A FUND RAISER’S DICTIONARY

ALUMNI FUND YEAR – The Alumni Fund calendar counts gifts received from October 1 through the last day of February. Gifts received between the close of one year’s Fund and the start of the next Fund are credited to the upcoming Fund, unless the donor states otherwise.

BRE – Acronym for Business Reply Envelope, the pre-addressed, postage-paid gift envelope enclosed with each class agent letter. Extra BREs are included in your supply packet. When you make a call and miss someone, follow up with a brief note – and enclose a BRE!

CAPITAL GIFTS – These are restricted gifts that are designated for the College’s endowment or for major “capital” projects such as buildings. Capital gifts do not count toward the Alumni Fund. Classes celebrating their 50th and 25th Reunions conduct comprehensive fund-raising campaigns for a class gift that includes both capital and Alumni Fund components.

ENDOWMENT GIFTS – Gifts made to the endowment exist in perpetuity. They grow in value over time and are used to generate resources, a certain percentage of which is used annually to support current expenditures.

FISCAL YEAR (FY) – For accounting and budgetary purposes, the Williams College fiscal year runs from July 1 to June 30. See Alumni Fund Year, above.

LD - Stands for Leadership Donor.

LEADERSHIP GIFT - A gift of $2,000 or more made in one Alumni Fund year. Those who give at this level receive a Williams commemorative plate after the close of each year’s Fund. The leadership gift level is raised periodically.

LEADERSHIP GIFTS CHAIR – This is the associate agent assigned to identify and solicit the leadership donors.

LYBUNT – Acronym for donors who gave “Last Year BUt Not This” year.

RESTRICTED GIFT – Any gift for a specific purpose. An endowed gift may also be restricted for specific purposes, such as scholarships, or to support an academic program or a capital project. Current restricted gifts often support specific academic areas or athletic teams and are expended within the current fiscal year. Restricted gifts do not count toward the Alumni Fund.

SYBUNT – Acronym for “Some Years BUt Not This,” and refers to Alumni Fund donors who did not give this year or last year, but who have made a gift at least once in the four years since their last reunion.

THE WILLIAMS CAMPAIGN – The Williams Campaign is a comprehensive campaign. All gifts – Alumni Fund, endowment, and capital – will be counted towards the total goal of $400 million. In fact, all Alumni Fund gifts received after February 16, 2002, have received Campaign credit. The Williams Campaign, which is expected to continue through June 2008, supports Williams’ students and their lives both inside and outside the classroom. Its $400 million funding objectives include:

• a model curriculum with expanded interdisciplinary and experiential teaching and Williams’ signature tutorial program, supported by the addition of 30 new faculty positions
• expanded theatre and dance programs situated in a new performing arts center
• enhanced social sciences research, faculty and student space through the renovation of the Stetson/Sawyer Libraries and faculty office annex
• increased commitment to need-blind admissions and full-need scholarship support that now includes international students
• improved student life opportunities based in a new student center.

UNRESTRICTED GIFTS – These valuable gifts can be used for anything that supports the priorities and needs of the College, as identified and prioritized by the trustees and president of the College. Current unrestricted gifts support the current expenditures budget and are used within the fiscal year in which they are received. Unrestricted gifts may also be made to the endowment, and a portion of the earnings on those gifts is applied each year to the current expenditures budget. Only current unrestricted gifts count toward the Alumni Fund.