Alumni support core priorities
Generous donors, enthusiastic volunteers, challenge gifts, and an emphasis on student financial aid energized the 0s and 5s in 2014–2015, helping to raise the bar on reunion giving. Together, reunion classes contributed $51.9 million during the fiscal year, with gifts supporting Yale’s core priorities of financial aid, teaching, and research, along with record contributions to the Alumni Fund.
Of the thirteen Yale College reunion classes, nine moved into top-ten spots for their respective reunions: 1950, 1955, 1965, 1980, 1985, 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. The Class of 1980, raising a class gift of more than $50 million over the five-year reunion giving cycle, set an all-time record for a 35th reunion.
Volunteers continue tradition of giving
The success of reunion fundraising reflected both hard work and class spirit: in total, 351 volunteers reached out to 2,681 classmates to solicit their support of the university. Many reunion gift committees had three or four co-chairs and an expanded corps that could speak to a broad representation of classmates.
Stanley Trotman ’65 and Mel Shaftel ’65, 50th Reunion Gift co-chairs, were proud of the funds raised by their classmates, and they expressed their appreciation in a joint statement: “We are deeply gratified by the generosity and participation of so many of our classmates. Our incredible success was accomplished only through their wonderful support and the outstanding efforts of our gift committee members.”
Notably, the youngest reunion classes also participated generously: the classes of 2000, 2005, and 2010 all placed in the top ten for giving in their reunion year (achieving third place, tenth place, and eighth place, respectively). Over 55 percent of the Class of 2010, or 719 alumni, returned to celebrate their 5th reunion—a new attendance record.
Co-chair Katherine Philip ’10 was among the volunteers: “Volunteering on my 5th Reunion Gift Committee is my small way of giving back to the university that gave me so much over my four years,” she said. “Many of the experiences we were afforded at Yale were thanks to the generosity of alumni before us, so I find it only right to continue the tradition of giving to benefit the thousands of future Yale students.”
Record numbers reconnect with classmates and Yale
For many alumni, returning to campus for reunion celebrations further strengthens their connection not only with their classmates but also with the university. In May 2015, a record-breaking 7,109 alumni, spouses, family members, and friends came back to Yale’s campus. In all, a record-high total of 4,436 alumni—nearly 32 percent of all living alumni in this year’s reunion classes—attended one of two reunion weekends. In addition to the Class of 2010, the Class of 1985 also set a new attendance record for a 30th reunion with 31.3 percent of classmates participating.
Many alumni returning to campus expressed their enthusiasm through social media. Eric Seymour ’05 wrote: “Looking through photos from Yale’s 10th reunion this weekend and feeling very grateful. I feel so lucky to have shared this magical journey with some pretty spectacular people at a pretty phenomenal place. How did I get so lucky?” And Steven Nelson ’85 shared “The #Yale85 reunion was incredible. Friends, food, reconnection. And we broke the 30th reunion attendance record by a mile!”
