2009 Berkeley Engineering Senior Gift Campaign

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the 2009 Engineering Senior Gift Campaign? 

The Campaign is a way for graduating seniors to come together and make an impact on Berkeley Engineering. As part of the Cal Senior Class Campaign, the Engineering campaign aims to raise critical income for the Berkeley Engineering Annual Fund, which supports student scholarships, research initiatives, faculty hiring, and other key initiatives. More important than fundraising, the campaign is about student participation. Our 2009 goal is to achieve 50%.

The campaign is also about educating seniors on ways to stay connected to their College after graduation. The campaign will spread the word about the resources available to alumni through the Engineering@Cal Online Community. 

When does the Campaign start? 

The campaign kicked off on October 27th, 2008, and runs through early May 2009. Gifts made during this period will be credited toward the Senior Gift Campaign. The final results will be presented to Dean Sastry on an over-sized check at the College of Engineering Commencement ceremony.

How will my contribution be used?

Your senior gift will go toward supporting Berkeley Engineering’s undergraduate program; faculty support and retention; and other critical programs that directly benefit future Berkeley Engineering students. 

Can I make a pledge now and make my payment later, or over time?

Yes. You don’t have to pay anything now; just promise to pay the first installment of your pledge by June 1, 2009. Each student who makes a gift of $35, and pledges to make an equal gift over the next three years, will receive a free Berkeley Engineering Alumni license plate frame as a thank you gift!

But I’ve paid so much in student fees already. And, isn’t Cal a state-funded university?

Until the mid-nineties, UC Berkeley was, for the most part, a state-funded institution. Not any more. Now, only about one-third of Berkeley’s funding comes from the state. Alumni who have come before us have contributed to help close this gap; now it’s our turn to continue that tradition and support future generations of Berkeley engineers.  

But I’m a (transfer/international/out of state) student and pay four times what other students pay.  Why should I contribute?  

Senior gifts and alumni support provide major funding for scholarships, so your participation could help make Berkeley Engineering more affordable for all students in the future.   

I don’t feel comfortable making a three-year commitment. Why should I give if I can only make a small contribution? 

Berkeley Engineering senior to consider making a gift to the Berkeley  Engineering Annual Fund, then pledge to make additional gifts of the same amount over the next three years. The  Senior Gift Campaign is an important tradition and you can help us reach our participation goal.  

What’s the difference between the Cal Senior Gift Campaign and the Berkeley Engineering Senior Gift Campaign? 

The Cal Senior Class Gift Campaign is a campus-wide program in which all gifts are matched by a group of Cal alumni donors. The Engineering campaign is part of the Cal Campaign in that all gifts count toward the campus-wide effort; however, all Berkeley Engineering gifts are applied to the Berkeley Engineering Annual Fund, directly benefiting  students and faculty at the College of Engineering.  In addition, each gift to the Berkeley Engineering Senior Gift Campaign will be matched 2:1 by a prominent Engineering alum. This match, combined with the Cal Campaign’s match, makes each gift worth four times as much!  All donors to the Senior Gift Campaign will be invited to a “Thank You” reception at the Chancellor’s  home on May 5, 2009.  

How do I make my senior gift?

• Drop by 201 McLaughlin Hall, Monday through Friday, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.          
• Hand your pledge form to any Senior Gift Campaign committee member.
  

• Call (510) 642-2487

• Receive a Berkeley Engineering license plate frame when you give $35 now and pledge to give  at the same lever for two more years (a total pledge of $105).  Click here to make your pledge today.
• Alternatively, you can make a single, one-time gift for any amount by clicking here.   

Remember: as a thank you gift, every senior who makes a gift of $35 in 2009, then pledges to make an equal gift over the next three years, will receive  a complimentary Berkeley Engineering Alumni license plate frame.  

For more information, please contact Jennifer Roseman at jenniferr@berkeley.edu.