At UMass and other cash-strapped public universities, pleasing alumni is more vital than ever. With many state budgets on red alert, schools like UMass are taking a page from private universities, which have long relied on generous alumni to boost their bottom lines. Last year, according to a survey by the Council for Aid to Education, eight public universities were on the list of the top 20 schools with the most donations. “It’s hard to distinguish anymore between privately governed and publicly governed institutions in their approaches,” says Vance Peterson, president of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, which monitors fund-raising.
One of those top 20 schools was the University of Virginia, which raised $255 million last year. The school’s marketing capitalizes on its founder, Thomas Jefferson. “Everything relates back to the fact that it’s Mr. Jefferson’s university,” says senior Jen Ramirez. “Even at the gym there are quotes from Jefferson on the walls.” Alumni get the message that it’s up to them to save Jefferson’s vision. State funding this year dropped to 9.4 percent of the budget, but private donations made up the difference. UMass starts its own major fund-raising campaign soon. And the Minuteman? He’s ready for action.
