlier point, if one of my former teammates gives $25, it counts the same as that very successful guy who gave $100K, so I continue to push for those folks to just participate even if they can't afford much.

Paying Back wrote:

The tally thus far:

2 people who do the right thing.

2 incredibly cheap and selfish b--tards.

Very unfair to label people who don't give to their alma mater as cheap and selfish. There are many, many worthy charities out there. Higher education is not the only one.

Would you call someone who donates thousands to the poor, destitute and hungry as cheap and selfish? Why is your pet charity more deserving than his?

I donate a small amount to my alma mater's athletic department, but only because it's required to purchase football season tickets. I give a lot more to my church, to a charity that feeds the poor, and a crisis pregnancy center. Am I cheap and selfish? Please advise. I'm dying to know how I stack up in your eyes.

Let's see, you could either donate $3,500 to the Against Malaria Foundation and likely SAVE AN ACTUAL LIFE, or you could donate to your Alma Mater and make sure the XC team gets new uniforms. And you look at people who choose to donate to real causes unfavorably?

a person who is posting wrote:

Paying Back wrote:

The tally thus far:

2 people who do the right thing.

2 incredibly cheap and selfish b--tards.

Very unfair to label people who don't give to their alma mater as cheap and selfish. There are many, many worthy charities out there. Higher education is not the only one.

Would you call someone who donates thousands to the poor, destitute and hungry as cheap and selfish? Why is your pet charity more deserving than his?

I donate a small amount to my alma mater's athletic department, but only because it's required to purchase football season tickets. I give a lot more to my church, to a charity that feeds the poor, and a crisis pregnancy center. Am I cheap and selfish? Please advise. I'm dying to know how I stack up in your eyes.

How is "higher education a charity at all?

I went to a state school. I don't donate to my local department of social services, or my local court system. It is a government department. It exists to serve governmental and citizens interests in higher education. It is funded by taxes and user fees.

I don't see why anybody should feel compelled to give to that.

I could see it differently if you received money from the school to attend, or maybe if you went to a private school (though I still largely think of that as fee for service).

I attended a state university, so I "donate" to them via my taxes. I've never felt compelled to give them more on top of that.

I totally agree, but the IRS considers it a charitable donation, so I'll charitably go along with their definition.

Used to donate to the track/cross country program. Then they cut the program.

I used to look forward to the yearly phone call asking for money so I could complain about then cutting track and cross country. Now they don't call me anymore.

When I graduated, tuition was still somewhat reasonable at most schools. If I was a kid graduating today, I wouldn't give a dime to anyone ever. They've more than covered their debt to their university with the tuition they've already paid.

I don't even open up mail from my undergraduate college anymore... straight from the mailbox to the reclycing bin.

I'm still paying off a boatload of loans - you're joking yourself if you think I'm ever going to contribute beyond that.