Alumni

The Annual Fund
Everyone can make a difference!

The Annual Fund is often a misunderstood concept among those who want to make a meaningful donation to the College. Since gifts to the Annual Fund are unrestricted, donors wonder how they will be used. Will their gifts make a difference?

What is the Annual Fund, and why is it so important to the College?

Large, restricted gifts for such things as renovating or constructing facilities or endowing a project or program are always welcome and appreciated. They will benefit the College long into the future. However, unrestricted Annual Fund gifts are equally important, as they are directed to the College’s immediate priorities and needs.

The Annual Fund is comprised of gifts—large and small—from many alumni, parents, and friends. It is called the Annual Fund because it includes gifts that the College can reasonably expect to receive on an annual basis and are spent in the year in which gifts are received. These unrestricted dollars provide the College with the flexibility to fund new and innovative programs and ideas, faculty development, student enrichment opportunities, and financial aid.

The College has been successful in securing Annual Fund support. During the recently completed fiscal year ending May 31, 2004, more than 3,000 alumni, parents, and friends contributed gifts to the Annual Fund that totaled over $2 million. This is the third consecutive year that the College’s Annual Fund surpassed $2 million, quite an accomplishment when one considers that the total amount received for the Annual Fund seven years ago was $1.4 million.

If the College did not receive this level of support from the Annual Fund, other income strategies would have to provide this assistance. For example, the endowment would have to be increased by $40 million to generate the same $2 million a year currently provided through support to the Annual Fund. Much less desirable, tuition would have to be increased by approximately $1,500 to provide this level of income.

Everyone can make a contribution to the Annual Fund, whether it’s a gift of $5, $100, $1,000, or more. While gifts from all constituencies are important, alumni participation in the Annual Fund is critical. Even a very small alumni gift that an alum might think is insignificant has significant value for the College; every alumni gift improves the College’s alumni participation rate.

How does the alumni participation rate affect the College?

The strength of annual giving is a critical benchmark of the quality of any academic institution and is measured by alumni participation in the Annual Fund. Alumni participation percentages are used in calculating college rankings in publications such as U.S. News and World Report, and foundations that give multimillion-dollar amounts look at the strength of annual giving through alumni participation when considering a large donation. Lake Forest College relies on a strong alumni participation percentage to ensure its ability to gain these foundation gifts as well as high national rankings. Your gift to the Annual Fund, whatever the amount, can make a difference!

How does your gift to the Annual Fund benefit the students and faculty at the College?

The Annual Fund touches all aspects of life at the College and there are four major areas that it supports: academic programs, student financial aid, student life, and campus maintenance.

Academic Programs (39 percent):  The Annual Fund provides academic support to both students and faculty. All instructional expenses for academic departments and programs are partially supported by the Annual Fund, including academic computing, technology upgrades, library and classroom updates, and resources for effective teaching. Also, the Annual Fund provides financial resources to attract and retain our outstanding faculty. Alumni routinely praise the faculty members who played such critical roles in their educational and professional development, adding that they would not have accomplished what they have without the influence of one or more of our faculty members.

Technological improvements remain important as the College prepares its students for a highly technical world that advances almost daily. Recent campus upgrades include installation of multimedia presentation equipment in Meyer Auditorium, a 40-percent increase in the bandwidth capacity on our networks, and the addition of security firewalls to prevent unauthorized data transfers.

These improvements, plus remarkable new equipment in the Donnelley and Lee Library and in various classrooms and offices, allow us to provide our students with the best collegiate experience available.

Financial Aid for Students (35 percent):  Annual Fund dollars are also allocated to help provide financial aid to students with need, which is critical in attracting and retaining the high-quality, diverse individuals who make our campus such a lively, engaging place of higher learning.

In recent years, we have added new ways for donors to provide scholarship funds through the Annual Fund. While donors may still designate gifts of whatever amount for student financial aid, we have created the Annual Scholarship Program, which allows a benefactor to designate $2,500 or more each year to establish a named Annual Scholarship. This makes it possible for alumni and friends to target their dollars to a specific purpose within the Annual Fund and to make a personal connection with a student on campus.

Our newly created Bob Amaden Annual Scholarship is a great example of this effort. In 2004 we lost Bob Amaden, a beloved former vice president and long-time member of our Lake Forest College community. To honor his memory, an Annual Scholarship was created in his name. Instead of one benefactor providing the minimum of $2,500 needed to establish an Annual Scholarship, we have received an outpouring of support from dozens of generous alumni that will make the Lake Forest College experience possible for several students.

Student Life (16 percent):  As you have read in the accompanying story, our students are active, multidimensional, and engaged in every aspect of life at Lake Forest College. Annual Fund dollars are used to help support our students’ many interests and needs and to help provide an enjoyable student life and range of activities on campus. Departments and offices such as Student Affairs, the health center, counseling center, Writing Center, and Leadership & Community Involvement all benefit from Annual Fund dollars. Our new student Orientation Program, Forester Edge, and many of our athletic activities and campus organizations benefit from the Annual Fund.

Campus diversity remains a high priority for the College, and the Annual Fund has helped support the Office of Intercultural Relations. This office encourages pride in the various cultures and international perspectives of our faculty, students, and staff through intercultural events both on-and off-campus. The office has helped host events during Black History Month, lent support to the Asian Studies Group, and provided resources for United Students Against Sweatshops, as well as other programs. In addition, with help from the Annual Fund, the office offers students a drop-in center to air their concerns or find learning opportunities about cultures different from their own. 

Campus Maintenance/Other (10 percent):  The Annual Fund provides support for campus maintenance and other miscellaneous costs. It is easy to underestimate the critical nature of support for these types of activities, but they are vital to the College’s day-to-day functioning. Administra-tive computing, Public Safety, Security, grounds maintenance, property and casualty insurance, and many other day-to-day expenses of the College are supported by the Annual Fund.

Unrestricted Dollars are the Key

Annual Fund dollars enable us to provide the full spectrum of academic and life experiences that our students and our faculty need and deserve. The College counts on these dollars for a myriad of programs and services as well as for the daily maintenance and upkeep of our beautiful campus and facilities. The Annual Fund truly is the healthy heart of our institution, and we must keep it beating.