It’s graduation time! It makes me think back of our boys graduating from college, who are now college alumni.
Our youngest son went to Cape Cod Community College for the first two years and then graduated from Belmont University in Nashville. It’s a great campus, a terrific school and a great city to live in and visit.
While he’s been on his own for a few years, he’s moving around a fair bit, and we receive his Belmont mail here at the house. I, of course, love reading the magazine and annual reports, especially with a fundraising eye.
I particularly love reading and hearing stories that come full circle. An example is an excerpt I read on Milton Johnson.
The article goes on to say that he and his wife recently donated $10 million to support a special program, creating a bridge between high school and Belmont.
It all started with a small gift of $5 a month.
So what does this mean? It means that no gift is too small, and that it’s a great entry that can lead to more. Universities have that wonderful opportunity to engage with their alumni for many, many years to come.
That’s why, particularly for young graduates like my son, who are just starting out in life, asking your college alumni to give monthly is key. Even if they can’t give much now, start them off on the giving path with a monthly gift and they may well be able to give you a lot more in future!
