2011-2012 Report on Giving
Lawrence Dennis ’15, Portland, OR
This report is a testament to the generous support from the Cornell family for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. With $10.9 million in gifts, alumni, parents, and friends have allowed Cornell to provide an array of extraordinary opportunities – in the classroom, on campus, and around the world.
Gifts designated to building initiatives, student scholarships, the endowment, as well as unrestricted gifts to the Annual Fund, have a direct impact on each and every student. We are grateful for the 3,778 donors who supported Cornell during the year.
This year, gifts to the Annual Fund exceeded $1.7 million. Cornell’s Annual Fund and Parents Fund nourish the core of the college, supporting everything from faculty teaching and campus life to student scholarships and financial assistance.
STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
The first Young Alumni Giving Month Challenge was held in October 2011. Graduates of the last decade (GOLD) enthusiastically responded to a $10,000 matching challenge from an anonymous donor. Throughout the month, young alumni tripled their giving totals and doubled the number of donors over the previous year.
MILESTONE FOR CORNELL FELLOWS
In 2011-2012, the Cornell Fellows program surpassed its 200th Cornell student to benefit from the college's premier opportunity for high-level internships and professional mentoring. This past fiscal year, 16 donors sponsored named Cornell Fellowships in locales ranging from Washington, D.C., to India. With the support of a strong alumni and professional network and from exceptional faculty sponsors, a Cornell Fellowship is a distinctive and highly regarded aspect of a Cornell College education.
ESTATE GIFTS EQUAL TREMENDOUS IMPACT
In fiscal year 2011-2012, several alumni, parents, and friends left a powerful and lasting legacy at Cornell through estate gifts. The estate gift from James Russell, father of Jean Russell ’65, provided over $5 million to the college and was one of the largest gifts in Cornell’s history. In addition, a portion of the estate gift from Helen Danforth ’40 will provide King Chapel renovations.
A PIECE OF HISTORY RETURNS TO THE HILLTOP
With the generous support of alumni, Cornell College purchased and refurbished the Van Etten-Lacey house in 2012 for its newly created Center for the Literary Arts. Just off the Cornell campus, the lovely limestone house was built by Ben Van Etten ’26 in 1937 for himself and his wife, Winifred Mayne Van Etten ’25, longtime English professor. English professor Stephen Lacey ’65 later lived in the home. The Center fosters the cultivation of imaginative writing and communication across disciplines and is supported by the R.P. Dana Emerging Writer Fellow and a faculty director.
Each year gifts range greatly in size, but the collective impact of each and every gift makes a tremendous difference to the educational experience provided on the Hilltop. On behalf of our students, thank you!
