from thejusticeonline.com (an independent student publication at Brandeis University)

Alumni pool to increase

It will take Brandeis another 25 years to have a pool of alumni comparable to that of older private universities that can rely on more alumni for fundraising, according to an initial report by the Faculty Development Advisory Committee that highlights both the successes and challenges of the Office of Development and Fundraising.

… “While our fundraising from alumni has gradually increased. We are still heavily dependent on gifts from non-alumni ‘friends’,” the report states. At other older universities, the largest share of giving comes from alumni and in particular alumni bequests. At Brandeis, the average age of an alumnus is young at 42, the report notes, and the first graduating classes were comparatively small. “An analysis of our alumni database suggests that it will take up to 25 more years for us to have a pool of alumni comparable to other universities our size,” the report states. The report also notes that there has been an upward trend in the amount of money raised from alumni, with their contributions making up 17.7 percent of the total funds raised in 2009, compared to 1.3 percent in 1975.