Ringing out the old.

Fiscal Year 2009. And what a year it was.

I don't seem to talk much about work on here, and probably with good reason, but in case you didn't know, I'm a fundraiser for my alma mater. And the phrase "in these economic times" has been rubbing against my optimistic grain for months. Maybe I've been doing this for so long that I can't see the other side of the token, but for whatever reason, I have a hard time accepting that a flipping recession could affect my beloved annual fund so dramatically.

One of the many reasons I got so excited about the Obama campaign was that I thought I saw attitudes about philanthropy changing. If ever there was a moment in time when people actually believed "every little bit counts," that was it. I gave a few dollars the first time I was asked, and the crazy thing was that when I was asked to give a little bit more, I gave again. I didn't think twice.

Granted, being part of a huge movement in an historical election is a little bit different than giving to an annual fund of one's alma mater. We're going to be asking you guys every damn year, unless you tell us to cut it out. However, I thought, FINALLY I had a real example to back up the aforementioned mantra.

So today marked the day when all our work over the last 365 days was realized. And in these economic times, surprise, we have not made our goal for the annual fund. Dollars are down. Number of alumni donors is down. But I don't feel right about blaming the economy. My hypothesis is that many of us are focusing on giving to a select few organizations where we can make more of a difference than if we give to every cause that knocks on our door (or calls us during the dinner hour). It makes sense, I'll admit. But if I could ask all college graduates to do one thing, it would be to make a gift every year to their alma mater. No matter how much you give, it causes a (albeit very slow) ripple effect: a.) lots of alumni giving = great students can afford to come to your alma mater = recognition of student achievements = improved reputation of your school = your degree is worth more; and b.) lots of alumni giving = better standing in grant applications = more funding for your school = bright students are attracted to your school = reputation = value of your degree = etc. If you follow the news and you know that there's a reason to preface everything money-related with "in these economic times," you've probably heard that higher education, and the overall non-profit sector, have taken a huge hit. If this calls you to any sort of action in giving, I applaud you.

In any case, despite our non-banner year for the annual fund, I did have a pretty decent FY09, professionally speaking. I won a couple awards, I got a promotion and a new boss, and celebrated my fifth year working in fundraising. For someone under the age of 30, I'm feeling pretty good, and I still feel optimistic. And I work at a place that values my creativity and let me produce what could easily be considered my proudest work this past year. That being said, I know what needs to happen in FY10. Wish me luck!