Alumni Sustainability Fund-Raising

Goal The main goal of the Alumni Sustainability Fund Development Program is to increase alumni financial support for the Chancellor’s Green Campus Fund and the Strawberry Creek Fund in order to increase the scope and effectiveness of the programs and projects they support. Rationale There is a strong sentiment among the Cal alumni community that there is tremendous potential for a sustainability-oriented fundraising campaign aimed at environmentally concerned alumni. This sentiment is shared by California Alumni Association staff, College of Natural Resources Alumni Relations staff, Berkeley Environmental Alumni Network Executive Committee members, members of the greater Cal alumni community, and other nationwide campus sustainability organizations. Currently, there is no concerted and focused effort to present an environmentally beneficial donation option to Cal alumni; most fundraising campaigns support funds that may not be compelling to environmentally-concerned alumni. The Alumni Sustainability Fund Development Program will provide the option for environmentally-minded alumni to donate to a compelling cause. This does not mean that the Program will divert funds that are already dedicated to other campus fundraising campaigns; in fact, this program is designed to reach new donors who infrequently or never donate to the University (approximately 70% of the alumni community). Until now, funds for the Chancellor’s Green Campus Fund have come from existing University funds. Although the Strawberry Creek fund has existed for some months now, this program does not have a designated budget and therefore lacks the resources to perform meaningful development work. Realizing the goal of this program will bring much-needed external funding to these programs while providing an avenue for environmental alumni to give to the campus. Expected Results With the proposed budget for this effort, the expected results of the Program are: • A development program capable of reaching in excess of 3,000 alumni • The development of a comprehensive list of donors and potential donors for use in continual development of campus sustainability funds. • The establishment of an alumni sustainability fund development program, and demonstration that the program provides a regular and effective means of supporting campus sustainability efforts and sponsoring more sustainability projects. • Meeting a goal of fundraising $10,000 for the Chancellor’s Campus Green Fund and the Strawberry Creek Fund by the end of the 2007/2008 fiscal year, which will generate sufficient funds to replenish, with interest, the funds used to initiate these programs, and ensure funding for ongoing development efforts in support of campus sustainability and creek projects. Providing funding to initiate the Alumni Sustainability Fund Development Program will help the campus provide a source of ongoing money to support these important campus funds achieve their goals.